“The eagle must have noticed me as it started flapping its wings and screeching, very agitated and vigilant,” photographer Siyuan Niu tells TIME. “The old man used his hand and his voice to calm it down. They were touching face-to-face. With my iPhone in hand, I took the shot.”
Check out the Best iPhone Photos of 2016
The iPhone Photography Awards are back and the winners of this ninth annual competition have been announced, with Siyuan Niu of Xinjiang, China, coming on top.