Singapore

Smartphone photography 101: How to take slice of life photos

Aim for a variety and tell a story

Published

August 9, 2019

Chay Lazaro

Whether you want to capture random mundane activities or annual festivities like National Day, making sure you tell a story with your photos is important. There are so many ways to snap slice-of-life images, no matter which platform they’re made for — the challenge is to make each photo interesting.

Here are some tips from actual photographers on how you can take pro-looking photos of everyday life using just an iPhone. The best camera, after all, is the one that you have with you at all times:

Use the horizon as your guide

When it comes to photographing buildings, Darren Soh says to keep your iPhone level to the horizon. There’s no shame in taking a few seconds to frame your shot so the building remains straight in your photos as in real life.

Aim for variety

No matter how mundane, a picture is worth a thousand words. Franz Navarrete says to ask yourself before tapping that shutter: “What’s the story I want to tell?” Spontaneity is fun but when time allows for it, plan and research the place you’re going to to give you a sense of what you should be looking for. Make an effort to explore and walk a lot the unbeaten path — go to the alleys and climb those stairs.

Use long exposure

Shot on iPhone XS Max, Melissa Patrice (@girleatworld)

Live Photo isn’t just for taking moving Harry Potter-like photos. When you swipe up on any Live Photo, you’ll see a variety of effects including long exposure. Melissa Patrice says you will want to be as steady as possible when taking photos with long exposure as the intension. A tripod will help, but if you don’t have one, she says you can find a stable surface to rest your phone on while taking the photo. Keep in mind that this effect works really well only when you have a steady subject and a lot of movement in the background.

Hold your breath

Shot on iPhone XR, Jason Lim (@jsnjnr)

This is one of the most underrated and least talked about trick, even in videography. If you don’t have a tripod, Jason Lim suggests holding your breath when taking a photo to keep your phone steady and make sure the photo is sharp.

Use portrait mode

Shot on iPhone XS Max, Ivan Kuek (@phonenomenon)

We’ve talked about using portrait mode sparingly before, and that applies here as well. Ivan Kuek says the trick for making it work is to look for good lighting. Framing your shot with a foreground or background that relates to your subject also helps tell a more meaningful story.

Clean your lens

This is another underrated and overlooked step when taking photos. Franz Navarrete reminds users to make sure you wipe the lens of your phone with soft fabrics, like a microfiber cloth to clear off dusts and smudges.

Do you have tips in taking slice of life photos? Share them with us in the comments below!

Deals

Huawei has freebies and discounts for mothers this May

Discounts of up to SG$ 200 are up for grabs!

Published

May 5, 2021

Kenrick Buduan

To celebrate the upcoming Mother’s Day, Huawei is offering discounts and freebies for select devices. Everyone can enjoy savings of up to SG$ 200 and premium items only from May 1 until the 31st.

Here’s a summary of the devices, their corresponding discounts, and freebies:

Huawei Mate 40 Pro

Mothers who love to photograph every moment of their lives would find a reliable ally with the Huawei Mate 40 Pro. They can snag the company’s latest flagship with a limited-time price of SG$ 1,398 down from its usual SG$ 1,598 price. To sweeten the deal, every purchase come with a free ring light case and a Huawei mini-speaker.

Huawei MateBook D14

The Huawei MateBook D14 is a reliable workhorse fit for the new normal. Thankfully, hardworking mothers can snag one at SG$ 998 — less SG$ 100 than its usual price. As a bonus, it comes with a mouse and laptop backpack for free.

Huawei MatePad

With a premium features to boot, the MatePad is the perfect companion device for mothers who balance work and play. Paired with the Huawei M-Pencil, the premium tablet becomes a virtual sketchpad where the only limit is the imagination. For a time, one can buy it at SG$ 498, down from its usual SG$ 398 price.

Huawei FreeBuds 4i

Listen to audio uninterrupted with the Huawei FreeBuds 4i, which comes in stylish colors that mothers will love. It also comes with three different set of ear tips so they can pick the right fit for a much immersive and comfortable listening experience. Here’s the deal: it only comes at SG$ 98 for a limited time, which is SG$ 20 off the usual price.

Huawei Band 6

Huawei Band 6 is an upgrade over its predecessor, featuring a much bigger screen. It still retains its excellent health and fitness tracking capabilities, making it the perfect gift for mother everywhere. As a bonus, it now even tracks stress — undoubtedly, one of the results of these uncertain times. One can avail the Huawei Band 6 at a promo price of SG$ 68 just by presenting an e-receipt from NTUC FairPrice Online to any Huawei stores, authorized dealers, and online shops — no minimum spend required.

Perks from Huawei online services

These discounts and freebies aren’t the only thing that makes Huawei devices a compelling buy. Buyers can also enjoy various perks on these different Huawei services:

New users get the first month for free on Huawei Video.
Exclusive themes, featured themes, and watch faces are 30% off on Huawei Themes.
Complimentary book credits are up for grabs so users can grab bestsellers from Huawei Books.
The first three months are free upon subscribing to 50 GB monthly auto-renew plan of Huawei Cloud.
Mother’s Day curated playlist along with millions of tunes can be played on Huawei Music.

To avail of these discounts and freebies, simply visit any Huawei stores nationwide, select consumer stores, and online shops on Lazada and Shopee.

Singapore

How To: Low-light photography, videography on an iPhone

Take out your lightsabers and record Star Wars-themed content!

Published

May 4, 2021

MJ Jucutan

Gone are the days where our smartphones struggle from shooting when there’s a lack of proper lighting. Nowadays, most smartphones — flagships specifically — can record amazing videos and stunning photos in low-light conditions.

For instance, FightSaber Singapore, a premier Lucasfilm-recognised lightsaber performance organization recorded a Star-Wars themed video using only the iPhone 12 Pro Max. FightSaber Singapore used lightsabers from SaberMach, Singapore’s first and only professional combat saber company, to highlight NeoPixel blades that astonishingly lit up the room.

Nonetheless, taking gorgeous stills and videos in low-light situations is now possible using just your smartphone. Fret not, you don’t need to be a pro; you just need to follow simple tricks.

Tips and tricks

First, make sure to turn on High-Efficiency Image File Format before you start shooting. Next, adjust HDR (high dynamic range) on your camera settings which will help you capture vibrant stills in high-contrast situations. If you plan on capturing light streaks, set your settings to 4K with 24 FPS. For smooth movements, adjust it to 4K with 60 FPS.

When you start shooting, lock the exposure and maintain auto-focus. Tap the spot on your screen that you want to adjust. On iPhone, you can also press and hold on the screen until you see AE/AF lock to keep the focus and exposure in the same spot.

Moreover, you can create a quick whip zoom effect while recording by tapping on the individual lenses. No need for post-production!

On a non-technical tip, don’t forget about varying your camera angles. Low-angle shots tend to add drama while high-angle shots provide an overview of the scene.

SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES

Smartphone photography 101: Foreground element

Smartphone photography 101: How to take slice of life photos

Smartphone photography 101: Capturing festivities

Smartphone photography 101: Taking flat lays

News

LG OLED TV 2021: Price and availability in Singapore

Upgrade your home viewing experience!

Published

April 28, 2021

GadgetMatch

LG OLED TVs have always been one of the top choices to be the centerpiece of your home entertainment system. That much is true with its 2021 lineup which is now in Singapore.

Announced at CES 2021, some of these TVs have OLED Evo. It’s an advanced technology for OLED displays that promises better luminosity for higher brightness and what LG claims will be superior picture quality. It’ll be incorporated in the G1 series with sizes ranging from 55-inches to 75-inches.

All of LG’s new televisions will run on the WebOS 6.0 platform, while the new Alpha 9 Gen 4 picture processor will power some models including the C1, G1, and Z1 series. The processor supports virtual 5.1.2 surround sound, content genre detection, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision IQ. The Magic Remote has also been updated with hotkeys for popular streaming services.