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. 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. 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 January’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.
A Blazing Sight
“Molten lava consistently spewed and bubbled around the Volcano Pokémon as it stood on the edge of the fiery volcano, staring towards the setting sun. Entei was one majestic Pokémon, a blazing one with a heart of fire. The stench of magma and the tang of smoke created a truly unique perfume of the forces of nature. Roaring proudly to show the world who was the leader, Entei caused the vat of magma to dribble sluggishly down the side of the volcano. Abruptly, a flash of light illuminated Entei’s vision. A trainer had snapped a picture of the legendary Pokémon, camera in one hand, trekking pole in the other. Entei, highly insulted, roared with the volume of a volcano erupting as lava flew from the top of the one he was standing on, scaring the photographer away. The trainer had deeply enraged Entei, and that was utterly deadly. When Entei became angry, so did the volcano. Soon, pyroclastic flow and a rainstorm of ash would be coming to devastate the nearby town…”
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Photographer: DaS.W.A.T.DawgGO
Keen Green
“When I tried out lens flares with Pokémon GO AR photos for the first time in a practice photoshoot, this was my personal favorite out of all of the practice photos. I decided to try this because I knew I wanted something green to photograph Celebi against before I caught it. I love the effect I created: Celebi looks like a proud green magician in a green spotlight showing off with green sparkles after performing a green magic trick. I’m definitely keen on all this green!”
Location: Alabama, United States
Photographer: Jaylahcag
Fear of the Dark
“Sometimes I’m out of ideas on how I want my AR picture to turn out. Just do not know what I should do with it. No inspiration, so to speak. On this picture, I played around with the function called ‘saturation’. From a really boring pic with no feeling in it, into this.”
Location: Karlstad, Sweden
Photographer: Bejemannen
Professional Tamer
“Last month we saw Deoxys learning how to ride bulls, one of the many local creatures that are abundant in this part of the country. Once it mastered this art and polished his technique, it was ready to apply its knowledge on taming other animals. Its next target was a colorful cow that was nearby.”
Location: Osorno, Chile
Photographer: Prof. Mozz
Stay Aware of Your Surroundings!
“On the first day we became trainers, Professor Willow asked us to remember being alert at all times and stay aware of our surroundings. Years have passed and we have gathered a lot of experience yet we still go about our day without paying attention to what’s around us. This photograph reflects that: one unsuspecting trainer was tracking down a Pokémon he has not yet registered while Kyogre was about to use Surf on him… and it was super effective!”
Location: Osorno, Chile
Photographer: Prof. Mozz
Behind the Stars!
“I walked down the street at night, grinding stardust for the Boulder Cup, when approaching the most beautiful light of the region. I wanted to take a bokéhmon photo! The lights look like a Swift attack! That’s why Starmie was the perfect model to photograph because it is one of his signature moves!”
Location: Aarschot
Photographer: LUGIAxMASTER21
Stay Away From the Water
“As I jogged towards the cove for my daily exercise, I saw the fog start to roll in. It seemed a bit stormy, which is unusual for San Diego, but I decided to hop over to the edge of the cove and get some ocean shots. As I looked down I realized there was much more than a storm coming our way. The last thing I remember was getting the shot, yelling to get out of the water, and booking it the other way!”
Location: California, United States
Photographer: PKMNsnaps
Side Note: ARtographers are getting more and more creative in how they process their edits. This Kyogre appearing underwater sets the realism of this shot off the charts – AR Master Ryusui
Torkoal Playing in the Rain
“Before we left Yangon I visited the Shwedagon Pagoda one last time. It was a rainy day, so there were a lot fewer people there. Strolling with my cold wet feet I found the Regional Pokémon Torkoal enjoying the first raindrops of the storm. The Shwedagon Pagoda is the most important Buddhist building in the whole country of Myanmar. The main pagoda is covered in 60 tons of pure gold and has multiple jewel decorations with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and more, of amazing sizes.”
Location: Yangon, Myanmar
Photographer: PeloPoGO
Pokémon Studio GO
“For nearly 11 years now I’ve lived with chronic pain. Fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, muscle, and nerve damage; to name a few of the things. Most of the time I manage to live with the conditions pretty well but sometimes it’s not so easy. I’ve got many techniques to help me through, one of which is the use of the gym to try and keep my muscles from collapsing on themselves. Despite all this, I work as a portrait photographer and dance teacher. Recently I was teaching at a big event and damaged my Achilles. This left me unable to walk and get out on my own to play Pokémon or take AR pictures. Not being able to walk meant I wasn’t able to exercise which had caused all my other problems to flare up and left me feeling pretty rubbish. While housebound and going out of my mind I was in my home photographic studio having a play around, when I opened Pokémon GO. I thought about how cool it would be to be able to photograph Pokémon in the studio, so I set the Pokémon up, covered my phone with my backdrop and photographed him.”
Location: United Kingdom
Photographer: Pokegosnaps123
Side Note: This ARtographer proves that you don’t need an amazing location to get jaw-dropping AR photos. With no background at all, and some simple but highly effective edits, Pokegosnaps123 manages to deliver an image that’s just as impressive as one taken on location – AR Master Ryusui
Surfs Up
“The news traveled of the Pokémon studio and we had a very exciting visitor from the Alolan region! It was an experience working in a photographic studio with a foreign species and learning about a whole new culture. Alolan Raichu was a great guest even though I did have to tell him my studio was not a skate park!”
Location: United Kingdom
Photographer: Pokegosnaps123
Machampion!
“I’ve just started getting back into AR photography. December was a busy month for me and I wasn’t in the best mindset, to be honest. Kind of feeling down and freaking out about the future because I wasn’t where I wanted to be in life. However, I’ve been trying to stay positive and looking up and started doing what makes me happy again. Photography is a hobby of mine that I’m really passionate about and I hope to get better at it one day. To keep my creative juices flowing, AR photography really challenges me to take my subject and make them come truly alive. Like this Machamp, I’m going to become the best me this year and become a Machampion!”
Location: Maryland, United States
Photographer: AdaEnchilada
Side Note: This is just overall a great image. The lighting is fantastic, the positioning and angle is fun, and the edit makes it feel truly alive – AR Master Ryusui
In-duck-strial Revolution
“On the creaky harbor, stood a Golduck staring into the open world. I was strolling off to go fishing when I noticed the blue creature, eyes wide open, looking out there. He seemed to be focused on the town on the other side of the deep, dark ocean. The sunset was glowing ever so brightly, as I waved my hand in front of his beak. Nothing.”
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Photographer: EatzaPIZZA123
Toto-ly Awesome!
“As I ran down the long wide beach sand was being kicked up like a trail behind me. I could make out a happy, chappy blue figure in the distance. It appeared that him, too, was rampaging with the sand. The cheeky grin on his face was so wide, it seemed as if he were the happiest Pokémon around. For all we know he probably was!”
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Photographer: EatzaPIZZA123
Alolan Surfing
“I was playing in the morning during my workout. I played and defeated this Raid boss as a Solo player. After defeating it, I got the chance to catch this naughty surfer. I got 12 Premium balls to catch. However, I managed to catch him on the last ball. OMG! It was very difficult to take this photo, as he was moving too much.”
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Photographer: pokehunter79
My Team
“When I met the game and started playing, I chose my team. I was already addicted to yellow, but when I saw the majestic bird that was the symbol of Instinct, I was enchanted and I had no doubts. Instinct was my team, and Zapdos is my Favorite Legendary Pokémon!”
Location: Paraná, Brasil
Photographer: Jehh Lino
Pinmissle
“A wild Beedrill is a rare thing these days so I felt the need to make this edit extra special. Pinmissle was always such a cool looking move in the anime series and I tried my best to replicate that in this edit. I even made a tutorial on how I made this edit with nothing but apps on my phone.”
Location: California, United States
Photographer: PopPunkPokemonYT
Surprise!
“Walking through the neighborhood on my way to a raid, this guy just popped up out of nowhere! I don’t know what happened. Let’s just say I took this photo and ran! I didn’t want to be Pokéfood! I guess I was where I shouldn’t be. Next time I will avoid this old cemetery!”
Location: Kentucky, United States
Photographer: Jami Guess
Deep Sea Encounters
“Deep in a marine trench, you may be able to see a wild Kyogre if you’re lucky. Finding a shiny Kyogre enjoying the cold waters of the deepest ends of the ocean is one of the hardest encounters you can have. This is my second time attempting the Minimon technique, however, this time I added a little something of creativity to convert a full black background to a deep sea look. This gave me a natural feel of what it would look like to take a picture of a Pokémon in such deep waters. As a scuba diver, the floating spots in the water were a must to make it more realistic along with a blue filter.”
Location: Querétaro, México
Photographer: PeloPoGO
Snow Pooch
“After getting the heaviest snow the Washington, DC area had seen since 2016, I was out catching some late night Pokémon when I snuck up on this Poochyena eyeing something moving in the bushes. He was as frozen as the surroundings but ready to dart into the bush.”
Location: Maryland, United States
Photographer: MingusGriswald
Ripples
“It was Feebas Day and I had planned a location for an AR picture. I had been hunting for 40 minutes when I reached the location. When I got there, I claimed a reward and it was shiny! Perfect Timing! I’m happy with how the shot turned out (especially the positioning of the Feebas). The shot was destiny!”
Location: England, United Kingdom
Photographer: xBetaStep
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.
Ho-Oh-My!
“It was my 10th birthday and I was thrilled to start my journey to be the best there ever was. This majestic beauty adorned the sky for a moment before disappearing off into the distance. If I didn’t have my trusty camera on me, I’m sure no one would believe my story.”
Location: England, United Kingdom
Photographer: AdamAaargh
Maybe It’s Because I’m a Londoner
“I had a day of fun in London during the last comic con. I had set out to catch all the letters in order to spell out LONDON. It was fun! The hardest part of this was the weather. It was around 2-3 degrees and very windy at the time, I walked 28Km that day. I was super exhausted but pretty chuffed with the results.”
Location: England, United Kingdom
Photographer: IshHatchum
Pier’s End
“I was hoping for a shiny Lugia in my research breakthrough, it would have made more sense in this scene with the water as it is a diving Pokémon. But it was still a welcomed surprise to see a Ho-Oh shining in the sun by the water. The Ho-Oh here is at the very end of a pier by some beaches.”
Location: Canterbury, New Zealand
Photographer: Annab280
Photo Priss
“I heard rustling behind the bush off the walking trail at my local park so I decided to take a look. When I walked around the bush I found the prissiest Buneary EVER! She was dancing about in the leaves taking imaginary selfies so I asked if I could take a few pics… I was there for hours! What a fun Pokémon to photograph.”
Location: Georgia, United States
Photographer: BIGhutch1986
Why, Hello There!
“I was walking this winding trail one day when I felt a tug at my leg… when I looked down it was a spinda stumbling along the trail beside me. Not sure of what else to do, I took out my camera and snapped a few pics… he was happy with that choice as he walked with me for the rest of the day!”
Location: Georgia, United States
Photographer: BIGhutch1986
Side Note: Not only is the image playfully adorable, but the story is cute, as well! But the angle and framing of the Spinda is what really locks this image as a winner in my head! – AR Master Ryusui
Lugia and Patchy Skies
“Last year, as Ho-oh and Lugia were re-released for only three days, none of which I could raid in, I was dismayed. I hoped that one month of 2019 would feature Lugia as the Special Research Pokémon and another would feature Ho-oh as the Special Research Pokémon. Surely enough, January and February were announced to have Ho-oh and Lugia as Special Research Pokémon… but if they weren’t featured in the way that I had hoped for: They were in a pool with all of the previous Research Breakthrough Legendaries. My hopes of ringing in the new year with a new Pokédex entry, Lugia’s (which was also the last legendary I needed before Celebi) and the Hoenn Dex, was pretty much dashed. Previously in December, I had hoped to get at least one more Zapdos and Raikou, which I have fewer of than I should because I couldn’t raid for them when they were bosses or consistently reach PokéStops when they were Research Breakthrough Legendaries. Not only did I not encounter either of them in December, but I encountered two Moltres, which I already had an excess of. With my luck, I would end up with four more Moltres but no Lugia or Ho-oh in January and February. When I opened my first January Special Research box, however, I received the greatest New Year gift: A Lugia, which I needed — and look, it seemed just as happy to see me as I was to see it! The patchy sky with its varying blue, white and silver tones to both match and contrast Lugia add even more beauty to the occasion. Happy New Year from Lugia and I!”
Location: Alabama, United States
Photographer: Jaylahcag
Lens Flare
“Breaking into an abandoned place is not a thing I’d usually recommend, but if the place itself can offer you something special, it may be worth a shot. The abandoned house I went to is known for its crazy view over the sea, coupled with gorgeous sunsets. It was the perfect place to take pictures of the Legendary Moltres. I was so busy trying to get the placement right that I only noticed the beautiful lens flare on one of the pictures after I got home. It turned out that this specific house had a little more to offer than the average abandoned building.”
Location: Mt. Lebanon, Lebanon
Photographer: Will-O-wisp
Rising Above All
“I got this Pokémon in January’s field research task. I completed my research stamp and unlocked the rewards. Suddenly, I noticed the sunrise and then I looked at my Moltres. It was then that I decided to capture this moment. It seemed like Moltres was rising with the Sun.”
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Photographer: pokehunter79
The Next Miss America!
“While hunting Finneon along the National Mall, my fiancé and I were excited to have found a wild Lapras. It was a new Pokédex entry for her and she got really excited. As she took her time catching hers I crossed the small path fence to snap this amazing shot of Lapras with the monuments in the background. Our hunt was also successful and we found Finneon!”
Location: District of Colombia, United States
Photographer: TrainerHiro5225
Professor Caterpie
“Well, Caterpie was bored hanging around in my Pokéball again and decided to come out during work to take a close look at what I was doing again… after showing me some amazing skills at analyzing some plans, it stayed right by my side for the rest of the day to help me get the job done! What a clever little Professor Caterpie I have there!”
Location: Berlin, Germany
Photographer: Cros1s
Sky-high Flying
“Do you remember the famous first Episode of the Pokémon Anime? This shot reminds me of Ho-Oh flying away from Ash with everyone wondering what that beautiful thing was… it wasn’t planned to look like that, but after pressing the button the thought came to my mind instantly! Bye mythical creature, may I see you again one day!”
Location: Berlin, Germany
Photographer: Cros1s
Crete’s Sea-side Swim
“I was on the beach at Chania, Crete on a sunny day. I was playing Pokémon GO until I saw an Eevee that I thought would make a nice photo with AR+ so I took the picture, it was ready to swim in the beautiful sea of Crete but it did not get to swim… because I caught it!!”
Location: Crete, Greece
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.
Snowy Sableye
“I was on my way to meet up with my friend and do a few raids when I saw a Sableye in front of my house. I kinda wanted to make it look like he was trying to throw snow at me or jump out of the snow. While I was editing I clicked the wrong thing and it turned into that, I wanted to make the gems stand out a lot more but I love how it turned out”
Location: Connecticut, United States
AR Master: Rogue
Let’s Go, Pikachu!
“It was Risaharada97 on Instagram who got the idea to integrate Pokémon GO with Let’s Go. He photographed his Eevee in Pokémon GO next to his Nintendo Switch while having Let’s Go running in the background. I thought this idea was so clever, I had to do my own version on Let’s Go Pikachu! Probably one of the hardest photos I have taken regarding timing and placement!”
Location: Belgium
AR Master: Ash Ketzchup
Legend of the Rainbow Hero
“I had just watched the reboot movie, ‘I Choose You!’ a few days before opening my Field Research Breakthrough box. When my encounter turned out to be Ho-Oh, I knew immediately what I wanted to do. Making the Rainbow Wing was actually the hardest part of this whole photo. Although getting Ho-Oh positioned to be flying out towards the ocean by the cliff’s edge was no easy task, either. But in the end, all my hard work came together with a large dose of good luck to give me what might be my favorite photo.”
Location: Hawaii, United States
AR Master: Ryusui
The Cold Perspective
“Fantastic! I’m getting off work early today. Maybe I can try that new legendary in Pokémon GO! That Arctic Vortex is pushing some cold air down South interrupting an otherwise moderate day… I’m bundling up to head outside. Whew! It’s cold and BRIGHT. I’m putting on my shades and whoosh, a gust of frigid air knocks my glasses to the ground and there is a giant… Dragon?! It just stands in traffic. I snap a picture with my Pokédex; a Palkia! Maybe it’s lost? I gotta find some berries!”
Location: North Carolina, United States
AR Master: Craxed
Putting the ‘Sno’ in Snorunt
“It was the last day of the Christmas event, this little blue lady popped up. I figured it was the same Snorunt I snapped in the river bed a few days prior, but it had been so cold that she turned from yellow to blue. She’s now warm and safe in my Pokémon collection”
Location: England, United Kingdom
AR Master: Earloflemongrab_
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 Zigzagoon.
Zigzasnow
“This must have been my first snow AR photo, ever! Zigzagoon seemed to be very happy with the first snowfall in Belgium! Let’s hope they announce an ice event soon, which may be the case while this showcase goes live! Not sure if we will still have snow… *message to future self*”
Location: Belgium
AR Master: Ash Ketzchup
Must be Garbage Day
“It started with me trying to find shiny Psyduck but I started to get bored. So while I was waiting to meet up with my friend to start heading to an EX raid, I wanted to get a good picture and it ended with Zig looking like he was running, I love how it came out.”
Location: Connecticut, United States
AR Master: Rogue
Sneaky Snack
“We were in the middle of one of our local Boulder Cup tournaments when I came up with this fun little idea. A Zigzagoon spawned and I thought it would be cute if I positioned it among the trainers as if it was looking to sneak a bite to eat. Side note: I never realized just how big Zigzagoon is! When it popped out of the grass, I first thought the AR engine glitched and got the scale wrong. A check in the Pokédex confirmed that, yes, it is the size of a medium dog!”
Location: Hawaii, United States
AR Master: Ryusui
TinyRaccoon is Skittish
“Subject:: RE: Zigzagoon, the TinyRaccoon Pokémon
Dear Willow,
It seems this Normal type prefers darkness and during this time of year with shorter days they can be seen nearly all times of day! Late one afternoon, on a windy and cold jog around a nearby lake I heard something small barking and figured it was a Sentret or Rattata. I turned and saw this Zag peeking at me from a nearby tree. I grabbed my Pokédex to document it for you but it was already running away! This Zigzagoon was one skittish specimen…
Good luck with your research!”
Location: North Carolina, United States
AR Master: Craxed
This Month’s Photo Research Subject
This month, Professor Willow has tasked the AR Masters with photographing PINK Pokémon 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
I don’t think there’s a better way of starting the new year than by taking pictures, AR or not. January is a time for past and future, taking a look at back at what you accomplished the year before, and waiting to see what you accomplish throughout the next year. Personally, it astounds me to see the number of photographers that, month after month, still continue to submit their photos to the showcase. This showcase, along with the previous ones, and their photographs are a living testament to AR photography in the Pokémon world. This is a process I am more than glad that I have been able to take a part in.
Thank you for a wonderful year of AR Photography, trainers, and let’s hope that this Showcase marks the beginning of an even better year!
Links
- To submit a photo for next month’s showcase, fill out this Google form! Entries will be closing on February 22nd at 3 PM CDT.
- 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!
