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!

News

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Price and availability in Singapore

Crazy Rich Asians get first dibs

Published

February 14, 2020

MJ Jucutan

Samsung’s newest foldable phone — the Galaxy Z Flip — is coming to Singapore.

The Galaxy Z Flip presents a different kind of flip, making the glass phone fold like a compact. This new foldable phone — which isn’t a direct successor of the Galaxy Fold — looks promising with its premium display and purposeful folding.

Of course, a bold and stylish phone like this deserves to be in the hands of the crazy rich, which is why Singapore will be the first to launch in Southeast Asia.

The Galaxy Z Flip will be available from February 14, 2020, at 8 AM on Samsung, M1, Singtel, and StarHub’s online stores. It will retail for SG$ 1,998 and will be available in Mirror Purple and Mirror Black.

Premier service for a premiere phone

Galaxy Z Flip users will enjoy a specialized customer service from Samsung, which includes 24-hour concierge support, one-time screen replacement/repair (deductible of SG$ 180), door-to-door pick-up, and delivery service for repair, which you can only use up to two times. For the full list of complimentary benefits, visit this link. The Premier Service will be valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.

Exclusive rewards

Samsung will also reward Galaxy Z Flip users with exclusive deals via Samsung Pay. For instance, Samsung Pay users will receive 50 welcome points. Samsung will continue updating the rewards catalog exclusive for Samsung Galaxy Z Flip users, offering exclusive Samsung products to lifestyle-related deals available for instant redemption.

Galaxy S20

Samsung Galaxy S20: Price and availability in Singapore

Brand new Galaxies

Published

February 13, 2020

Rodneil Quiteles

Samsung’s Galaxy S20 series comprised of the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20 Ultra has been officially unpacked and they are coming to Singapore.

Headlining the Galaxy S20 series is the camera setup. Samsung says they’ve implemented ways to make the shooting experience better for its users. First of which is the new Space Zoom. The Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ capable of up to 3X lossless zoom and up to 30X hybrid zoom. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S20 Ultra can handle up to 10X lossless zoom and a whopping 100X hybrid zoom.

Next is a feature that lets you take a 10-second clip and then the phone automatically produces still images of the best moments from that clip — video and photo in one. Samsung aptly calls this Single Take.

All three phones are also 5G capable. While 5G is still at its growing stages, Samsung wanted to make sure they have phones available that can take advantage of this tech once it matures.

We get the usual sensors and security features like the Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor and Face Recognition. The phones also have an IP68 rating making them dust and water-resistant. Features and specs will mostly be the same as everywhere else in the world. Here’s a quick look:

	Galaxy S20	Galaxy S20+	Galaxy S20 Ultra
Display	6.2″ Super AMOLED, 120Hz	6.7″ Super AMOLED, 120Hz	6.9″ Super AMOLED, 120Hz
Processor	Exynos 990	Exynos 990	Exynos 990
Storage and Memory	128GB + 12GB Expandable via MicroSD up to 1TB	128GB + 12GB 512GB +12GB Expandable via MicroSD up to 1TB	128GB + 12GB 512GB +16GB Expandable via MicroSD up to 1TB
Battery	4000mAh 25W charging	4500mAh 25W charging	5000mAh 45W charging (45W charger sold separately)
Cameras (Rear)	12MP, F2.2 Ultra Wide 12MP, F1.8 Wide-Angle 64MP, F2.0 Telephoto	12MP, F2.2 Ultra Wide 12MP, F1.8 Wide-Angle 64MP, F2.0 Telephoto Depth Vision	12MP, F2.2 Ultra Wide 108MP, F1.8 Wide-Angle 48MP, F3.5 Telephoto Depth Vision
Camera (Selfie)	10MP, F2.2	10MP, F2.2	40MP, F2.2

Pricing and availability

The Samsung Galaxy S20 series will be available starting March 6, 2020 at local telecommunication operators — M1, Singtel, and StarHub. It will also be available to Samsung Experience stores, major consumer electronics and IT stores, and online channels like Lazada and Shopee Singapore.

Galaxy S20: Cosmic Grey, Cloud Pink (via Globe and Smart only) — SG$ 1,298
Galaxy S20+: Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cosmic Black — SG$ 1,498
Galaxy S20 Ultra: Cosmic Grey, Cosmic Black — SG$ 1,898

Pre-order period has started from February 12. Consumers who pre-order the Galaxy S20+ or S20 Ultra will get a free Galaxy Buds+ upon full payment for and collection of their pre-order.

Accessories

Red Huawei Freebuds 3 comes just in time for Valentine’s

How much do you love red?

Published

February 6, 2020

Rodneil Quiteles

It’s the “Season of Love” and Huawei is giving all of us a treat by unveiling the red Huawei Freebuds 3.

The Huawei Freebuds 3 is one of the very few true wireless earbuds equipped with active noise cancellation. This is made possible through the company’s Kirin A1 chip. It promises up to 4 hours of playback time and up to 20 hours with the charging case.

It’s one of the best noise-cancelling earbuds out there and now that it comes in red, you’ll definitely stand out when you have these on.

Pricing and availability

The red Huawei Freebuds 3 retails for SG$ 238. It will be available in all Huawei Concept Stores, selected local telecommunication operators and consumer electronic stores; and online official store with Lazada and Shopee.

To showcase the new color, there will be a roadshow at VivoCity Level 1, East Boulevard. Customers who purchase at the roadshow from February 10-16 will get a Huawei 15W wireless charger and creative silicone case worth SG$ 96.