At its core, Snapdragon® technology is focused on giving you the tools that help you focus on your passions, wherever you are or want to be. That’s what we call the Power to Move. Artists, creatives, photographers, and storytellers can now unleash their full capabilities and bring their imaginations to life—from virtually anywhere—thanks to incredible camera advances in mobile technology, powered by Snapdragon.
We know Snapdragon Insiders love to see our technology in action. To put the processor to the test, we chose four talented photographers to capture the essence of what they think it means to have the “Power to Move”. With each photographer weaving their own personal style and interpretations into the project, and with each testing a different phone powered by Snapdragon, the results are simply outstanding. Equipped with such a compact and liberating piece of technology, these photographers aren’t saddled with their usual gear to obstruct them from taking action when a moment of inspiration strikes. But that’s the beauty of Snapdragon—shifting normal, expected experiences into transformative, moving ones with cutting-edge tech. From architecture to nature, Snapdragon makes everyday moments extraordinary, empowering creators—like these four photographers—to mesmerize with every pixel.
The whirring of cars and trains, the busy sounds of the city streets—to some, it’s metropolitan madness, but to Andrew Wille, it’s the perfect backdrop for deeply personal experiences. Drawn to the challenge of capturing the “Power to Move” at impeccably timed moments, Andrew plays with the interaction of movement and stillness in urban settings. Thanks to his creative eye and the right tools, like the Motorola razr+ powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform, his photos never fail to communicate inspiring stories behind ordinary experiences.
To capture the crossroads of energy and stillness, Andrew used the Pro Mode on the razr+ : slowing the shutter speed to keep his subjects in focus against the motion around them. In doing so, Wille brings to life moments of introspection amidst a concrete jungle.
Another plus is that Snapdragon technology keeps up with the chaos of a city that never sleeps, offering days-long battery life. “It was refreshing and inspiring to rely solely on the phone as [I] wandered through the streets of Los Angeles,” Andrew says. Capturing the urban rhythms of the city, he tells a bigger story—one of the people.
Truly embracing the full scope of beauty in all its diverse forms, Andrew leaves no stone unturned when it comes to sharing the magic of his home state. Explore the captivating stories captured by Andrew on Instagram at @andrewoptics, where he shares tips and tricks to get the most out of your smartphone camera.
Before the days when people had high-powered cameras in their back pocket, professional photographers were burdened by the amount of gear required to take their passions on the go. Even today, most phone cameras aren’t equipped with the range of manual features needed for premium, DSLR-quality photography. This was not the case for active traveler and explorer Becki Nicholas, who embarked on an adventure armed with just her Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy.
“Having the peace of mind that you’ve always got something in your pocket to tell your story is a game-changer,” she says. “It keeps the art and stories flowing, stress-free."
Driven to capture emotive moments in nature, Becki often finds herself traveling to off-the-grid locations, which can be challenging when burdened with a lot of heavy equipment, particularly when she and her husband Chris travel by helicopter, snowmobiles, kayaks, or on foot.
This time, she left her heavy gear behind, setting out on a quiet hike through a remote wood. With nothing but the ultra-powerful and portable Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 powered by Snapdragon in her hand, she was free to let her creativity run wild and embrace anything that caught her artistic eye.
Changing the camera to Pro Mode and setting it to shoot in RAW, Becki can adjust the lighting, shadows, brilliance, and more to capture a flowing waterfall over a burning flame. By lowering the ISO and slowing the shutter speed, the flow of the water was blurred to soften her shot and emphasize the intensity of flame. In doing so, you see that Becki’s “Power to Move” lies at the intersection of the world’s natural elements—earth, wind, water, and fire.
You can follow Becki and her husband Chris on Instagram at @beckiandchris to see more on how they bring nature into focus every day.
While some photographers find the “Power to Move” in a misty forest, others take to vibrant islands on the other side of the world to fuel their passions. At least, that’s the backdrop photographer and filmmaker Shahbaz Sheikh chose to test the bold capabilities of the OnePlus 12 powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Shahbaz’s photographic portfolio presents itself like one big travel diary: from explorations in Peru, Jordan, New Zealand, and Fiji, his photos bring to life the excitement of discovering new places.
For his “Power to Move” sight-seeing mission, Shahbaz chose to take impactful pictures all around the island of Bali, achieving his trademark style of bold oranges and DSLR-comparable detail equipped only with the OnePlus 12. By switching the camera into Pro Mode, adjusting the ISO and color balance, and ensuring the output was in a RAW format, each photo perfectly captured the picturesque beauty of the island.
On the OnePlus, Shahbaz was able to play with the white balance—the key to what gives his photos a warm and inviting glow. Plus, Shahbaz can truly create without limits by ditching the heavy equipment, stating, “this lets me really push my images in post, letting me achieve my signature style and images that you would never be able to tell that were taken using a smartphone!”
Shahbaz is never in one place too long. See more of his world-wide dreamy shots on his Instagram profile @airbazoo. From fast-paced aerial shots of motorcyclists to unexpected angles of mountaintops, his work inspires others to appreciate the grandeur of the world—with a small but mighty camera.
In contrast to the dreamy, idyllic, and warm tones of Bali, with its many roads winding through natural landscapes and coastlines, another photographer achieves the “Power to Move” in the bustling, fast-paced streets of Los Angeles. Inside the urban playground, photographer Courtney Hill chose to get up close and personal with Los Angeles’ towering landmarks and architecture, and, in doing so, discovered gems hiding in plain sight.
All Courtney needed was the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, allowing him to travel light like a local. “It’s incredibly liberating,” Courtney says. “I’m thrilled that we’ve reached a point where our phones can be used for content creation instead of just consuming it.”
Reaching his destination of the iconic Hollywood sign, Courtney employed the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s epic zoom feature to capture closeups at two, three, five, and even ten times magnification, honing in on focal points that may otherwise go unnoticed—no giant, heavy, and expensive telephoto lens necessary.
As he continued to explore the city with an upward gaze, Courtney brought humbling perspectives to the grandeur of his surroundings. From the bottom of a stairway to the sky, to the ant’s view of a tree with outstretched branches, Courtney’s unique perspective shows the “Power to Move” while simultaneously feeling grounded.
A photographer who obviously values detail, Courtney’s portfolio of portraits, closeups, and artistic zoom-ins can be found on Instagram @filmedbyfresh.
From the secluded corners of the world to the heartbeat of city life, photos #ShotOnSnapdragon are proven to delight in high-def—even rivaling the quality of professional cameras. With a phone powered by Snapdragon in their hands, these photographers pushed the boundaries of what’s possible, capturing magic at a moment’s notice. And with an industry-leading Cognitive ISP, photographers can shoot in RAW, finetune their settings, and zoom incredible lengths—without all the equipment, accessories, and bags. They can optimize different aspects of their captures in real-time, even using generative AI voice-activated photo and video editing to stay in the moment.
But amazing pictures don’t just take themselves. The work of these photographers represents a fraction of what’s possible for creators everywhere, with unprecedented performance and battery life of Snapdragon technology enabling limitless possibilities. Captivating with every click—that’s the “Power to Move”.
Interested in the Snapdragon-powered smartphones used by the photographers in this project? Click here to explore.
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