Spring is a fleeting masterpiece. Petals burst into bloom, golden sunlight paints the landscape, and the air hums with renewal.
It’s a spectacle that demands to be captured, and with the Google Pixel 9a, you have the perfect tool to freeze these vibrant moments in time.
Make the most of this smartphone and capture the essence of spring in all its glory. Here’s a guide on getting the best out of your smartphone and this season.
Get up close with Macro Focus
For the first time on a Pixel A-series, the Google Pixel 9a comes with Macro Focus for extreme close ups. This feature lets you explore the tiny wonders of spring, like flowers in full bloom.
You can also use the zoom lens to capture the intricate textures, colors, and patterns in petals and leaves. This way, you have stunning close-up shots with exceptional detail.
Pro Tip: Shoot during the golden hour (sunrise or sunset) for a warm, natural glow. Midday sun can be harsh, washing out details and colors.
The 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera is everything
Spring landscapes deserve to be seen in full view, and the Google Pixel 9a’s ultra-wide lens ensures you capture the vastness of blooming fields, tree-lined paths, and endless blue skies in one stunning frame.
Pro Tip: Use leading lines — like roads, fences, or flower beds — to guide the viewer’s eye and add depth to your shot.
2x zoom is your friend
Sometimes, getting closer doesn’t mean physically moving forward. It means using the right zoom.
The 2x zoom on the Google Pixel 9a lets you frame sharp, undistorted compositions while adding a natural foreground element to give your shot more dimension.
Pro Tip: Frame your scene with tree branches or flowers in the foreground for extra depth and an immersive effect.
Utilize that Portrait Mode for softer, dreamier backgrounds
Spring is the season of soft light, blooming backdrops, and golden-hour portraits.
Use the Google Pixel 9a’s Portrait Mode to ensure your subject stays sharp while the background melts into a beautiful blur whether it’s a candid shot of a loved one or a moment of stillness in nature.
Pro Tip: Overcast days are your best friend. Clouds act as a natural softbox, creating even lighting that brings out true-to-life colors in your portraits.
Shoot in HDR
Spring photography often means bright skies and deep shadows. High Dynamic Range (HDR) ensures your shots capture the best of both worlds: rich colors, crisp details, and perfect exposure.
Pro Tip: Clean your lens before shooting! Spring means pollen, dust, and mist. Even the best camera settings won’t work if your lens is dirty.
Let AI do some heavy lifting
The Google Pixel 9a’s AI-powered tools help take your shots from good to breathtaking.
Whether you need to erase distractions (hello, Magic Eraser!) or subtly enhance details, these smart tools make it effortless.
Pro Tip: Don’t overdo it! Keep edits natural so your photos stay vibrant and authentic.
Make colors pop
Spring is a festival of color, and the Google Pixel 9a gives you the tools to enhance it effortlessly.
Use “Vivid” or “Boosted” in Camera Settings to bring out natural hues, or slightly underexpose bright scenes to preserve highlights and retain depth.
Pro Tip: Learn to contrast warm and cool colors. For example, a yellow flower against a blue sky creates a striking and balanced composition.
Spring won’t last forever
The beauty of spring is in its impermanence. Blossoms fade, the golden hues shift, and the season quietly gives way to summer.
But with the Google Pixel 9a in your hands, you can make these fleeting moments last forever.
So, go outside. Chase the light. Frame the beauty. Capture the color. Spring is waiting.
Apple Pay is officially in the Philippines!
Pushing the country forward into a cashless and cardless future, Apple has now brought its contactless payment system to the Philippines. As with other countries, Apply Pay will work seamlessly and easily even for those who have problems with technology.
Now, despite how easy it is, sometimes we need to be pointed in the right direction. Here’s how you can set up Apple Pay on your iPhone:
Everything starts with the Wallet app. First, open your Wallet app. Tap the “+” button on the top and select “Debit or Credit Card.”
Normally, this is where you can input your card details (which you can still do, by the way), but the default method now is to just tap your card on the back of your iPhone. Your phone does the rest. You might need to confirm with your bank, but it’s as easy as a single tap.
Pick which cards to use. Once you have your cards online, you might need to change which one is the default card. Again, it’s easy. Just drag your preferred card to the front.
Afterwards, you can tap to pay in supported stores by priming the Wallet app for use. Tapping to pay is also available for Apple Watch. Meanwhile, online transactions can also work on MacBook.
Secure, all the time. If you’re worried about your security especially with online transactions, Apple keeps your information only between you and the seller. They don’t store your data.
Also, it’s not easy to make a transaction without your consent. You need Face ID, Touch ID, or your password. If you lose your phone, you can easily shut your phone down with the Find My app to prevent malicious parties from making transactions.
DJI’s smartphone gimbals have always chased one goal: delivering cinema-smooth footage without forcing you to carry a heavy rig.
The Osmo Mobile 8P (OM 8P) makes its priorities clear right out of the box. This is not a simple refresh. DJI rebuilt how you control the gimbal, and that decision shapes the entire shooting experience.
Freedom behind the lens
The biggest change is the FrameTap remote, and it’s the kind of upgrade that fixes a problem you didn’t realize was slowing you down until it’s gone.
On the standard OM 8, adjusting your framing meant reaching for your phone every time, which broke the flow of shooting and pulled you out of the moment.
FrameTap puts that control back in your hand. You can reframe shots and manage the gimbal without touching your phone at all, and for anyone shooting solo, that alone changes how usable the whole setup feels. Tracking has taken a real step forward too.
ActiveTrack 8.0, paired with Module 2, held onto its subject even after they stepped out of frame for a moment, then picked them back up without much fuss.
It also lets you sit off-center in the shot instead of forcing you into the middle every time, which gives you more room to compose something that doesn’t look like every other gimbal video.
None of that would matter much if the gimbal itself wasn’t solid, and it still is. The OM 8P holds onto the same foldable design, magnetic phone clamp, and built-in tripod that made the OM 8 easy to live with.
And it remains one of the better compact options for stabilization, tracking, and portability in one package.
The tripod legs are a touch wider this time, and that extra width does make a noticeable difference on uneven ground.
The trade-offs in touch
The trade-off for all that new remote functionality is a control scheme that takes more getting used to. More of the gimbal’s functions now live on the FrameTap touchscreen, the joystick is smaller, and switching between shooting modes takes a few extra taps compared to the OM 8. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a learning curve you’ll need to budget time for.
DJI also removed the zoom and focus wheel, so if you leaned on that dial for quick adjustments, you’ll feel its absence here. Module 2 no longer lets you plug a DJI wireless mic in directly either.
You’ll need to connect it to your phone instead, which adds a step to a setup that used to be simpler. Phone compatibility is still a limiting factor as well. DJI lists support for phones up to around 300g and 11mm thick, so bigger phones or ones in chunky cases may not clamp in properly.
Finding your ideal workflow
The OM 8P makes the most sense for solo creators who want dependable tracking and the freedom of remote framing without stepping up to a dedicated camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket.
If you’re already shooting on a phone with a solid camera, this fills the gap nicely. It’s a tougher sell if you prefer physical buttons over touchscreen menus, or if your phone runs on the larger and heavier side, since fitting it onto the clamp might be a problem before you even get to shooting.
Price, availability
DJI is offering the OM 8P in three combos, so how much you pay depends on how much of the ecosystem you actually need.
- Standard Combo (PhP 7,499): the gimbal itself, with 8th-gen stabilization and the detachable FrameTap remote included.
- Advanced Tracking Combo (PhP 9,199): adds the Multifunctional Module 2 for the improved subject tracking we tested.
- Creator Combo (PhP 11,099): the full kit, built for creators who want everything DJI bundles in from the start.
Is the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P your GadgetMatch?
The DJI Osmo Mobile 8P asks you to relearn a few habits in exchange for a gimbal that finally lets go of your phone. If hands-free framing and steadier tracking matter more to you than a dedicated zoom dial, this is worth the adjustment.
If you’d rather keep things exactly as they were on the OM 8, that learning curve might be the deciding factor.
Swipe right if you shoot alone often and have been waiting for a gimbal remote that actually works. The FrameTap remote alone justifies the upgrade if reaching for your phone mid-shot has been slowing you down.
Consider this if reliable tracking matters to you, especially if you’ve had a subject wander out of frame and stay lost on older gimbals.
And of course, get this if you already own a capable phone under the weight and thickness limits, and you’d rather invest in a smartphone rig than jump to a dedicated camera like the Osmo Pocket.
Swipe left if you lean on physical dials for zoom and focus, and moving those functions to a touchscreen sounds like a downgrade rather than an upgrade.
This is not for you if you use a DJI wireless mic and want it plugged directly into the module without routing through your phone first. Or, your phone runs heavier or bulkier than DJI’s limits allow, since no amount of enthusiasm fixes a clamp that won’t close.
Features
GadgetSnaps: Westminster Abbey
A thousand years of history, unfolded with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra
Westminster Abbey isn’t just another stop on the London tourist trail.
It’s the stage for coronations, royal weddings, and burials that span nearly a thousand years, all still playing out under the same vaulted ceilings that have been standing since before most countries had names.
Once you get past the crowds and the audio guides, a quieter version of the abbey starts to show itself: worn stone steps, poets resting a few feet from kings, light that shifts across the nave like it’s in on the performance too.
While losing track of time in Poets’ Corner (yes, me, playing amateur historian for an afternoon), I unfolded the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and decided the abbey deserved more than a quick tourist snap.
All photos captured using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra.
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