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!

Lifestyle

Apple got cute pet portraits on their billboards!

Get your pet to model!

Published

August 4, 2021

Leez

Have you spotted cute pet babies hitting it on the street billboards lately? Well, Apple launched an ad campaign where everyone’s pets take over billboards around Singapore.

Hoping to turn heads and make pet portraits into high art, it’s arguably the most adorable addition to their Shot On iPhone campaign. If you’ve tried to take get your pet to pose to no avail, they’ve got photographer Jason Nocito to help.

The campaign hopes to aptly demonstrate how photographic features often reserved for professionals are now accessible to Apple users. The charming and adorable billboard pet portraits were all shot with an iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max–utilizing High-Key Light Mono Portrait.

Tips from Jason for pet portraits!

To help get your pet’s attention and eye contact, hold a squeaker or keys above the lens.
If you are shooting outdoors, place your subject under indirect light in front of a simple wall or background.
Place your pet in the center of the frame.
If you’re having a hard time getting your pet-posed High-Key Light Mono mode try shooting ina few regular shots in Portrait mode. From there you can apply the High-Key Light Mono mode in the edit function after the shoot.
Lastly, shoot a lot of different frames!

Up your pet photo game

The campaign will run globally–including an @apple Instagram takeover and WeChat component! There, you’ll get to play around the iPhone’s camera features while learning how to take billboard-worthy shots wherever you are. You can even check out the behind-the-scenes of the shoot with Jason and his furry friends!

The OOH billboards at Knightsbridge, Keppel, and Bugis in Singapore have gone live. But, be on the lookout for the coming weeks; a cute fur baby might be featured on a billboard near you!

Singapore

Huawei Watch 3 series: Price and availability in Singapore

Premium smartwatches for the crazy rich Asians

Published

August 4, 2021

MJ Jucutan

Huawei’s flagship wearable finds its way to the land of the crazy rich. The Huawei Watch 3 and Watch 3 Pro are now in Singapore.

As the first in the Watch series to sport HarmonyOS, the Huawei Watch 3 series promises new, high-end technology features while keeping the same sleek-looking health and fitness companion as its predecessors.

Both smartwatches have an eSim technology that lets you connect your mobile number from your current network subscription, so you can receive calls, messages, and access your apps without your smartphone.

Also, it focused on user convenience by introducing an interactive grid launcher and watch phases, while presenting it through a smooth UX animation.

Like its predecessors, the Huawei Watch 3 packs over more than a hundred workouts. It has a dedicated sports mode to support you in your physical activities too. Other health-focused technologies include a skin temperature sensor, all-day blood oxygen tracking, stress monitoring, and even handwashing detection for overall health tracking.

The Huawei Watch 3 can last up to three days in smart mode and up to two weeks when you switch to ultra-long battery life mode. On the other hand, the Huawei Watch 3 Pro can last longer up to five days when in Smart Mode, and up to three weeks when saving power.

Price and availability

The Huawei Watch 3 retails for SGD 548 for the Active Edition with a black fluoroelastomer strap and SGD 598 for the Classic Edition with a brown leather strap. Meanwhile, the Huawei Watch 3 Pro costs SGD 698 for the Classic Edition with a brown leather strap.

Starting from August 6, 2021, the Huawei Watch 3 series will be available with exclusive promotions for customers. For every purchase (while stocks last), you can get freebies worth SGD 126 in total — a free watch strap in Olive Green and a Huawei SuperCharge 27W Wireless Charger.

It will be available for pre-order at Huawei authorized stores, Singtel, official online stores on Lazada and Shopee, as well as select consumer electronic stores such as Best Denki, Challenger & Hachi.tech, COURTS, Gain City, Harvey Norman, and Sprint-Cass Online.

Singapore

Apple offers creative program and back to school deals

Learn how to use Apple devices in the most efficiently

Published

August 2, 2021

Mark Manera

Apple releases a creative program that caters to students who can utilize their own system for notes and various apps. As a believer in the realm of creativity by saying “Think Different” it is no surprise that Apple is setting up a program for students. Accompanied with new deals, Apple has prepared for back-to-school season with new deals.

Creative Programs

Creator Connects: Maximise Your Day with Daniel Tamago

Discover how to get the most out of your day using the Notes app with content creator Daniel Tamago. In the first session of their Students Create series, he’ll share how he uses his Apple devices to organize and manage projects of all kinds. You’ll get hands-on with your iPad or iPhone to try his tips, crafting a smart to-do list that will boost your productivity. Daniel Tamago is a YouTube content creator who co-runs video production studio, Parallax Collective.

Creator Connects: Craft Video Blogs with Daniel Tamago

Film and edit your own vlog with content creator Daniel Tamago and production studio Parallax Collective as part of our Students Create series. Daniel will share the workflow he uses to document his life on social media. You’ll explore how to plan, capture, and stitch together a story using iMovie on iPhone. Then get to work on your own vlog. Download the iMovie app ready for this virtual session.

Session Details:

Sat, 31 July

11:00am – 12:30pm

Virtual session

Sign-up link: https://apple.co/3eadYfM

Creator Connects: Building a Brand with Krei Digital

Discover how to develop a startup or personal brand with student entrepreneur Janae Chua. As part of our Students Create series, she’ll share how she manages productivity between school and running a creative agency using the Calendar app on iPad or iPhone. Then you’ll explore ideas for a value proposition, color palette, and more to start building out your own brand in the Keynote app.

Janae Chua is a content creator, founder of boutique creative agency Krei Digital and curator of beauty brand Warui Baby. She’s currently in her third year at SMU School of Business.

Sessions Details

Wed, 4 August

7:00pm – 8:30pm

Virtual session

Sign-up link: https://apple.co/3e5C9f2

Back to school by apple

iPad

The eighth-generation iPad, starting at SG$ 469, brings a huge leap in performance, delivering next-level machine learning capabilities, giving students the freedom to work, learn, and connect with ease from their dorm, the lecture hall or the cafe. The completely redesigned iPad Air, starting at SG$ 809, is the most powerful, versatile and colourful iPad Air ever bringing pro features at a more affordable price, and available in five gorgeous finishes.

The recently announced iPad Pro includes Apple’s M1 chip, Thunderbolt support, an XDR display on the 12.9-inch model for an unmatched visual experience, ultra-fast 5G speeds, an all-new Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage, and is available in silver and space gray. The Magic Keyboard adds a typing experience with backlit keys and an integrated trackpad. The keyboard now comes in a new white color and is also available in black. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at SG$ 1,129 and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at SG$ 1,509.

Mac

Whether working and creating from campus or on the go, do your schoolwork from anywhere with the thin, light and portable MacBook Air, starting at S$1,299, or for Pro speed and power beyond belief, the MacBook Pro, starting at SG$ 1,709.

Apple’s M1-powered notebooks deliver up to 17 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 20 hours of video playback. For an extra pop of color in their room, choose from the all-new colorful iMac lineup. It comes in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. Starting at SG$ 1,779.

AirPods

Study in peace or workout freely with AirPods, starting at SG$ 239 — the world’s most popular wireless headphones featuring an iconic design, simple one-tap setup, intuitive controls and crystal clear sound. AirPods Pro offer Active Noise Cancellation and great sound in a lightweight, in-ear design for comfort and fit, all for SG$ 379. And, for the personal listening experience, AirPods Max, starting at SG$ 849, offer quality audio, active noise cancellation with transparency mode.