Shop signs, ornamental window grates, rail crossings and bustling markets. These ordinary snippets of everyday life are transformed through Taiwanese photographer Ian Chi’s lens into frames that capture the imagination.

As the idea of “Taiwan sensibility” grows ever more popular, Chi notes that oft-overlooked elements have now become unique visual symbols. “I find this a positive change, because these are things that you don’t see anywhere else,” he says.

Here, he chats to the App Store Editors about how he shares his vision of Taiwan with the world using vintage camera app Dazz Cam.

With or without a vintage filter, Chi has a few suggestions on how to capture a great photo.

Understand lighting: Where there is light, there are shadows, and the play between the two can add depth to your photos. A sunny day usually provides the ideal lighting for a shoot, but it’s also important to spend time observing your subject, understanding how it’s looks in different conditions.

Get to know your location: This means being in the right place at the right time – and to do that, you must feel its pulse. A market is busiest during the morning, so go early if you want the full impact of a lively scene.

Stay observant: You could distill any location into a tiny corner that represents the whole. But the smaller the spot, the easier it is to be overlooked. Chi suggests taking stock of your surroundings and paying extra attention to the details.

Remember your frame: Framing a photograph is like sketching an outline for a story you’re about to tell. If capturing Taiwan sensibility is your goal, a 5x telephoto lens can keep busy backgrounds at bay while stationing you at a distance from your subject, so the scene doesn’t look staged.

Choose the right tone: Colour gives your photograph soul. Taiwan sensibility leans toward vintage warmth, so Chi’s go-to photo app is Dazz Cam, which he finds ideal for highlighting a nostalgic feel.

With a focus on recreating the texture of a negative, Dazz Cam has a range of classic filters from Fuji, Leica, Kodak, CCD and more. Chi jokes that the app matches film stocks more accurately than most photo editing software on the market.

Chi’s favourite is the FXN R filter. “It simulates the Fuji film’s tonal range really well, and its adjustable temperature and tone give variety without increasing graininess,” he says. Although R series filters don’t support photo imports, Chi thinks that’s exactly what makes them fun.

He tends to take a first shot to test the exposure before making minor adjustments. That means pulling the colour temperature to its very warmest (or no less than half) before dropping it slightly to add a slight green tint. In bright sunlight, he lowers the exposure to -5 before pressing the shutter. The result: a photo brimming with the atmosphere of Taiwan.

Chi also has a few other features in mind to improve your picture-taking experience. In Settings, enable Keep Original Photos to retain unedited copies as a basis for future tweaking. Set your Zoom Mode to Full Screen Mode for the what-you-see-is-what-you-get effect of an ordinary camera. And for additional assistance with framing, turn on the Assistive grid.

When it comes to matching filters to different scenarios, Chi uses the Leica-inspired Classic U filter to produce the rich colours and strong grain of vintage cinema when there is plenty of light. And if you’re looking to capture Taiwan’s softer side, the soft focus and yellowish tint of CPM35 can augment your narrative.