As Pokémon GO advances in the field of AR technology, it only makes sense that Trainers worldwide become more and more interactive in the way they play, and part of this is not only being a Pokémon Trainer, but being an AR Photographer as well.
Throughout this past month, Trainers worldwide have gone out to photograph Pokémon in the wild, and along with photographs, they have brought back a story to tell, in this articles we will take a look at these Photographs, the stories behind them, and the Trainers who took them. These are their photos, these are their stories.
Do you want to join in on the fun but don’t know how to take AR pictures? Take a look at our How to Take the Perfect AR Photo Guide for tips and tricks on becoming a better AR Photographer!
The Kraken
“I was there on vacation, Costa Nova is well known for its colourful houses and soft-sand beaches. There were some cool spawns like Beedrill or Marowak, but Octillery fit this place the most. I tapped it after finishing lunch, and I walked with it all the way to the beach, to the end of the pier, and placed Octillery among the windy waves.”
Location: Costa Nova, Portugal
Photographer/Creator: FeelTheDango
Editor’s Notes: A great use of filters and background, this photo does a wonderful job of really placing Octillery in its natural habitat, and although it may be a bit bigger than what we imagine, the way it’s placed is just stunning.
Two-Faced
“After hustling to capture a playful wild Snorlax who had children bouncing on his stomach and getting him to go down the playground slide, I bode him farewell before turning around to capture him in a GreatBall! Then I heard the cries of wild Girafarig and spent the next 30 minutes tracking one down and managed to snap this shot before it bolted into the tall grass!”
Location: Raleigh, NC, United States
Photographer/Creator: DoubleComplex
Editor’s Notes: Something I absolutely love about this picture is the point of view, it’s an uncommon thing to see, and although looking at any other Pokémon from behind may feel pointless, with Girafarig’s unique design, it’s just a fun new view.
Sunset Flight
“I had just done a Latios raid and decided to head to darling harbor for something to eat, soon to find an amazing sunset in front of me, and I hadn’t caught the Latios yet. I took a few fine photos until I was happy with what I got. I snapped about 3 photos and got the perfect positions for latios to look good for some editing.”
Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia
Photographer/Creator: Waverabbit
Editor’s Notes: The differentiation of colors from Latios and the sunset causes an amazing combination and contrast of design, having Latios in such a wonderful sunset, who could resist snapping a photo or two?
Nocturnal
“As this Pokémon’s favorite prey is small insects that gather around streetlights, I managed to capture it by attracting it to the light. As you can see I was struck by a massively beautiful Venomoth and the fusion of sky with amazing lights all around.”
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Photographer/Creator: Cynosure
Editor’s Notes: Although the location may not be grand, seeing this nocturnal creature against the cool colored sky makes for an amazing sight, the way the sunlight just barely peaks from around it works as a perfect balance to Venomonth’s brightness.
Boardwalk Boi
“Strolling along the lakeside, as the sun sets for the day, the looming threat of rain on the horizon, when suddenly…I almost bump into a tree. I look up to see that it’s a palm tree, not normally native to these parts. Upon closer inspection, I realize that the palm tree is inspecting ME as well. It’s an Alolan form Exeggutor! Its towering neck absorbing the sunlight and reflecting it beautifully in the setting light, I ask it for a picture. Happy to oblige, it sways in the sunlight, as if it is dancing. After capturing this moment, I bid it a good day”
Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada
Photographer/Creator: Cyanic Waves
Editor’s Notes: Whenever Alolan Exeggutor appeared, Trainers were more than eager to snap a picture of it, but this one is special in the sense that we get to see it how we would actually look at it from the real-world, looking straight up!
Thunder Bird
“A Lighting storm had developed off in the distance, and I couldn’t pass up this perfect opportunity to get a photo of my favorite legendary bird, Zapdos.”
Location: Oklahoma City, OK, United States
Photographer/Creator: InotGoodAtThis
Editor’s Notes: Even though there may not be as much of a description, there are certain pictures that speak for themselves, and this is one of them. Let’s just say that I thought about switching to Instinct after seeing this picture.
Winter Blues
“Finally, after a hard week of completing my research tasks for the Professor, I was able to face the legendary bird Articuno, the mascot of my team, which also happened to be the last Pokémon I needed to complete my Kanto Pokédex. I’ve been playing GO since the very first day the game launched and finishing my Kanto Pokédex with Articuno after two years was an honour! Now it’s time to complete my Johto and Hoenn Pokédex!”
Location: Mockau-Nord (Leipzig), Sachsen, Germany
Photographer/Creator: Coll797
Editor’s Notes: Similarly to the last photo, while I was stuck in my Zapdos awe, Articuno was quick to come in and bring me right back to my Mystic team, and rightfully so, the use of partial photo editing gives me chills!
Leap of Faith
“Just as I was taking a stroll and enjoying the city skyscrapers after a heavy meal, I feel a huge shadow underneath the water and expected a gigantic pokemon approaching. Suddenly, the water type legendary Kyogre splashes out of the water and took a leap against the beautiful city skyline!! Many trainers saw this breathtaking scene and ran towards Kyogre for this exciting legendary raid battle! Its Blizzard charge move was so strong that it took us 20 trainers to take this beast down! Awesome!”
Location: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Photographer/Creator: Ceddybear90
Editor’s Notes: With a beautiful city background, seeing Kyogre as it makes a leap of faith is just a plus, this photo proves that even though the Pokémon is the star, it takes a great background to make it what it is.
Bubble Buddies
“My friend and I wanted to raid to complete our research tasks and get our daily stamps but the battery on his phone was dying. We were trying to get home when we saw a Vaporeon raid! I could have the chance of taking a picture of a Vaporeon, one of my fave eeveelutions, so we decided to take the risk and raid! Luckily, my friend’s phone survived with 7% battery and I could take some pretty cool pictures of Vaporeon!”
Location: Behind the Opera, Leipzig, Germany
Photographer/Creator: Coll797
Editor’s Notes: Once again, this is a pure example of partial photo editing, I had never considered which of the Eeveelutions was my favorite, until now, and I think that after seeing this photo, I will have a very unique image of Vaporeon in my head.
Pinsir Pursuit
“The area I was in has the ruins of an old sugar mill which has been consumed by nature. I was sitting on a Pinsir encounter from Field Research and decided that this area would serve as the perfect backdrop for photos of the massive bug. The goal of my AR photography is to be as realistic as possible. That’s why I choose to go with a journalistic-style when taking my photos; assuming that in real life, wild Pokémon would be as skittish or dangerous towards humans as actual wild animals are.”
Location: Olowalu, HI, United States
Photographer/Creator: Ryusui
Editor’s Notes: It might not be that great in the meta, but when it comes to bringing out your buggy side, it’s perfect for pictures, and by getting a photo mid-attack, you can just feel the movement through the photo.
Jet Stream
“That was my second Latios Raid ever. With the first one I raided, I couldn’t really take good pictures and since this time our group was in the city center, I knew now it was my chance to get a really decent shot. Getting a cool picture of Latios in this location was harder than expected – there were many people walking around and so many cars that were making it difficult for me to take a good photo. Then Latios decided to fly up and attack! Luckily I was quick enough to snap this moment. And this is the story behind this picture. That’s a nice fact, by the way, I caught this Latios with my first throw, an excellent throw in Expert Handle mode!”
Location: Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
Photographer/Creator: Coll797
Editor’s Notes: I may not like the Eon Duo, but this photo made me think twice, the modern building background along with Latios’s slick and clean design complement each other so perfectly, that it’s impossible to ignore.
Under The Sea
“I was in my bed when I decided to turn on Pokémon Go. All was looking good but then… a wild Tentacruel appeared! I ran to my garden and thought it would be nice if I took a pic looking like he’s underwater swimming across the seaweed. I added a blue filter to simulate the underwater feeling, hope you like it!”
Location: México City, CDMX, México
Photographer/Creator: LizWhibley
Editor’s Notes: Being in México myself, it made me a little proud to see where this photo came from, but apart from, by using the right balance of filters and placement, Tentacruel actually appears to be underwater!
Storm Break
“Just another day at work, another drive around Pittsburgh. Thunder struck and the skies grew dark when suddenly out of nowhere out popped the avatar of lightning Zapdos! He took one look at me and turned and let out the loudest call I’ve heard calling forth the impending storm. “I have to catch it” I thought as I unfastened a pokeball from my belt with his back towards me. He turned and I threw it with the swiftest haste and 1 shake…2 shake…3 shake! I had captured Zapdos! The legend! The legendary Pokémon representing my team!”
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Photographer/Creator: Brobafett
Editor’s Notes: Seeing Zapdos from this angle isn’t a common thing to come across, however with that cloudy background, one can only wonder what storms Zapdos had planned to create.
Finger Nabber
“I was out and walking along the streets of Alora when I heard a strange sound coming from a narrow road. I looked down it and saw a lonley zigzagoon sitting there. I slowly started to walk closer to it when it suddenly started to look angry. It tried to attack me but luckily I had a poke ball in my hand and threw it as soon as it came close. Welcome to the team, angry one.”
Location: Àlora, Andalusia, Spain
Photographer/Creator: PheeThee
Editor’s Notes: I may just be a bit technical, but I though it was clever to see Zigzagoon running in this direction, instead of running straight, it’s running at an angle, indicating that it was most likely running in a zig-zag formation. Subtle, but clever.
Soaring
“This photo took me 15 minutes to set up perfectly. It was a bright sunny day and people were out sunbathing, I was getting weird looks off a number of people while for all they knew I was taking pictures of the sky for ages. Finally Moltres decided to do the attack I wanted and I was able to get this shot.”
Location: Leeds, UK
Photographer/Creator: Gimpneek
Editor’s Notes: Seeing Moltres and how it aligns perfectly with the building background, throws me into a Team confusion! Although the surroundings may not offer much, the way that Moltres fits alongside it is marvelous.
Lost
“I went to the beach of Oostende to spin all the Pokestops in the city with a lucky egg. We had a few days left of Adventure week and with every spun on an unique pokestop we got 4200 XP. That day I got like 520k XP with only 3 lucky eggs.. It was insane! There were alot of Alolan Exeggutors too! I turned on the AR+ feature and took a photo of the Exeggutor on the beach.”
Location: Oostende, Belgium
Photographer/Creator: ShinyMajinrobin ✨
Editor’s Notes: It’s impossible to look at Exeggutor and not wonder when he will head to the beach, and this photographer took no time in heading out and finding it. Looks like Exeggutor was just relaxing in the Alolan breeze.
Hidden Gem
“The water event was announced by Niantic and again with a few new shinies. So we went for a walk again in a beautiful park in the city of Gent. While I was hunting for shiny Wailmer and Shellder, a Starmie popped up. It’s a very rare and mysterious Pokémon, so I looked for a place to take an AR+ picture of it. This photo is the result.”
Location: Gent, Belgium
Photographer/Creator: ShinyMajinrobin ✨
Editor’s Notes: When it comes to the meta, we have talked about Hidden Gems, but we think that this one takes that name a bit more personal.The use of the dirt path along with the dust creates a sense of realness that cannot be described as anything less than perfect.
Who’s That Pokémon?
As a throwback to the original Pokémon series, we are starting a brand new Photo Showcase section, Who’s That Pokémon! Think you know who the Pokémon is? Submit your best photo of it and next month you will see the Photographer behind it!
Conclusion
Although we can’t show them all, we are happy that we can take a moment to recognize the effort of the Trainers above, AR Photography is only a growing trend, and we can consider these photos and the Trainers behind them to be pioneers in the field of AR Photography.
If you would like to share your photos with us then feel free to send in your pictures to our #Ar_Pictures Channel on Discord, and once you’re ready, submit your photos through this Google Form for the chance at appearing in next month’s AR Photo Showcase!
Take some great Photos, have some great fun, and stay safe, Trainers!