We are on the cusp of stepping into the Year of the Pig according to Chinese Zodiac traditions, a classification scheme that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle. Families gather on the eve of Lunar New Year to dine at, what's considered by many, the most important and meaningful get-together meal of the entire year (similar to Thanksgiving and Christmas meals). This sees every home's best cooks whip up a table's worth of sumptuous and auspicious dishes to celebrate the impending year.
While epicures can't wait to dig in, millennials often want to capture the carefully-plated spread on their smartphones before a food massacre occur. Either to brag on social media or for joyous memorial reasons, you'll definitely want digitized shots taken by an iPhone to be a standout. So heed the advice of these photography veterans to obtain these enviable images which were shot at FOOK KIN 福劲 restaurant.
Javan Ng—@javan
*All photos and videos were taken with iPhone XS Max using the standard camera app, except the reflection shot of Fook Kin’s interior (shot with iPhone XR).
Tips:
1. "To take a photo through glass or reflective object, move around and position your camera such that it doesn’t capture yourself or other unnecessary things in your shot."
2. "For indoor and low light environment, it’s best to make sure Smart HDR is enabled. It helps to bring out more detail, avoids nasty shadows, and balances highlights."
3. "When recording a slo-mo video, start the video 2-3 secs before the slow-mo action I want to capture. That way you will perfectly capture what you want."
4. "For quick and easy video edit and creation, I’d recommend Spark Camera—Video Editor app. It’s not expensive and it’s a simple and powerful video app. Otherwise, iMove is great for adding titles."
Scott A. Woodward—@scottawoodward
*Photos were shot on an iPhone XR using Portrait mode, Depth Control and Smart HDR.
Tips:
1. "Lighting: the best images always make interesting and powerful use of light. Dramatic light can make even the most mundane subjects appear outstanding, so be on the lookout for beams of light or make use of long shadows and try to use backlighting to silhouette your subjects."
2. "Look for dynamic and creative angles. Hold it high and shoot without looking at the screen or put it on the ground and tilt it up. The more creative you get, the more you’ll learn about what works and what doesn’t work, and the better your photographs will be."
3. "Because iPhone is unobtrusive, people are less likely to stop what they’re doing or pose for you when shooting with a mobile phone, so use this to your advantage to shoot candid, more evocative street photography.
4. "Portraits: Get physically closer to your subject so you fill the screen with your subject’s face. This will allow you to capture all the details and as Robert Capa famously said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.”"
Yais Yusman—@yaisyusman
*Photos were shot on an iPhone XR using Portrait mode, Depth Control and Smart HDR.
Tips:
1. "Framing: this allows the audience to focus on a particular object/person in a frame and also gives more context to the photo, like a story to tell."
2. "Capture Moments with Live Photos: If you know a moving object or a person is doing an action, be ready to capture the right moment with Live Photos, it gives you a chance to capture something unique and be right at the moment. You can also edit the photo and choose the moment that you like."
3. "Grid Lines: These will help you to compose your photo better when it comes to a symmetrical photo—the rule of thirds, make sure the subject is in the middle and etc."
Yafiq Yusman—@yafiqyusman
*Photos were shot on an iPhone XR.
Tips:
1. "Make sure focus on the right point! Simply tap on the screen to focus the camera."
2. "Low light of iPhone XR is amazing! Don’t be afraid to shoot in low light conditions and decrease the exposure by a little to get details."
Yudhi Aristan—@aristan89
*Photos were shot on an iPhone XS Max.
Tips:
1. "The devil is in the details so pay attention to patterns and form to get the most out of your photos."
2. "React to your surroundings and make use of them to enhance your images and add interest."
3. "Depth of Field, tap and hold onto the yellow box when shooting to get a nice focus image. The blurred background can enhance the details of the foreground image."
4. "For a backlit situation, tap on the dark and shaded area to bring out the colour and brighten the overall image."
Ernest Goh—@theanimalbookco
*Photos were shot on an iPhone XS Max.
Tips:
1. "Get in close and look for details to create interest and interesting composition."
2. "Use your environment, find the best light and wait for a great moment."
Jason Lim—@jsnjnr
*Photos were shot on an iPhone XR.
Tips:
1. "Portrait: focus on a subject before snapping the picture. You may have a preview and adjust the depth by tapping the “f” symbol located at the top right corner of the camera app to better ensure you’ve got your focus ready."
2. "To create a depth of field without using portrait mode, place an object closer to the camera lens and tap on your subject of focus to ensure sharpness and create a contrast using depth of field."
3. "For slo-mo videos taken in well-lit conditions, change your slo-mo video settings to record 1080p @ 120 fps to reduce the amount of flashing."
4. "Use the rule of thirds, this will help direct the focus to your main subject."
5. "When taking time-lapse, tap on your subject to blur out the rest of the screen and avoid moving it to create a better time-lapse. Record at least for a minute or two to see better results and a longer time-lapse video."
