But photos taken on the humble mobile that have been shortlisted for a new category in the world's largest photography competition may change their minds.

Incredible images show natural wonders such as Norway's fjords while others show candid scenes depicting everyday life.

The World Photo Organisation (WPO) launched its new award to recognise excellent photographs taken on smartphones in January and has now shortlisted 20 entries.

The images were chosen by a panel of judges from over 10,000 photographs in just four weeks.

Members of the public can vote their favourite in the next week by visiting the WPO’s website before March 17, when voting closes. 

The image with the most ‘thumbs up’ will win a trip to London to attend the Sony World Photography Awards gala ceremony on 23 April and the photographer will have their photo shown at an exhibition at Somerset House, as well as winning Sony goodies.

Some photographs, such as an image of a swimming pool with a man standing inside it, use apps and visual trickery to superimpose shots over each other, while others show more ‘simple' scenes such as a girl on a swing, or men praying.

There are two shortlisted entries from British photographers. Helen Welton shot a bridge disappearing into mist, while Craig Atkinson captured his two children clasping hands wearing their best clothes at a family event, choosing black and white for the image.

The dizzying image of Preacher´s Pulpit or Preikestolen, in Norway, was taken by Atle Rønningen.

'For me having a person in my landscape photos increases the value, not only as it gives scale to the scene but because it also gives the image valuable memories,' he told MailOnline.

'My friend has no fair of heights so he was willing to go very far to the edge. 

I also had to go far out on the other side to get the right angle, and admit that I felt a bit dizzy'.

He took the incredible shot with his smartphone and edited it with a free app called VSCO Cam. Photo manipulation is allowed in the competition. 

It says that the new category ‘allows us to look a little closer at those otherwise ordinary moments and to enjoy the creative freedom that mobile phone photography allows.’

The WPO says that mobile entries to the awards have ‘increased steadily year on year.

‘It was time for mobile phone photography to have its own dedicated platform, instead of taking the risk of losing some wonderful photos within the hundreds of thousands of entries we receive to the main awards.’

Anyone could submit an image to meet the competition’s brief: ‘You get out of life what you put in. Push past the obvious and see the inspiration all around you.

'Discover the extraordinary by using your mobile phone to view the world through a different lens.’

Photographs had to be shot with a smartphone and be high resolution enough – a minimum of 800KB - to be printed out and shown at an exhibition.

The overall winner will receive a bundle of Sony Mobile products, including an Xperia smartphone and tablet, as well as attending the Sony Photography Awards gala ceremony.

Runners-up will see their entry shown at the exhibition from April 14 to May 10 and will also win a smartphone. 

(dailymail.co.uk)