Smartphone pips Nikon Z8 to top prize in America’s State Parks Photo Contest – who needs a high-end camera to win awards, eh?

In a surprising twist, a photograph taken with a smartphone has taken top honors at the 2026 America’s State Parks Photo Contest, dethroning a high-end Nikon Z8. The winning shot, captured by photographer Dianne Slotten in Catalina State Park, Arizona, using an iPhone 16 Pro, earned the Grand Prize of $10,000 (around £7,500/AU$14,300).

This contest, hosted annually by America’s State Parks in collaboration with the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) and ReserveAmerica/Aspira, invites visitors to submit images that highlight the natural beauty, wildlife, and recreational opportunities found in state parks nationwide.

Slotten’s image, described as capturing the "moody and mystical" ambiance of a drizzly November morning in the Sonoran Desert, edged out two other contenders who were both using the Nikon Z8. The Nikon Z8, sometimes referred to as the "baby Z9," boasts a 45.7MP CMOS sensor and a robust autofocus system with 493 phase-detect and contrast-detect points.

Among the Nikon Z8 shooters, Chris Dahl claimed first place in the "Shores & Waterways" category for a "quiet, deeply reflective composition" of a waterway in Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina. Meanwhile, Angie Precure secured the "Peaks & Plains" category with a landscape shot of Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site, Washington, depicting clouds during a "dramatic transition." The Nikon Z8 photographers are evidently skilled artists in their own right, as evidenced by their respective victories.