The theme for the last Mobiography smartphone photo challenge was ‘Negative Space’, one of my favourite compositional techniques and also a very powerful one. For this challenge the Mobiography community were asked to share their best photos that used negative space and simple, uncluttered compositions. Here is a small selection of photos that were tagged for this challenge.
Featured photographers this week include: @x1234, @agkolatt, @camhaynes22, @Chasread, Elaine Taylor, @iphotokunst, @ipiotrxs, @joseeh, @laurence__bouchard, @lisalam628, @lollykakumani, @mcristina_gonzalez, @nnkrenz, @rawsdeb, and @rosiekimages.
Take part in the next Mobiography photo challenge
The theme of this week’s photo challenge is ‘People’. For this challenge think about sharing your best mobile photos of people portraits. Think posed portraits, candid street portraits, or people just going about their day or doing strange things.
To enter the challenge simply start sharing your best images on the theme of ‘People’ that were taken and edited with a smartphone by using the hashtag #mobiography_challenge_85 on Instagram.
The best ones will be featured in the next photo challenge showcase, so get sharing now.
Join The Mobiography Facebook GroupMorning sun
‘Morning sun‘ by @x1234 – “This photo was taken using my iPhone 8 Plus. It was a Friday morning and Brody sat in a stream of sunlight coming through the window. I thought the light and shadows looked pretty cool and he was looking extra handsome. I positioned the camera close to the carpet and composed it so he was closer to the right. I then took the photo using Noir native app but processed (sharpen) with hipstamatic. I didn’t have to do a whole lot of editing because the light and shadows were great. ”
Elle fait ses emplettes (She’s shopping)
‘Elle fait ses emplettes (She’s shopping)‘ by @camhaynes22 – “I stepped out of my comfort zone for a few minutes while I waited on a bench by the grocery store exit. My attempt at “street photography”.
I had just looked at the time on my phone and decided to open the camera to see what I could capture by just raising it a little from my lap (inconspicuously like). From this angle I could only see the people’s feet as they rolled out with their groceries. This is the only photo I kept because I liked the colours and how it captured her stride.
Photographed and edited on Samsung Galaxy S7 (no flash, no tripod… just a quick click as someone walked past). Edited, in part, with SnapSeed and EyeEm apps. ”
White marble midnight blues
‘White marble midnight blues‘ by @Chasread – “This long, underground corridor connects NYC’s iconic “Occulus” at the World Trade Center Transportation Hub with Brookfield Place at its western end. It’s open 24/7 and usually busy at all hours, but during its early days (long before the Occulus opened, and long before these walls were lined with immense video screens), it was usually empty late at night. Then, there was the night when this woman showed up in blue, making it all seem suspiciously monochromatic.
Shot on an iPhone 4s, and edited then cropped in Snapseed.”
From Langbar to Beamsley Beacon
‘From Langbar to Beamsley Beacon‘ by Elaine Taylor – “This is my son and husband during an impromptu walk from Langbar to Beamsley Beacon, in Yorkshire UK. Little people in a big landscape. I was struck by how small the boys looked walking through the open moorland. I think the negative space created around them by the sky and ground helps to draw attention to their presence in the frame. In turn, by taking the shot from a distance, the tiny human element helps to emphasise the sheer scale of the landscape. ”
This Place
‘This Place‘ by @joseeh – “I awoke early this morning and the fog had engulfed the lake. There was only one thing to do, snap away. Fog is definitely one of my favourite photographic subjects. It makes any scene moody, mysterious and beautiful. I barely tweaked the brightness and sharpening in Snapseed.”
Ultimate peace and quiet
‘Ultimate peace and quiet‘ by @lisalam628 – “This photo was taken with my iPhoneX at the San Antonio Museum of Art in July 2018. This is a shot of the entrance where I spotted a lady sitting alone. The huge tall wall behind lands itself for a perfect negative space. I used Snapseed for post processing. I choose black and white to accentuate the contrast. ”
L’oiseau qui vole n’a pas de maître
‘L’oiseau qui vole n’a pas de maître‘ by @lollykakumani – “For the photo I used the Corktownhipsta pak, and Hipstamatic to edit. I took the photo outside of Mont Saint-Michel Abbey last year. ”
Untitled
‘Untitled‘ by @mcristina_gonzalez – “This picture was actually taken by accident. I was going for the sunset which turned out to be pretty boring when I saw this woman walking on the beach towards where I was shooting. I started to shoot burst mode keeping the composition on the upper third, I like the simplicity of this photo and how a simple moment can turn into something special. This picture was taken in Papudo, Chile. I edited this picture with Snapseed ”
Sometimes God holds you back temporarily until the road is clear to continue
‘Sometimes God holds you back temporarily until the road is clear to continue‘ by @nnkrenz – “Photo was taken in Indio, CA iPhone 8+ no edits! The color of the water against the orange buoy is what drew me in!”
A lifeguard is like a lighthouse, guiding ships to safety
‘A lifeguard is like a lighthouse, guiding ships to safety‘ by @rawsdeb – “I took this photo on a visit to Martha’s Vineyard and was taken by the simplicity of the lifeguard stand against the blue sky from the angle I was standing. It was taken on my iPhoneXS max and edited in Snapseed. ”
Winter solstice surfing
‘Winter solstice surfing‘ by @rosiekimages – “This image was taken on Winter Solstice last year. I was close to the top of the path that leads down to Black’s Beach in La Jolla, California, a secluded section of beach at the base of 300 foot high sandstone cliffs, part of Torrey Pines State Beach. It’s a famous surf spot that some say have the best waves in San Diego. The hike down and back up can be somewhat of a deterrent for some but it doesn’t stop the hardcore surfers looking for the big winter swells or photographers looking for some great shots. Feeling on top of the world that day, I edited the image using a Hipstamatic combo to create even more a feeling of being up in the clouds. Shot with an iPhone XS.”
Untitled
‘Untitled‘ by @laurence__bouchard – “This was shot in Tokyo. There are some cool porticos which are an art installation by Daniel Buren (25 Porticos: The Colour and it’s Reflection 1996). The porticos cast cool shadows on the floor. Then it’s a matter of finding a composition you like and waiting for someone to enter the scene. After I tweaked image slightly in Snapseed.”
G O L F L I F E
‘G O L F L I F E‘ by @iphotokunst
Untitled
‘Untitled‘ by @ipiotrxs – “There are many places, buildings, objects you pass by everyday and never notice them. Once you stop and spend a moment to look around you, you see that to take a good photo all you have to do is just open you eyes and your mind.
I used to pass by this basketball field twice a day for a few years. One day I stopped for a moment. This image was shot on iPhone XS using portrait mode for the depth of field. I also played with the shadows and highlights and edited the image as little as possible.”
Untitled
‘Untitled‘ by @agkolatt
Don’t forget…
The theme of this week’s photo challenge is ‘People’. For this challenge think about sharing your best mobile photos of people portraits. Think posed portraits, candid street portraits, or people just going about their day or doing strange things.
To enter the challenge simply start sharing your best images on the theme of ‘People’ that were taken and edited with a smartphone by using the hashtag #mobiography_challenge_85 on Instagram.
The best ones will be featured in the next photo challenge showcase, so get sharing now.
Join the Mobiography Facebook Group
If you haven’t already done so, follow Mobiography on Instagram and hashtag your photos with #mobiography. Don’t forget to sign up to the Mobiography email list to get the latest news and updates direct to your inbox.
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