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June 27, 2014

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HomeCity specialsHangzhou

Winners, tips in smart phone photo contest

SINCE smart phones now function as casual cameras, it’s logical to hold exhibitions and competitions for phone-taken photos. The Hangzhou Citizen Photography Festival has initiated a contest and then an exhibition.

Scores of nicely shot photos by different types of smart phones, some with LOMO effect, some not,  are being shown at the Hangzhou Public Library until Monday. They are selected from thousands of phone-taken pictures uploaded to kpkpw.com, a photo website run by City Express, a local newspaper. While less delicate than professional photos, their meaning and thoughts behind them matter more.

“A phone is more convenient than an SLR (single-lens reflex) camera, because it is lighter, smaller and also because people are not sensitive to that Ñ a big camera may alert people,” says Piao Xincheng, one of the winners.

How can we make the photos better? Shanghai Daily demonstrates some rules with excellent works of Phone Photo Exhibition of Hangzhou Citizen Photography Festival as proof. All the photographers’ names are screen names.

Rule No. 1: Catch the wonderful moment

“So Comfortable” by Life Master

The months-old baby is having a massage from a nurse and Life Master took it. Obviously the photographer caught a perfect moment, and he also took the photo from the right angle Ñ level to the baby’s face.

“Eight Kids” by Zong Heng Si Hai

Considering the value of the photo is the scene that kids in colorful shirts are on one tree, using a smart phone or professional camera does not really matter. It’s good because of the right moment. Also, although the basic rule of taking photos is to put objects in the one third place in the photo, sometimes a halved, symmetry composition deserves a try.

Rule No. 2: To form a contrast

“In and Out of Window” by Steamed Bun and Preserved Vegetable

The left and lower lines are like a frame that introduce people to look at the clean man as well as the mini furniture. Also, the man and mini furniture are not put in the middle, but at the left side.

“Awing” by 00571yan

The contrast between moving birds and serene willow branches, and between dots and lines, form a tranquil world that express the photographer’s thought.

Rule No. 3: Effects

Right: “The Wind of Marilyn Monroe” by Mao Maogu

This is the contest’s winner. Adding charm to the woman imitating Monroe is the vintage effect that shows the old-time feel and also the highlighting of two colors Ñ red and green.

Left: “You See, Spring is Coming” by Practitioner Chentang

It’s interesting to use black and white to illustrate spring. The long squares are actually green crisscrossed bogs and fields. This photo’s diagonal composition is vivid.

Rule No. 4: Malposition

“What a High Jump” by Dong Dong

Maybe it’s a work done carelessly, and that’s the funny and happy part of life. We know so far SLR camera effects like “depth of focus” or “high solution” cannot be achieved by smart phone, while malposition is a skill that can be easily grasped.

“Beautiful Car Window” by Music Movement in Morning

Lift imitates art, as long as we find it. For examples the lines are curves in the glass, and the leaves on the window are scenery. This is the kind of art that brings smiles.


 

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