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Picture this: Home is where the fun is

This building, as seen from my balcony, has a structure that is especially interesting when the sun casts shadows on it. I framed the building with my iPhone 7 and waited a couple of hours for someone to walk under it. As luck would have it, someone
The door viewer is not just a tool to see who is outside, but it also gives me an opportunity to take portraits of people who deliver essential items to our doorstep. This not only helps me to create pictures of these masked heroes, but it also helps to keep a record of these unusual times. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
This building, as seen from my balcony, has a structure that is especially interesting when the sun casts shadows on it. I framed the building with my iPhone 7 and waited a couple of hours for someone to walk under it. As luck would have it, someone
Another day of home-based learning awaits the children as early morning light filters through bamboo and roller blinds. This photograph was taken last Friday with a 2017 iPhone SE, which lends a natural graininess to the low-light photograph. I like to frame my pictures with straight lines, in this case using the window sill as a guide. This makes for a neater composition, with a sense of stability and calm. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
This building, as seen from my balcony, has a structure that is especially interesting when the sun casts shadows on it. I framed the building with my iPhone 7 and waited a couple of hours for someone to walk under it. As luck would have it, someone
One of our family cats, Angelina, on the roof of our Clementi flat last Thursday. To get this shot, I selected the portrait mode on my iPhone 11, but forgot to turn off the flash, so it went off, turning her eyes into a pair of blazing orbs. To frame this photograph, I used the leading lines and repetitive pattern of the roof tiles as a device. ST PHOTO: MALCOLM MCLEOD
This building, as seen from my balcony, has a structure that is especially interesting when the sun casts shadows on it. I framed the building with my iPhone 7 and waited a couple of hours for someone to walk under it. As luck would have it, someone
A bird flying under storm clouds on April 7. Dark skies provide a dramatic background to a seemingly ordinary moment outside my window. To capture all the details, make sure that you expose your phone camera for the brightest part of the sky to ensure that the white clouds are not overexposed. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
This picture was taken using my iPhone Xs Max some months ago, with the help of the iLightningCam app, which automatically takes a picture when it senses a flash of light. During a lightning storm, I would place my phone on a window grille and let th
My 12-year old-daughter, Danya, combing her hair last Friday. Proudly displayed on the windows are her renderings of cartoon characters such as Batman and Doraemon. To capture her window art display and the view outside, I lowered the exposure on my iPhone X slightly to compensate for the brighter light outside. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
This picture taken from my kitchen window in the evening shows several of my opposite neighbours at their kitchen windows during this stay-home Circuit Breaker period.


Taking photographs in low-light conditions could mean that your pictures turn out blurry from the inevitable movement of your hands or body. Place your phone on a surface for support. In this case, I braced my phone against a glass window pane. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Rays from the setting sun find their way onto the facade of the block outside my son’s bedroom window, on the evening of April 19. Capturing a shot at the right time of day – such as when these streaks of light appear – can create elements that enhance an otherwise ordinary photograph. To play with light and shadow using your phone camera, frame your picture and then tap on the brightest area on your screen to make sure the photo is not overexposed ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
This picture was taken using my iPhone Xs Max some months ago, with the help of the iLightningCam app, which automatically takes a picture when it senses a flash of light. During a lightning storm, I would place my phone on a window grille and let the app do its magic. Even though the app does most of the work, framing is still very important, as a properly framed image would complement the lightning bolt. The app has auto-exposure settings, but I prefer to use the manual mode so that I can underexpose the sky as the lightning would brighten the scene when it strikes. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
This building, as seen from my balcony, has a structure that is especially interesting when the sun casts shadows on it. I framed the building with my iPhone 7 and waited a couple of hours for someone to walk under it. As luck would have it, someone did, in the early morning of April 23. I set the exposure to compensate for the brightly lit portions of the picture. To save me from holding the phone up for hours, I rested it on my window grille, although a tripod would have been better. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
My elder son, Egon Lee, 10, gazes at the city skyline from the balcony of our home in Novena, on April 24, 2020. This image was taken with an iPhone XR and edited with the Snapseed app. I underexposed the scene to maintain the vivid colour of the sky and buildings, causing my son to be silhouetted against the bright outdoors. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Visibility out my window was greatly reduced by an exceptionally heavy downpour on March 22, 2020, leaving two cranes at a nearby construction site barely visible. Taking the time to empty your mind and just take in your surroundings may be all that's needed to create a photo. The stillness of the cranes in the photo as well as the low visibility also reminded me of how activities have slowed to a near stop because of the pandemic, and how the future looks so unclear and uncertain. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Within the cordoned public facility, use the small tree as the focal point and the circular tiles creating pattern, with a touch of human adding life. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Sunlight is seen streaming in through the living room shutters and creating shadows on the wall in a photo taken on April 22, 2020. Light and shadow are important components of photography. Together they give depth to a subject, creating a 3-dimensional quality to your image. If you're using natural light, the best time to shoot is in the early morning or evenings when the light is soft. Soft light hitting your subject reveals information like detail and texture. I'm using an iPhone. In order to keep the exposure balanced, tap onto the brightest part of your photo and slowly bring the exposure up or down by manipulating the slider. Another tip is to be aware of compositional elements such as symmetry or patterns which can help lead a viewer into an image and guide their attention to your point of focus. ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG
A rubbish truck staff disposes garbage in the Seranggon Gardens area during circuit breaker, on April 17, 2020. The frontline workers help us to live as normal a life as possible in these trying times. Photo shot with an iphone XR. Tip: Find a good position, standby and wait for the action to happen. ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN
This photo was taken in the morning after it rained, at a corner of my home where clothes are dried just after washing. Good light and textures can make even mundane everyday scenes look more interesting. This photo of a typical clothes drying area in a home is made more visually-appealing by the morning light combined with post-rain condensation on the windows. A basic smartphone camera can do this by underexposing the image to preserve the highlight details, which also preserves the mood of the scene. While staying at home can be limiting in terms of photo opportunities, limitations can also help us to be more creative and observant. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Updated
Apr 28, 2020, 11:11 AM
Published
Apr 27, 2020, 05:00 AM

Take a shot at the #StayHome Smartphone Photography Contest, with some tips from The Straits Times photojournalists. Organised jointly by Raffles Health Insurance and The Photographic Society of Singapore, the contest is part of an initiative to provide a fun and engaging activity for families to do at home during the circuit breaker period. You are encouraged to take a picture of what staying home means to you using your phone. In conjunction with the contest, ST photojournalists show you how to take better images on the smartphone while putting your creativity to work.

SOMETHING WE CAN RELATE TO

Photographs are a relatable medium for all, and connect us even though we are apart. The concept of taking photographs from home anchors us to what is "normal" and close to our heart during these uncertain times.

MR GOH KIM HUI, president of Photographic Society of Singapore.

#STAYHOME SMARTPHONE PHOTO CONTEST

Up to $4,500 worth of prizes to be won

A total of 13 prizes are up for grabs. The top prize is $1,000 in cash and a RMG Health Screening Package worth $1,200.

Closing date: May 26 at 11.59pm

With the recent circuit breaker period extension to June 1 in Singapore, the closing date for entries has been extended from May 11 to 26.

How to participate

For more details on the contest, visit www.rafflesshield.com.sg/stayhome-photo-contest

This building, as seen from my balcony, has a structure that is especially interesting when the sun casts shadows on it. I framed the building with my iPhone 7 and waited a couple of hours for someone to walk under it. As luck would have it, someone
A close-up of my five-month-old son's fingers last Wednesday. Detail shots are important in photography. Use the cellphone camera's portrait mode to create a shallow depth of field which brings a viewer's attention to the subject and away from a messy background. The beautiful thing about photography is that it captures moments and memories. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
This building, as seen from my balcony, has a structure that is especially interesting when the sun casts shadows on it. I framed the building with my iPhone 7 and waited a couple of hours for someone to walk under it. As luck would have it, someone
This was taken early in the morning when the blinds were open and the light struck at an angle. The best source of natural light is either in the morning or evening as it offers the most dramatic light as the lower sun casts long shadows, which sculpt unusual forms that help to create depth. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
This building, as seen from my balcony, has a structure that is especially interesting when the sun casts shadows on it. I framed the building with my iPhone 7 and waited a couple of hours for someone to walk under it. As luck would have it, someone
My six-year-old son, Lucas, using leftover stickers from an activity book to create a finger puppet show. Using a white background lets me present the subject with very little distraction. A natural light source will give it a warm tone and create soft shadows. ST PHOTO: BENJAMIN SEETOR
You know the social distancing message has been deeply ingrained when even the masks are subconsciously aired at opposite ends of the grill. Photo shot with iPhone 7plus. Tip: Use the rule of thirds when composing the masks in the photo and place the black masks against the bright blue sky. This allows the main subject - the masks - to stand out. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
A man casting a shadow on the green grass while he exercised along the pavement on Sunday, April 19, 2020, at 8am, at Jalan Satu. I framed my subject on the rule of thirds using my iPhone and placed him at the intersection of those imaginary dividing lines. Also the shadows and light on the open field, and the concrete pavement come together to create an interesting Z-shape element. Staying home during the circuit breaker period is challenging, but it allows me to explore photography using a smartphone in different ways within the four walls of my home. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 27, 2020, with the headline Picture this: Home is where the fun is. Subscribe

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