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!

Accessories

Sony’s WI-1000XM2 joins their noise cancelling lineup

A new superb option

Published

November 21, 2019

Rodneil Quiteles

Sony’s noise-cancelling headphones are one of, if not the best in the market right now and today they’re adding another option to that already amazing lineup. Joining the WH-1000XM3 and WF-1000XM3 is the WI-1000XM2 — a neckband headphone.

Curiously, Sony didn’t skip the number two unlike what they did with the WF-series. Which just goes to show that the company has a looooong way to go in terms of properly naming their devices. However, that’s about the only knock on Sony’s headphones.

Noise cancelling excellence

The WI-1000XM2 will also be equipped with Sony’s HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1. If the performance of the WH-1000XM3 and WF-1000XM3 are any indication, this means we’re again getting perhaps the best noise cancelling tech you can buy right now.

The neckband headphone is also promising the same quality of sound as its sibling with its HD Hybrid Driver System which includes a 9mm dynamic driver and Balanced Armature driver. It also has Digital Sound Enhancement Engine HX (DSEE HXTM) that upscales compressed digital music files including MP3 formats, to bring you closer to the quality of High-Resolution Audio.

It’s also equipped with the same bells and whistles found on its siblings like support for Google Assistant and Adaptive Sound Control.

Designed for comfort

The neckband is made of silicone for flexible fitiing and weighs approximately 44 g. Inside the box you get different options for the earbuds so you should have no trouble finding the perfect fit.

It promises up to 10 hours of continuous play time. When it runs out, you’ll be back up and running quickly as 10 minutes of charging should give you about 80 minutes of play time.

When you need to tuck it away, the magnetic earbuds snap together easily and can be stored inside the accompanying carrying case that can also hold the audio cable, USB charging cable, and plug adapter for in-flight entertainment.

Pricing and availability

The Sony WI-1000XM2 will retail for SG$ 449 (US$330) and will be available at selected Sony Stores, Sony Centers and Sony authorized dealers starting December 2019.

News

LG launches the first 8K OLED TV in Singapore

Massive display at a massive price

Published

November 20, 2019

Vincenz

Image credit: LG

Remember when LG launched their first 8K OLED TV at IFA 2018? Fast forward to November 2019, they finally made it available in Singapore — a first in Southeast Asia.

Just a refresher, the LG 88Z9 boasts a vibrant 88-inch OLED bezel-less display with a massive resolution of 8K Ultra HD (7680 x 4320). It’s composed of 33 million self-emitting pixels that make it stand out from the competition. The additional Cinema HDR, Dolby Vision support, Advanced HDR by Technicolor (up to 4K), Hybrid Log Gamma, and HDR10 (up to 8K) all make up for a perfect viewing experience.

The α (Alpha) 9 Gen 2 8K processor is responsible for upscaling native 4K (or Full HD) clips to 8K content, all while reducing noise. It also processes ambient lighting conditions to achieve the perfect level of brightness. There’s also an integrated 80W speaker system, which is clear and rich. The 5.1 Virtual Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos make it more immersive when watching flicks.

Other TV-inclusive features are the built-in Google Assistant and support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. These provide easier controls over the TV even with just a voice command.

LG’s skilled engineers manually assembled each unit. The sophisticated Art Furniture Stand features a top-of-the-line aluminum and is carefully crafted by hand. There are only a limited number of units being produced to ensure quality in the long run.

To prove its durability, LG runs a series of TV tests. There’s an Aging Test which makes it run for 168 hours. It’s also placed inside a room above 40 degrees Celsius for 48 hours to ensure perfect performance in harsh conditions. At last, there’s an additional quality test where the TV is simulated in various viewing scenarios.

The LG 88Z9 Signature OLED TV currently retails at SG$ 59,999.

Lifestyle

Huawei showcases Gentle Monster Eyewear, other wearables

“Connecting Tech with Fashion”

Published

November 19, 2019

Rodneil Quiteles

We’ve come a long way from wearables that people won’t exactly be proud to wear. But Huawei is taking it further by “connecting tech with fashion.”

During “The Showroom” event in Singapore, Huawei paraded their set of wearables. Each one we’ve likely seen before like the FreeBuds 3 and the different variations of the Huawei Watch GT 2.

But perhaps one of their more unique offerings is the Gentle Monster — Huawei Eyewear.

Gentle Monster — Huawei Eyewear: New kind of wearable

Huawei calls it “an elegant and minimalist intelligent assistant for daily wear.” With it on, you can listen to music, take calls, and get voice updates from your virtual assistant. Which you’ll do simply by double tapping on either side of the eyewear’s frame.

If you’re worried about the audio blasting out too much, of course, Huawei took that into consideration. The eyewear has dual speakers and a semi-open design so you can hear the audio properly. At the same time it has a “unique audio cavity” to make sure sound doesn’t leak out.

It’s also combining hardware and software to deliver clear audio communications. The linear beam noise reduction design along with AI speech noise-reduction tech helps in this aspect.

The device also has an IP67 rating which means it’s dust and water resistant. It also comes with a portable leather case that doubles as a charger for the device. The charging, interestingly, is done wirelessly thanks to NFC.

Partnering with Gentle Monster appears to be another masterful branding move, akin to how Huawei hooked up with Leica for their flagship’s cameras. This means that the Gentle Monster — Huawei Eyewear will come in an array of different designs. So you should find something that will look good on you — which was hard for me, but I digress.

The Gentle Monster – Huawei Eyewear will be available on November 28 in Singapore in two design options: Smart Eastmoon and Smart Jackbye. No word yet on exact pricing.

Different Huawei Watch GT 2 designs to match your needs

Another thing showcased was the Huawei Watch GT 2 — our review is coming up soon so watch out for it. But initial impressions suggest it’s one of the better smartwatch options for Android. It comes in two sizes: 46mm and 42mm.

There are plenty of design options to choose from. Here are pricing and availability:

HUAWEI Watch GT 2 (46mm) Sport Edition in Matte Black now available at SG $298 here
HUAWEI Watch GT 2 (46mm) Classic Edition in Pebble Brown now available at SG$ 328 here
HUAWEI Watch GT 2 (42mm) Sport Edition in Lake Cyan available on 28 November, pricing to be released on a closer date.
HUAWEI Watch GT 2 (42mm) Elegant Edition in Refined Gold available in December, further details to come.
HUAWEI Watch GT 2 (46mm) Elite Edition in Titanium Grey available in December, further details to come

Freebuds 3: AirPods Pro but for Android

Last, but certainly not least, is the Freebuds 3 which bears a striking resemblance to the AirPods by Apple. This particular design allowed Huawei to put their Kirin A1 wearable chip on the wireless earphones which helps in noise cancellation, a stable, fast bluetooth connection and better power efficiency.

The FreeBuds 3 will be available on November 28, in Carbon Black and Ceramic White.

Huawei’s ecosystem

These new devices should also work well with the ecosystem that Huawei is building. The company is going towards the full Internet of Things (IoT) route and while they’re building their own hardware, they’re also inviting other developers and manufacturers to create products that will fit in their ecosystem.