HUAWEI P20 WOW by Elise Quevedo
Hey guys!
It’s been just over 5 weeks since the launch of Huawei’s P20 Smartphone series, and not only did they come, saw and conquered as I wrote in last month’s issue, they continue to dominate the market and have every tech outlet be wowed with the AI and photo capabilities.
But first a reminder of what the P20 Series look like. Enjoy the official intro video
Now the question is, am I still Huawei wowed after 5 weeks of using my beautiful P20 Pro? And the answer is… Oh YES!!
By far this is the best device I have used in a long time. I continue to be impressed with the battery life, speed and of course photo quality. I have had a few conversations with fellow P20 Series users and the common thread is that we can’t keep away from talking about how AI has made such a huge difference.
Peter Gauden, Huawei’s Global Senior Product Marketing Manager at CBG London Hub told me:
“The P20 and P20 Pro are Ground breaking in the field of Smartphones. We know there is a trend in the industry to try and increase the professional nature of features of your camera system but not everybody is going to understand how to get the best out of those professional features. That’s the difference with our new camera system for the P20 and P20 Pro, we are using artificial intelligence to bridge that skill gap to enable even a complete novice photographer to capture photographs that professionals would be proud of.”
Today I just want to focus on the photography which if we had to choose 1 USP ( Unique Selling Point), this is the one. If you remember from last month, in Paris I attended an exclusive Lifestyle Media Preview event which included a small masterclass from Leica photographer Alex Lambrechts. It was then my pleasure to attend another one with Alex in London just a few days ago thanks to Huawei. ( If you want a reminder of the full specs of the P20 Pro, you can read my “The Huawei P20 Smartphone Series came, saw and conquered” article.
When talking to Alex, this is what he had to say about the features which represent real game changing improvements or upgrades:
The ability to switch between focal lengths with the new optical and hybrid zoom is critical for anyone wanting to take tighter portraits of people without having the extreme distortion we see from wide angle lenses, the new 3x optical zoom and hybrid extension of 5x magnification allows me to get flatter more pleasing close ups to mix perspectives in my Editorial stories. I’m just blown away with the new night mode, the AI image stabilization recognises what it’s liking at and automatically adjusts the stabilization accordingly to give me a super sharp handheld image in (even with zoom functionality) that I just cannot achieve by any other means without a tripod and much longer exposure, there’s a lot at play internally with the AI, it’s defies conventional photography physics… Another favourite is the new Super Slow mode!!! 32x slow down even in low light with pin sharp detail just has to be witnessed to be believed, it’s like nothing else I’ve seen on the any other device…
I have to say I agree with Alex in all 3! I recently starting shooting water slow mode videos and I am mesmerized by them and all you have to do is point and shoot. The way the AI works and gets to know you is just incredible.
Today I want to share some of his photography tips, so we can all take even better photos! But before that, let me tell you a bit more about Alex Lambrechts for those who don’t know who he is.
Having first picked up a camera in earnest, late in 2009, never one for taking things slowly, only months later, self-taught Alex was already exhibiting a selection from his work Almost Famous at Luxe Gallery, Mayfair, and later his Images headlined the well attended ‘Feeling Good’ exhibition for the David Lynch Foundation at Getty Images Gallery in London, October 2013, as well as two New York Galleries at the same time… Most recently he has released a new series titled ’To dance is to pray’ shot in Crow Nation, Montana with Christian Takes Gun Parrish a.k.a. Supaman…
Alex’s work is often recognised, for its Signature B&W Street/Documentary style, although recently, you’ll notice he’s been using a lot more Colour and Analogue Film Photography, for his fashion, advertising & editorial campaigns. He is proud to work closely with and be an Official Contributor to LFI – Leica Fotografie International…
”The ability to switch between focal lengths with the new optical and hybrid zoom is critical for anyone wanting to take tighter portraits of people without having the extreme distortion we see from wide angle lenses.”
Alex Lambrechts.
Alex has amassed numerous international clients and is frequently traveling the globe to shoot for various Magazines, Brands, Music & Fashion Labels. Notable Publications include; GQ Japan, Nylon, Elle, L’officiel, VV, Russh, Cercle, 125, Twelv, Oddity & Leica S Magazines. Recent Fashion & Advertising Campaigns include; Huawei, Spencer Hart x Asos, Sir_The label, Blanco, P.P.Q. Lelloue, Morgans Hotel Group, Alexandra Long, True Religion Brand Jeans, Liberty London, MCCVIII, Collette Paris, Anchi Japan and more…
I thought I would give you a bit of background, so you pay close attention to his tips! As you know, I love getting inspired by people who are good at what they do, and with Alex, I could listen to him talk about photography all day long!…
So here they are, I suggest you visit his website to see a few examples.
– Mix up the perspective, shoot from unusual angles
– Get closer to your subject
– Fill the frame, be aware of your background
– Shoot through elements in the foreground
– Remember the rule of thirds, then break the rule!
– Look for details (think small/macro)
– Exposing for the highlights
– Look up! You’ll be surprised at what you find
– Be aware of developing scenarios
– Look for reflections across water or in surfaces like glass
– Shoot through glass
– Excite lens flare where possible
– Dusk light can produce some beautiful effects, especially if the lights are also on.
– Is there a good vantage point for a panorama or establishing shot?
– Look for patterns and leading lines of light or architecture
– Shoot a mixture of lighting effects in the same scenario to see which you prefer or better fit your mood/direction
– Give the viewer key focal points or lead them through your image with varied compositional techniques.
– Subject matters
– Be discreet to capture candid moments
– Frame your subject
– Look for negative space/balance the image
– Check aperture control / bokeh effects
– Play with the exposure control / light & dark
– Visualize in B&W
– Look out for rogue beams of light
– Use your mini tripod for light trails and other motion effects
– Incorporate panning techniques for dynamic motion effect
– Use dutch angle/tilt for dramatic effect
– Look at the advantages of shooting in the rain or fog
– Combine as many of these elements above
– And lastly, break all the rules! Think outside of the box when shooting.
Thank you Alex! I know many people will appreciated these tips. Now if this wasn’t enough, during Huawei’s Masterclass with Alex, we had a special guest, supermodel and photographer Helena Christensen.
In Paris I got to see a display of photos taken by her and this time I was actually able to talk to her and even take a couple of nice shots which you can see here after applying some of Alex’s tips. What an incredible, talented and inspiration you are Helena!
Thank you so much for your time during the masterclass! You rock Helena!
Thank you Alex! I know many people will appreciated these tips. Now if this wasn’t enough, during Huawei’s Masterclass with Alex, we had a special guest, supermodel and photographer Helena Christensen.
In Paris I got to see a display of photos taken by her and this time I was actually able to talk to her and even take a couple of nice shots which you can see here after applying some of Alex’s tips. What an incredible, talented and inspiration you are Helena!
Thank you so much for your time during the masterclass! You rock Helena!
Huawei makes capturing professional quality images a truly effortless experience for everyone. It is hard to pick and choose just a few photos I have personally shot with the P20 Pro over the last few weeks, so I made a small video compilation. Enjoy! Plenty more on my social feeds.
One of the conversations I had with Alex and Helena was about what a good photo can mean for each of us. From a personal point of view, photos for me are memories and stories. They are a collection of events that have happened and when you are able to capture a special moment and you look back at that photo months or even years later, it transports you right back to that moment when you took the shot.
I take a lot of photos! But only 20% end up on my social channels. Why? Because they are just for me and my close circle! Not everything we shoot belongs on digital media.
The beauty is that with Smartphones such as Huawei’s P20 Series we are able to capture those moments anywhere and at any time. Being able to just point and shoot and have a professional looking photo right there truly is a game changer.
AI continues to improve and optimize the way I use my P20 Pro and I cannot wait to see what the upgrade will be in the future! Someone who is on the go like myself, will appreciate the P20 Pro, it’s like your new pocket sized best tech friend!
As a Global Key Opinion Leader I get access to brands to learn more about who they are and what they do and I cannot say thank you enough to Huawei International for the access they have given me so far. You have sparked my curiosity and I am loving finding out more each time I get to attend an event.
Want to know what continues to wow me from this Chinese brand? Their Dream It Possible vision throughout a lot of their ethos. At their MWC Gala where the theme was “Never Stop Dreaming” I already saw something special, and now via their products, books and business ventures I am understanding why they are growing at the rate they are. They are visionaries.
I want to finish by leaving you with Huawei’s beautiful brand song by Delacey called
“Dream it Possible”, a song for those who are inspired by their dreams.
You can find the song on their latest devices.
Here are a few credits today:
To learn more about Huawei go to www.huawei.com
A special thank you to Alex Lambrechts for this time and sharing his tips
His website is www.alexlambrechts.co.uk and you can follow his latest work on Instagram www.instagram.com/alex_lambrechts
Got any stories or photos you want to share with me about your Huawei P20 Smartphone Series Experience? Feel free to tag me on any of my social channels!
Live, laugh, be bold, take risks & be super mega awesome
Love Always
Elise Quevedo, aka The Digital Ghost Queen
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