Show Us Your City #withGalaxy

Show Us Your City
#withGalaxy

A guide to capturing your city for our monthly challenges.

London's wild side shot on a Samsung Galaxy phone

London: Photos by Eren Sarigul / @erenjam, New Jersey: Photo by Francisco de Deus / @francisco_dedeus

Every city has the obvious sites that have been captured a thousand times. But you’re anything but obvious, aren’t you? We want to see your unexpected perspective in our monthly #withGalaxy Instagram challenges. Use #withGalaxy when posting your one-of-a-kind shot and you could get featured on our feed and website. Read on for tips on how to what makes a good photograph stand out in the crowd.

Los Angeles and New York shot from the ground up on a Samsung Galaxy phone

Los Angeles: Photo by Spencer Cotton / @spencercotton, New York: Photo by Francisco de Deus / @francisco_dedeus

Find an angle no one else has seen

Many commonly-photographed subjects are usually shot the same way. For example, look up pictures of your favourite building on Instagram. A lot of people probably shoot it in almost the exact same way. What are those shots missing? To put it simply: you.

Your vision, your style and your experience aren't in those shots. How can you add your totally unique POV? Try shooting architecture from a fresh angle, or focus on details in the facade that are usually overlooked. Maybe you see a hidden beauty that others miss. That's what makes a great shot.

Passengers on the London tube, shot on a Samsung Galaxy phone

London: Photo by holly-Marie Cato / @h_cato

Look for a subject that interests you

This challenge isn’t just about popular landmarks, of course. Any subject can be a good one, depending on how you see it.

While exploring the city, put your phone down and keep your eyes open for subjects that you find interesting—you never know where your next bit of inspiration might come from. Once you find something that catches your eye, play with as many angles, positions and compositions you can think of. You’ll be glad you did later, when it's time to pick your favourite.

Reflective perspectives in Los Angeles, shot on a Samsung Galaxy phone

Los Angeles: Photos by Spencer Cotton / @spencercotton

Pick the best of the batch

When it's time to pick your best shot, review your photos and look for the one that will make people wonder how you captured it. Ask yourself what would make you say “wow” if you saw it in your feed. You're looking for the pic that makes you feel something, not just see something. When that happens, it means you captured something special. Think about what that is and go with your gut.

Ancient New York railway tracks shot on a Samsung Galaxy phone, demonstrating the cool color tempature of the photo

Samsung Galaxy Note9 with a yellow Note Pen leaning on the side

Dual Aperture

Note9's dual aperture lens adjusts to light like a human eye, enabling dynamic shots
day or night.

New York: Photo by Rodrigo Burdman / @rodrigoburdman

Make that photo pop off the screen

Colour temperature is the first step toward an unexpectedly awesome Instagram post, and matching your colour to the conditions of the day will make your photo pop. Did you shoot on a cloudy day, or was it bright and sunny? Cooling down or warming up your colour will make your subject show up on screen the way you saw it in person.

Don't just rely on your phone's filters—use your editing tools to really make the shot your own. Play with contrast and saturation, shadows and highlights. Instagram has a host of editing options, and there are a plethora of editing apps out there, too: VSCO, Snapseed, and Adobe Lightroom, for starters.

Dual Aperture

Note9's dual aperture lens adjusts to light like a human eye, enabling dynamic shots
day or night.