Neil Jason Nogra is a Naga City-based Pokemon GO Augmented Reality Photographer from Cebu, Philippines. |
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Flashback: it’s July 2016 and just about everyone you know hopped on a hit-new game called Pokemon GO. One of those people was Neil Jason Nogra, who goes by his Pokemon GO in-game name DStarblader.
Catching Pokemon is what most people do when they play Pokemon GO. But for the 28-year old Naga City resident, Nogra likes to do themed Pokemon photoshoots in Pokemon GO.
In case you have been living under the rock all these years, Pokemon GO is a mobile game where one can catch Pokemon with the real world as your playground. The game also has augmented reality (AR) features, which basically allows players to see their Pokemon come alive in the real world via their mobile phones.
For Nogra, it wasn’t the allure of augmented reality that attracted him to play Pokemon GO. Instead, it was the thrill of catching Pokemon at first. After all, it was an integral part of his childhood — just like most people from his generation.
As a Pokemon GO AR photographer, Nogra catches Pokemon, thinks of a concept, and snaps as much photos as he could until he finds the perfect snapshot.
To get the perfect shot, he’d go to aesthetic spots — like the beach perhaps, and then finds the right Pokemon to match the theme. Other times, it’s vice versa: he catches a Pokemon first before finding the right spot to do a shoot.
At the end of his Pokemon GO photoshoots, Nogra produces awe-inspiring photos that make Pokemon appear to be real. In fact, his Pokemon GO photography has won some awards and has been prominently featured multiple times in a well-known Pokemon GO blog.
Nogra’s Pokemon GO journey
At first, Nogra started his Pokemon GO journey as soon as the game got its global release back in July 2016. Back then, he was just a casual player, simply catching the Pokemon he encounters and tries to collect them all.
“I did not take the game seriously. Not until 2022,” Nogra shared in an exclusive interview with Cebu Daily News Digital.
He also admits that, prior to the game’s release, he wasn’t a hardcore fan of the Pokemon franchise. Although he’d watch the tv series and the movies when he was still in elementary, it was his siblings who had tons of Pokemon merchandise, such as the trading cards and stickers.
Nevertheless, Nogra started playing Pokemon GO and was hooked. After meeting other players from Cebu’s massive Pokemon GO community, he took the game seriously.
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“Laay man gud if ikaw ra usa ang magdula (It’s boring if you play by yourself),” Nogra shared how other Cebuano Pokemon GO players enticed him to play the game seriously.
He played it like a player trying to be the very best like no one ever was. He would hunt Pokemon specifically for PVP (player-versus-player) competitions, catch every Pokemon encounter for XP (experience points), and do just about everything you can expect from a hardcore player.
Eventually, Nogra would discover another passion in Pokemon GO: snapping AR photos.
Nogra said he discovered his knack for AR photography by happenstance. It all started when he took snapshots of his favorite Dragon-type Pokemon: Dragonite. Then, one day, while playing with angles, Nogra discovered he had a talent for capturing AR photos in Pokemon GO.
AR photography in Pokemon GO
In 2021, Nogra played around with the snapshot feature of Pokemon GO. “Pang lingaw-lingaw lang (Just for fun),” Nogra said.
Back then, his snapshots were oriented vertically or taken in portrait. However, Nogra discovered he could do more if he took more shots horizontally or in landscape.
Upon this discovery, Nogra would then become more creative with his shots. Experimenting with concepts and themes, often brainstorming ideas for the next photoshoot.
A quick peek at Nogra’s Instagram reveals he has posted over 400 of his Pokemon GO AR photos. However, according to him, he has taken hundreds more just to take the perfect snapshot.
“Pyro Strike” by Neil Jason “DStarblader” Nogra depicts the fire-type Pokemon Cinderace performing its signature move and cleverly uses the sun as the fireball. This was taken at the Naga Boardwalk and Park in the City of Naga in Cebu. | Photo from Nogra’s Instagram
When planning the photos, Nogra first visualizes the perfect shot in his mind. According to him, Pokemon types matter more in coming up with a concept rather than a Pokemon’s color palette.
For water types, he’d go to the beach which would be their natural habitat. For bug types, he’d go where there are flowers. So on and so forth. Traveling spontaneously also helps with coming up with concepts as sometimes he comes across a location that’d be perfect for a photoshoot.
After that, he tries to produce said perfect shot and takes as many snapshots as possible — which range from 30 to 50 shots per photoshoot — to be as close to what he has in mind. This process can be a hit or miss according to Nogra but the process doesn’t end right then and there.
After securing the snapshot, Nogra would then edit the photos in his mobile phone. He creates the magic of making Pokemon look as if they belong to the real world through color grading. This is despite his lack of proper technical training in photo editing as he’d often rely on instinct and the eye-test.
AR photography takes time to master
Nogra reveals that he took three whole years to be as good as he is right now when it comes to his Pokemon GO AR photography. Snapping AR photos takes a lot of effort, especially considering his perfectionist attitude.
Back when he started taking this type of photography seriously, he’d post in his Instagram page daily. Then it became weekly, then monthly, now Nogra only posts occasionally.
Besides being busy at work, he admits that he has experienced creative burnout which is the reason why he has slowed down in posting his outputs.
In order to motivate himself, he’d participate in community-run contests and themed challenges which often coincide with in-game events. Besides that, he also finds inspiration from other AR photographers such as the US-based Pokemon GO AR photographer @drismsnap on Instagram.
During the interview, Nogra shared that he and @drismsnap had brief interactions on social media, as they both have mutual appreciation to each other’s works. Nogra said that he often looks at @drismsnap’s work for inspiration and adds his own creative twist on his own photos.
“Oceanic Symphony” by Neil Jason “DStarblader” Nogra depicts the water and fairy type Pokemon Primarina posing on a beach. The photo was taken at the Kalanggaman Island in Leyte. | Photo from Nogra’s Instagram
Capturing AR photos can also be physically demanding as Nogra revealed. One time, when he was out in Kalanggaman Island in Leyte, he braved the heat of the sun just to capture a photo of Primarina, a water and fairy type Pokemon that resembles a cross between a sea lion and a mermaid.
“It was so hot. The sun was too hot, and I had no umbrella. I got burnt after that,” Nogra blissfully remembers what he went through during that day.
Nogra brings Pokemon to life with AR photography
Whenever he takes AR photos in Pokemon GO, Nogra said he feels like he’s bringing those fantasy creatures into the real world. He says that is the magic of using augmented reality in games like Pokemon GO.
“Somehow, whenever you see the end result, you feel proud. The exhaustion was worth it, the sweat was worth it,” Nogra exclaimed.
For those who want to dip their toes in AR photography, Nogra suggests to not be afraid of experimenting with their work while staying consistent with the amount of effort you give.
“It’s about trial and error. Eventually, you’ll find your own signature touch in your photos.” /csl
