Image taken by iPhone to appear in advert campaign

A photographer’s image of the Liwa desert shot on her smartphone is being featured on billboards around the world after it was selected by Apple for an advertising campaign.

Debbie Fortes shows her image of Rub Al Khali taken with the iPhone 6. She has lived in Dubai for five years. Pawan Singh / The National

DUBAI // An image of the Liwa desert shot on an expatriate’s smartphone is featuring on billboards worldwide after it was selected by Apple for an ad campaign.

Filipina Debbie Fortes shot her picture of a man walking through sand dunes on her iPhone 6.

The image, called Rub Al Khali, was selected for Apple’s Shot on iPhone 6 World Gallery campaign.

“I always wanted to go to Liwa, which is also known as Rub’al Khali, ever since I saw it on the internet,” said the 37-year-old, who has been living in Dubai for five years. “Going to Liwa was a dream come true. I truly admire the beauty of its untouched sands.”

The image was seen by the technology giant after Ms Fortes posted it on Instagram with the hashtag #shotoniphone6.

She said she was delighted to have her work chosen.

“I was already the fan of their campaign. It is simple but the engagement from people is massive,” she said.

“I mostly use my iPhone 6 for the photos that I post on Instagram so I hashtag them a lot. They were interested in two of my photos and finally chose Rub Al Khali.”

The image has been displayed on billboards in 70 cities in 25 countries, including the UAE, as well as in magazine adverts.

Ms Fortes has exhibited her photos in various shows in Sharjah and Dubai.

While she draws inspiration from many sources, she said Liwa was still her favourite spot.

“Liwa as the second-largest sand desert in the world. Most of its dunes are untouched. There is no doubt that Liwa and its golden crystal-like sands caught the attention of Apple and included it in their award winning campaign.”

In March, a black-and-white camera-phone photo of a bridge in Dubai’s International Financial Centre, taken by Dubai resident Hattan Ahmed, was chosen for the campaign. The shot by the 27-year-old, a graphic designer and photographer, appeared on billboards in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo.