It’s all about the content, right? That’s what we’ve always been told.
As we slowly creep towards the 20th year of the 21st century, life, for almost all of us, has changed due to the sudden up-rise in social media and technology.
The truth is, content, and the importance of it, isn’t anything new. Over two decades ago Bill Gates wrote an essay titled “Content is King”. Published on the Microsoft website, his essay begins: “Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet, just as it was in broadcasting.” Unsurprisingly, it’s the brands, influencers, app makers and bloggers creating the most content who are cashing in and, as consumers, we simply can’t get enough.
However, it was one line in particular in Gates’ essay that lifted itself off the webpage: “One of the exciting things about the Internet is that anyone with a PC and a modem can publish whatever content they can create.”
He was right. Anyone can create. Anyone can post, write or capture what they want and upload it for the world to see. It’s the beauty of content, but also its downfall. We are in overload, wedged in between algorithm changes, fake news and the obsession to be liked.
Yet it doesn’t stop us. We continue to ‘create’.
The real work, however, is how to stand apart from the rest doing exactly the same. And while you can’t teach genuine creativity, you can help yourself through the tools you use. And the Huawei P30 Pro is a good place to start.
Bringing Photography to Life
It’s 2019, and the world of smartphone technology and camera capabilities have transformed the way we capture content. Unless you are one of the world’s leading photographers, gone are the days of needing a DSLR camera to capture stunning stills – a fact that doesn’t sit well with some of the old school.
“Photographers from yesteryear can be a bit bitter about new technology and how influencers are now able to capture such beautiful imagery,” says award-winning photographer Archie Brooksbank. “But people need to move with the times. Of course, there will always be a place for DSLR cameras – they can do things camera phones simply can’t – but more people than ever before are able to take pictures and record video to a very high standard. And that’s only a good thing.”
Photography has changed. “Now it’s all about speed,” says Archie. “People want images and they want them now, which is why smartphones are brilliant.”
Smartphones such as the Huawei P30 Pro, which features the Leica Quad Camera System and includes a SuperZoom Lens, a 40MP Super Sensing Camera, a 20MP Ultra Wide-Angle Lens, and a Huawei TOF Camera.
Yes, that’s a lot of lenses in one phone and a lot of tech sitting in your pocket. To some people it might seem a tad excessive, but it’s only when you start to play around with its camera functionality do you see just how versatile it is, alongside the development that’s gone into it up to this point. Allow us to explain.
On the rear of the phone sits three cameras, featuring a new Super Sensing 40MP sensor with an f/1.6 aperture and 25mm focal length. It’s this sensor that truly sets it apart from rival phones. With the majority of camera phones using an RGB sensor (red, green, blue), the Huawei uses RYYB, that’s red, yellow, yellow and blue. According to the experts, it’s this change in sensors that enable more light to be absorbed, with those yellow portions bringing in greens and extra reds, resulting in cleaner, sharper images when lighting isn’t great.
The two cameras perched next to the main sensor offer an ultra-wide, 20MP 3/2.2 for those all-important landscape shots and a rather impressive 8MP telephoto camera that’s capable of 5x optical zoom, which is effectively a 125mm lens. Now, this is where things get interesting. The phone is able to combine data from all three sensors to offer a unique 10x hybrid zoom – no other phone can do such a thing. There is also a 50x digital option, but you’ll need hands as steady as an assassin to keep the image still.
But what about the selfies? Hasn’t anyone thought about the selfies? Thankfully, they have, with a 32MP selfie camera at the front of the handset, which benefits from HDR and super low-light moods. Phew.
There are, of course, many other options to play with in camera mode – the Dual-view and Super Macro functionalities are pretty cool – and you can go to town in edit mode, but if you ask us, it really is a case of trying it out for yourself to get a feel for what works for you and what you are trying to achieve. For example, to some people interested in simply selfies, the Huawei P30 Pro probably isn’t suitable, and if you aren’t that familiar with technical terms and the intricacies of photography, it will take time getting used to. In fact, such is the level of detail and the capabilities of the phone, it can seem a little daunting.
Then again, that's half the fun with photography, exploring and discovering the skills you never knew you had.
The Huawei P30 Pro encourages – forces you, perhaps – to capture exciting images, to create a story within your lens that'll wow and inspire. And in the world of content where everyone is vying to be seen, that can only be a good thing. Because content is king.