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 these photographs, they have brought back a story to tell, in this article 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.
| AR Showcase Index | |
|---|---|
| Segment: | Featuring: |
| AR Photo Entries | The AR Photographs submitted by your fellow Trainers |
| Unfiltered Entries | Raw, unfiltered, and unedited AR Photographs |
| AR Master Entries | The AR Masters and their prized AR Photographs |
| AR Master Photo Research | Professor Willow and the help of the AR Masters |
| Honorable Entries | The AR Photographs that almost made it |
| Final Notes | My closing ideas and links to everything AR related |
Without further ado, let’s take a look at December’s AR Photo Showcase!
AR Photo Entries
In this segment we take a look at the AR Photographs and stories submitted by your fellow Trainers.
Be Careful
“I realized that this would be good location for an AR pic with the theme ‘be careful’. I wanted a cute Pokémon for the photo and luckily, I found a Torchic walking, trying desperately not to fall off the edge. This photo was taken at Mihintale, Sri Lanka.”
Location: Mihintale, Sri Lanka
Photographer: N2N
Side Note: Although the seeming effects/filters are minimal, they don’t cloud the picture, they enhance its natural beauty and balance in colors, very well done – HUB Writer Josh Provines
…Not Even a Mouse
“After hearing some noises in my house, I began to look around to see what I could find. I quietly walked all over and couldn’t find a single thing. And then… as I turned the corner into my living room, I spotted what appeared to be Pikachu, sitting next to my Christmas tree, counting down the days till Christmas.”
Location: Kansas, United States
Photographer: SoulGoon
Side Note: Everything is just so right about this image. The placement, the lighting, and especially the feels it delivers right to your heart – AR Master Ryusui
Christmas Sacrifices
“There was nobody in line so I wanted to take the opportunity to capture Delibird welcoming anyone else wanting to get their picture taken with Santa. Delibird’s perfect posing was necessary in capturing this joyful photo! I’m pretty sure my back hates me because of this.”
Location: Missouri, United States
Photographer: ShawnDidItAgain
Side Note: We all make some sacrifices around the holidays, whether that involved time, money, travel, or effort. In this case however, the example seems a bit more literal – HUB Writer Josh Provines
Lapras and the Fossil Falls
“Everyone loves our local State Parks! Even the Lapras! Often this Pokémon is shy and stays away. We got lucky! She showed up to explore the fossil beds at Falls of the Ohio with us! The high water allowed her to get around easier and see even more! The current must have put her in a playful mood! It was a delight to get the opportunity to see such a rare Pokémon in the wild!”
Location: Indiana, United States
Photographer: Jami Guess
Snorlax Express
“A very long time ago I had taken a photo of Snorlax in front of Panda Express and I since then lost it in the depths of Social Media. One night a Snorlax spawned nearby this restaurant and I finally captured the hungry side of Snorlax we all know and love. Enjoy!”
Location: Missouri, United States
Photographer: ShawnDidItAgain
Side Note: AR Photos don’t always have to have a serious tone, sometimes they can be fun and quirky and still fit in wonderfully with the rest – HUB Writer Josh Provines
Wells Pogo
“On a fine bonus December community day (weekend) I took the time to do something I normally don’t. AR Photograph shinies. This one was in the right place at the right time as shiny Charmander’s colors go perfectly with the historical Wells Fargo Museum décor and the extra touch of being outside and making it look like I was photoing him from behind glass like he was part of the display was just the cherry on top.”
Location: North Carolina, United States
Photographer: Manifesto87
Meltan? More like “Mess-tan”
“When I got my first Meltan I found it so cute and I made it my buddy. I let it roam freely, like my other buddies before it, but I forgot to lock up the closet where I store my tools. Well, sure enough, Meltan found the closet and my tools! I’m in the living room watching TV, next thing I know I hear a loud crash. I rush to the hallway and there is Meltan, surrounded by a veritable buffet. It was so cute, how could I be angry?”
Location: Ontario, Canada
Photographer: Erick Fournier
Side Note: I absolutely love when AR photos have more connection to their surroundings by the inclusion of animals, people, or props – AR Master Ryusui
Unfolding Time Travel
“A rare view of the Mythical Pokémon Celebi, while time traveling in the forest. There has been rumors that it likes to come out on a nice warm day, wander around, and mingle with every other Pokémon. It’s usually shy near people. How lucky I am to have been able to get this shot!”
Location: Tangerang, Indonesia
Photographer: SeptianSukiwan
Raikou’s Hidden Hideout
“I’d previously taken a Raikou picture when they were first in research boxes, however at the time there was no AR+ for Android so I was not totally happy with the results. When this came from my research breakthrough box this week I knew I had to try again. I had been looking for the perfect setting all day but had not found anywhere and was just about to give up and just catch the Pokémon. I decided to wait until the end of the day and if I hadn’t found anywhere I’d just catch him. Me and my partner had taken a trip to our local shopping centre and had decided to walk there instead of drive due to the traffic being crazy because of Christmas shopping. We decided to walk a different way to which we would usually walk and came upon this clearing in the trees that acted as a sound screen for the motorway that bordered the shopping centre. It was the spot that I had been looking for all day, as dusk fell I got this pic which I thought hadn’t worked because it was too dark but I thought I’d try and brighten the image and it just came out perfect. Finally I had my Raikou pic, which I had been waiting for!”
Location: England, United Kingdom
Photographer: Azzergal
Thunderstruck
“After my encounter with the Legendary Articuno, I wasn’t sure I’d ever have a chance to behold such majesty again. That is, until a recent storm blew in. Seeking shelter, I was caught in a downpour when the skies ripped open with the sounds of deafening thunder. Odd formations of lightning sent electric waves through me as I gazed up upon the Legendary Bird Pokémon, Zapdos. It soared overhead, reveling in the storm with cracks of lightning and thunder emanating from each flap of its mighty wings. Capturing such raw and amazing power is something I’ll never forget.”
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Photographer: pkmnphotographer
Side Note: Location is perfect, lighting /mood suit the subject and the overall feeling of ‘grandeur’ and indeed danager is ever present – AR Master Underaglassbell 👻
In Memorium
“So often a time comes when we’re forced to realize that all creatures experience loss and states of mourning. I came across this Cubone as it stood in front of a headstone completely unperturbed by my presence. Whatever or whomever this lonely Pokémon reflected over was clearly very important to it. I hope it finds its peace.”
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Photographer: pkmnphotographer
Late Afternoon
“I came back from work and ate dinner. Slowly it had already darkened a bit. I went to play Pokémon GO and on the radar I noticed Eevee and I thought it would be perfect to take a picture of this beautiful Pokémon in the evening. I thought that Eevee would fit perfectly into this time of day.”
Location: Gdańsk, Poland
Photographer: froscik99ers
Side Note: This is such a simple photo that I am not really sure as to why it pulls at me, maybe the simpleness in contrast to the crazy sights we see is just a relaxing image on the eyes, all that I know is that this picture gives me some peace – HUB Writer Josh provines
Freezing
“It was time to open my Research Breakthrough, I wanted another bird as I had the idea to take it in the same place as I did with Zapdos, as I wanted to focus on editing. Fortunately it was an Articuno and I added some awesome ice effects to it! Articuno is my favorite Legendary Bird, so this is one of my favorite shots that I’ve taken! #MysticPride”
Location: England, United Kingdom
Photographer: xBetaStep
Magical Encounter
“Sometimes your best shot can be the most unexpected. I was holding my phone up, waiting for the crowd to clear to take a shot of the Shedinja against a background of Christmas lights. It was difficult getting the shot I intended as the place was a popular photo spot always surrounded by people. After waiting a while, the crowd finally thinned and there was just one family left at the far end of the spot seemingly ready to leave. It was then that a young child moved closer to the center of my shot and appeared to be looking at the Shedinja (or maybe she really did). I immediately took that one photo right before she went out of frame.”
Location: Quezon City, Philippines
Photographer: F12B
Waimea Bay
“While visiting the island of Oahu in Hawaii this December I HAD to visit my favorite beach there: Waimea Bay. There’s this huge rock there that’s kind of a rite of passage to jump off of. It’s just a fun beach with amazing surf competitions and just good vibes. This is the lone lifeguard tower keeping everyone safe. Corsola decided to help them out that day.”
Location: Hawaii, United States
Photographer: PopPunkPokemonYT
Ninja in Training
“As I tramped into the thick bushy forests, I caught the glimpse of a furry ninja in the corner of my eye. It was a Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon. It was a rare sighting*, and as I crept and crawled up to the creature’s hind, it suddenly leapt up into the air, and grasped onto the nearest tree branch. It swung, and swung, and with one mighty blow, swung itself off of the branch, did a double somersault, and landed on the ground ahead.
*Mankey isn’t even rare in Pokémon GO.”
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Photographer: EatzaPIZZA123
Pinky
“In the chaos of the super community day one of my immediate targets was to get another Shiny Dratini. Luckily I didn’t have to wait too long as this little guy showed up just 2 hours into the event. I decided to try a technique I had seen going around on Instagram called Bokémon (started by pkmn,trainer_joe). This is the art of blurring the background of a photo which creates depth of field. If there are lights in the background that blur, this effect is called Bokeh. In the AR Photo world this technique is a bit tricky but I was quite pleased with the result.”
Location: California, United States
Photographer: PopPunkPokemonYT
Undead Juggler
“It was there, in the middle of the road. An otherworldly, clearly dead, flame juggler. It was performing some kind of ritual, the flames on the tips of the bone it wielded burning with a cold, greenish glow. The song it was murmuring was relaxing, yet terrifying. Then, it started to rain.”
Location: Romania
Photographer: OozyPilot84
Shiny In The Sun
“I found this guy while taking a stroll around campus. Because of his orange-red appearance I almost didn’t notice him in the leaves. It had rustled the leaves as I walked by. It froze when it noticed I had stopped. I was very still and quiet and managed to capture it.”
Location: Tennessee, United States
Photographer: Chesnut519
A Gift From Pele
“When visiting Hawaii in December I was lucky enough to crack Moltres as my research reward. My friend and I trekked to the top of Tantalus Lookout so I could get this shot. I wanted to make it seem like it was escaping the now dormant volcano ‘Diamond Head’ so that it would seem like a gift from the volcano God ‘Pele’. I love visiting Hawaii and my goal is to photograph every Alolan Pokémon here when they are all finally released! Something to definitely look forward too! I NEED A LITTEN IN MY LIFE!!”
Location: Hawaii, United States
Photographer: PopPunkPokemonYT
Side Note: I really like when a photo gives a unique perspective, not just metaphorically but in literal ways as well. This photo is a perfect balance between art, architecture, and culture – HUB Writer Josh Provines
Hard-Hitter
“The year of Legendary Pokémon brings us face to face with another forme of the alien Psychic Pokémon. Absolute power and no shields. It’s the personification of the phrase ‘Hit hard while you last’! The new definition of ‘glass-cannon’ is in town.”
Location: Bangalore, India
Photographer: HootieABlowfish
Solar Beam
“The only thing that could possibly have made this weekend any better? More sunlight. The sun finally broke through yesterday and provided all the Bulbasaur a chance to absorb some rays! This one was so excited, it couldn’t keep its feet on the ground!”
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Photographer: pkmnphotographer
A Little Late
“Every year my long time friends and I host a Pokémon party, ever since Pokémon GO became a thing in our daily lives we started to invite the Pokémon as well. This year we invited Pikachu, Paras, Hitmonlee, Stantler and some other Pokémon to celebrate a couple of days after Christmas, with us. And what do you know, this Spinda was late by a whole day. Like we expected him to be… big suprise!”
Location: Ransäter, Sweden
Photographer: Bejemannen
Fireflies
“Traveling to another country is a great way to discover a new culture, different landscapes and of course, new Pokémon. The hotel at which we stayed at during our trip to Egypt had a lot of Growlithe spawns and many gorgeous lanterns which gave that attractive oriental vibe, which was the prefect setting for some AR+.”
Location: South Sinai, Egypt
Photographer: Will-O-wisp
Rural Roaming Suicune
“I was traveling in rural India playing Pokémon Gold on my Nintendo 3ds and I had just disturbed the 3 legendary beasts (which were destined to roam the lands forever) in Ecruteak City’s Brass tower. As I reached my destination I saved my game file, and got down from the car. I was walking past a patch of tall grass when I heard rustling within the grass and a soft chilling wind blowing from the north. As I buried myself within the thickness of my jacket I pulled out my phone and opened Pokémon GO, I saw a hint of blue-green crystals within that patch of grass, as I went closer to it a wild Pokémon attacked, freezing the very area and with a calm gaze, Suicune was standing right in front of me… with all of its glory.”
Location: Tripura, India
Photographer: Agnimitra Sutradhar
Aggressive Waddling
“On a beautiful winter morning I wanted to walk to the beautiful provincial domain in Kessel-Lo. Suddenly this aggressive penguin jumped out of the water, I could just take a picture before I ran away! You would not want him to spray water on you in the winter.”
Location: Kessel-Lo Provinciedomein
Photographer: LUGIAxMASTER21
Winter Sun
“Sunlight in the winter is like finding gold while digging in the dirt. It’s so rare but when you find it you get so excited! That was myself when this Dratini showed up on a rare sunny day in an otherwise gloomy December. This was one of our first major snowfalls and it draped everything in a beautiful blanket of white. Dratini and I enjoyed the sunset and then decided to go home to the warmth.”
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Photographer: AlaetraLorisa
One More Chance
“It was the peak of winter in December, temperatures fell to 3°C here in Kanpur, India. I went to the roof to stretch out after a long day of work admiring the evening sunset, when I felt a cool breeze rushing past me, I could feel the temperature dropping by the minute. I looked around, the sky was clear, everything was calm and peaceful, yet I was certain that the cold was reaching to my bones now. As I stood there shivering, I prepared to leave the roof and go back to my warm cozy room, when I felt something cold against my skin, as I touched it it felt wet… snow?! It never snows in lower northern India… what is going on?! As confused as I was I can clearly recall hearing the light fluttering of wings. As I looked up I saw – almost blending with the blue sky; a beautiful blue body. Its eyes as clear as a peach quartz crystal. Wings as blue as the sky itself. White feathers on its chest and a magnificent tail sparkling in the evening hue. As I opened my phone I could hear it giving out a soothing cry that reverberated across the whole sky. As I took the picture I could only call out to it one last time ‘Wait… give me one more chance… to fill my soul with your beauty.”
Location: Kanpur, India
Photographer: Agnimitra Sutradhar
Side Note: Photos like these make me smile, but stories such as the one told entangle in such a happiness that I can’t deny. Every photograph has a story, and this Photographer told it perfectly – HUB Writer Josh Provines
Unfiltered Entries
Let’s get back to the basics of AR Photography, it is time to look at the raw, unfiltered, and unedited AR Photographs that your fellow Trainers have taken.
Sun, Sand, and Sea
“Resting under the shades of a low hanging tree I stumbled upon this beauty; some say it’s ALIFAAN KUKULHU (which in our language translates to fire chicken), but I say it’s the Sun that is missing in my picture with the turquoise blue sea and white sandy beach behind this mysterious bird! What a perfect place to meet him!”
Location: Vaavu Atoll, Maldives
Photographer: did0121281
Side Note: Before reading the description my first thoughts were ‘where is the sun?’ which coincidentally answered upon reading. What a perfect balance in color and form – HUB Writer Josh Provines
Above the Clouds
“It started with a glimpse… but with the thick fog it seemed as if my eyes were playing tricks on me. Then its long tail started hovering just below the clouds. Curious, I started climbing and when I went above the clouds I saw it, as if it was waiting.”
Location: Aveiro, Portugal
Photographer: Darkfox2k4
Peacekeeper
“Since the beach was not receiving sewer water anymore, Lugia has been seen flying over the beach. This time, I was lucky to photograph it in all its glory. Emerging from the oceans at sunset, Lugia looks over the beach and the people, and seeing everything is peaceful, dives back.”
Location: João Pessoa – Brazil
Photographer: LadyLisaBR
Clover’s Fairy
“My friends and I were looking for a four leaf clover for good luck. After a week of searching for lucky clovers, I found a seven leaf clover, around the seven leaf clover was this Clover-Fairy, flying around the clovers. I was so amazed, feeling so lucky and happy.”
Location: Ibaraki Ken, Japan
Photographer: TJRecososaJr
Viridian Forest Adventures
“As a plucky freelance photographer, I was tasked by an ad revenue company to get the best photograph of a Pikachu that I could possibly get. I felt up to the task and decided to hunt down the wayward Pokémon. I grabbed a handful of Pinap berries and grabbed my phone. I searched the streets and alleys, running into plenty of Rattata and a few Grimer, but no Pikachu. I headed for the next closest place, the woods. I’d heard tales that some Pikachu often made habitats in places such as Viridian Forest. I came across a few Pineco and Oddish. Yet couldn’t find my target, until lo and behold, behind me came a faint ‘Pika, Pika’. I turned to see a bright yellow Pikachu jump in the air before running off in the other direction. I snapped a quick photo before he took off.”
Location: Alabama, United States
Photographer: Meszichiah
Side Note: Such an incredibly simple but beautiful image made that much better by an impressively descriptive story – AR Master Ryusui
A Holibird Spirit
“Well it is (or it was) Christmas Time in December, so there had to be something in that direction! While walking past a lot of different Christmas lights here and there, I just had to stop and take a pic with some of them in the background. ‘Unfortunately’ it was very dark, so regular pics didn’t work. Good thing I remembered this ‘Bokéhmon’ stuff that Ashketzchup and pkmn.trainer_joe came up with a few weeks ago! It did help me with more than one pic already. Finally, a technique to make snaps in the dark look good without editing them! Thanks guys, and Merry Christmas from Delibird and me!”
Location: Berlin, Germany
Photographer: Cros1s
AR Master Entries
This segment highlights the Photographs taken by our very own AR Masters, those that we have deemed to be elite in the field of AR Photography.
Christmas Voltorb-ament
“I was looking forward to doing some festive AR shots this month. I was hoping for a shiny Gastly but this came first. Voltorb’s shape was perfect for the baubles on my tree. I lined it up and took the picture. I then took an additional picture without Voltorb so I could blend the glittery bauble with the original image.”
Location: England, United Kingdom
AR Master: Earloflemongrab
Betrayal
“After hitting an EX Raid spot, my friend and I drove around and thought we should go check out the nest that was 13 minutes away. After we did that, we headed to the mall because there are always good spawns. Then I saw the Christmas area but it was closed off so I though it would be cute to get Pika on the railing. Right when I took the photo, he jumped so it looked like he was falling”
Location: Connecticut, United States
AR Master: Rogue
Giratina and the Giant Bean
“I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to travel in my lifetime, but this year I was afforded an exceptional opportunity to do so. It’s so exciting to be able to take AR photos in surroundings unlike what I’ve grown almost too familiar with. For a giant like Giratina, it was just perfect that I managed to get in a raid near the tall buildings of Chicago. I knew that an AR photo session was desperately needed, and Giratina did not disappoint when posing for me.”
Location: Illinois, United States
AR Master Photo Research
To highlight the diversity in AR Photography, Professor Willow has tasked our AR Masters with some special Photo Research. Last month Professor Willow asked the AR Masters to go out in the wild and Photograph Delibird.
Delibird is Coming to Town
“I was walking around, trying to find a shiny. I was in the park and a Delibird popped up next to a Christmas tree they decorated, so I thought ‘wow, I really need to get this AR shot’. It took a few tries but I kind of got it to look like how I wanted. I wanted to make it look like it was waving or throwing gifts at people”
Location: Connecticut, United States
AR Master: Rogue
99 Disney balloons
“December has been flooded with amazing Christmas themed AR photos on social media. Santa hat Pikachu and Shiny Delibird certainly took the spotlight this event, once again. This photo was taken in Brussels, where I stumbled upon a man selling balloons to passerby. My first attempt was to make a shot of Delibird with all the balloons floating in the background. This wasn’t that easy because shooting in landscape didn’t allow me to fully include all balloons. After trying for several times, I finally got a photo worth sharing. It was only afterwards I noticed that I had included an interaction of 3 people in the shot: a vendor, a little girl, and her mom buying the balloon. From Delibird’s perspective, it looks like he’s asking for a balloon too!”
Location: Brussels, Belgium
AR Master: Ash Ketzchup
Delibird Delivery
“We kind of figured the Professor was going to send us out after Delibird this month. After all, it is their time of the year! I managed to find this generous little bird at the local mall’s Santa station, putting in some overtime. He even gifted me a new mini-tripod for my phone!”
Location: Hawaii, United States
AR Master: Ryusui
This Month’s Photo Research Subject
This month, Professor Willow has tasked the AR Masters with photographing Zigzagoon out in the wild, come back next month to see what they captured!
Honorable Entries
This segment is meant to show off the AR Photographs that didn’t quite make it for one reason or another.
Final Notes
With my previous issue with releasing the November Showcase, time was limited for Trainers to submit their precious Holiday-themed photographs, but even though that was the case, it did not halt many Trainers from sending in their best work. Even though I was disappointing on timing, I am still more than proud to see Trainers submitting their wonderful collections month after month, and I hope that this upcoming year can bring AR into a bigger spotlight than ever before.
Links
- To submit a photo for next month’s showcase, fill out this Google form!
- Want to talk to the AR Masters? Go to the #Ask-the-AR-Masters channel on our Discord!
- If you want to see pictures from some of the photographers above, take a look at the #AR-Pictures channel on our Discord!
- Want to see how the pictures this month compare to the previous months? Follow the Monthly Pokémon GO AR Photo Showcase Tag!
Take some great photos, have some great fun, and above all else stay safe, Trainers!