Some of us are still facing the harsh reality of being in lockdown or self quarantine. No matter where you are in the world, it can be tough and boring to be alone with nothing to do. Even so, that doesn’t mean you can’t make things more interesting for yourself. You have a smartphone, so instead of just scrolling endlessly on social media, why not do something more productive like improving your photography skills? Here are five simple mobile photography challenges you can do during lockdown/quarantine.
For this challenge, we’ll be using the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G for its great camera system and the complete editing suite right from the smartphone itself. All photos are captured with the said device, and edited with the built-in Samsung Galaxy editing software in the “Gallery” app.
Challenge #1 – Self-Portrait
The first challenge is to take a self-portrait. It can be a selfie, but basically, it has to include you in the shot. The theme to this challenge is “In Your Space”. The shot has to have you, and it has to exhibit whatever that best defines you as a person. It can include your hobbies, your favourite things, and more.
If you enjoy cooking, you can take a self-portrait of you cooking away in the kitchen. If you’re an avid musician, take a self-portrait of you jamming away in the studio with your band mates. Find out what makes you, you and get creative by putting it all together with you in the shot.
For Jes, she’s a big fan of books and she’s a proud “mother” of two cats – Miya and Minna. Her safe space is this small reading corner of hers in her home, surrounded by shelves of books on the side, with a small carpet, a cushion, and a mini table to keep her comfortable. She spends most afternoons reading her book of choice, and her cats would keep her company by sleeping beside her most of the time.
Challenge #2 – Ultra-Wide
For the ultra-wide challenge, all you need to do is to capture an ultra-wide angle shot. Go as wide as your camera or lens allow, and doing so will help you with your framing skills. You can learn how to position your subject better, and learn the best capturing angles for the right type of scene in the process. There are no rules, so remember to play around with your angles, as changing a point of view while in ultra-wide mode will yield different results.
We were out for groceries, so we thought it would be a great chance to do the ultra-wide challenge outdoors. We came across this huge artwork that consists of thousands of paper origami hanging off of the ceiling, and we knew we had to do the challenge here. The results turned out amazing, and the ultra-wide lens definitely helped in capturing the entire shot.
Challenge #3 – Macro
If your smartphone has a macro of telephoto lens, use it to capture some macro shots. Get up close and personal with your subject. It can be any object, especially those that you don’t normally photograph everyday. Currencies are the best place to start, where can you see the finer details that go into the printing of money. You can then move on to water droplets, leaves, or even capturing insects. You’ll be surprised at how these objects look up close.
Without looking at the caption, can you guess where or what objects are these shots from?
Go as close as you can, and get the right focus in place. This helps you see things differently and appreciate the minute details in everyday objects. These items may just sit on the shelf, but when you take a closer look, they can actually be quite pretty.
Challenge #4 – Reflections
When you see that title, the first thing you’ll think of is a mirror. But that doesn’t always have to be the case. Reflections can be found on water, glass, or even turned off displays. Get creative with the reflection challenge, and try to capture abstract photos with different reflective surfaces. Notice how the reflection will look back at you, and play around with how you can position your smartphone camera to get the best angle and not show your hands in the shot.
Fortunately for us, we have a large mirror at home, so we put that to use. Your face doesn’t necessarily have to be in the shot, so you can feel free to use your hands, or other objects at home.
Challenge #5 – Don’t Move
The “Don’t Move” challenge is probably one of my favourites, and all you have to do is stand in one spot (it can be anywhere) and take as many aesthetic shots as you can. You will slowly realize how the light bounces off of different items and you’ll pickup elements you never realized were there.
For our challenge at home, we used our vacation wall area and took multiple shots by just standing in one place. From what seems to be an uninspiring foyer, we were quite pleased with the shots we took and we put all three of the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G’s lenses to use.
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
Should you be interested in purchasing the Samsung Galaxy Note20 series smartphones, The Galaxy Note20, Note20 5G and Note20 Ultra 5G are priced at RRP RM3,899, RM4,299 and RM5,199 respectively. Samsung’s Merry Gifting Promotion is still underway, and each purchase of the Galaxy Note20 series will come with a complimentary Samsung Galaxy Fit2! This promotion will end this coming 3rd of January 2021, so be sure to act quick! The offer is available at the Samsung Online Store, Samsung Experience Stores and selected Samsung Authorized Partners.
