Pushing boundaries of smartphone photography
Huawei has set the standard for smartphone photography with the P20 Pro. Equipped with a triple rear camera system—one of them being a 40-megapixel RGB sensor—people are curious at how one can utilize such tech.
To prove a point, Metro Magazine shot their May 2018 cover with Pia Wurtzbach using the P20 Pro. We tagged along during the cover shoot with fashion photographer Dookie Ducay doing his work using the P20 Pro, following the layouts prepared by the Metro Magazine team, led by editor-in-chief Geolette Esguerra.
Though this is the third time Metro Magazine shot their cover using a smartphone, their experience with the P20 Pro is the best to date. “We saw the phone’s flexibility, and it is something that you would appreciate in a camera. And wow, it’s a phone!” Esguerra remarked.
A low light performer
To give you an idea about the shoot, there were several layouts done consisting of different lighting conditions. These range from abundant natural light, mixed natural and artificial light, and low-light situations which Esguerra describes as “mood” shots. Being able to use the P10 last year for a shoot with Metro Magazine, Ducay appreciated the many improvements on the P20 Pro.
Among the things that impressed Ducay is the P20 Pro’s image quality even in low light. “I was shooting at ISO 200, so it was surprising. Hindi siya grainy, as in malinis siya,” he remarked, elaborating how he was impressed with the P20 Pro when he was shooting Pia at the theater, where there was a minimal amount of lighting.
Esguerra elaborated that even if the P20 Pro is a smartphone, their demands for the shoot is just the same with using a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, and the P20 Pro was a stellar performer. “I’m very, very happy. Even with our first layout, when we were doing that mood shot, we get to see [the P20 Pro’s performance],” Esguerra said.
Better than ever
Aside from its improved cameras, Ducay noted the P20 Pro’s improvement in terms of overall performance. Case in point? When he was shooting in RAW using the P10 last year, he noticed some shutter lag, and the phone was prone to overheating as he was doing his work. With the P20 Pro this year, shooting in RAW was much faster, and the phone’s temperature was stable in spite of shooting thousands of photos in a span of a few hours.
Aside from the P20 Pro being more efficient, Ducay appreciated the improved battery performance as well. Sporting a sizeable 4000mAh battery, Ducay managed to use the P20 for more than 24 hours with some juice left, on top of charging it quickly for 10 minutes. Aside from using it for taking photos for Metro Magazine’s cover shoot, he was even using the phone for social media browsing as well.
“For me, this is the best smartphone that I have used. Ok siya, especially in terms of image quality, and battery [performance],” he said.
The future is here
When asked if the P20 Pro can replace a DSLR or mirrorless camera for serious shoots like this, both Ducay and Esguerra think that it can—to an extent. Ducay even noted that the P20 Pro’s image quality is comparable to a semi-pro DSLR or mirrorless camera. “Kung may accident na mangyari, o kailangan ng backup, I’m confident with the P20 Pro,” he adds.
With such performance at a small size, Esguerra sees the P20 Pro as a phone that will redefine the way people produce content—both for work and play. “What happens with a lot of photographers and a lot of people in fashion is that you produce content everywhere.”
She sees this as a possibility especially in the fashion industry, where people love beautiful OOTD photos. “It is exciting for people in fashion—people who love beautiful images.” With phones like the P20 Pro, Esguerra expects to see people creating fashion shoots and video narratives—all within a phone.
The May 2018 issue of Metro Magazine is now available in all newsstands.
Check out our articles on the P20 Pro:
