If you have not heard of Russel Wong, you must have seen his work. Known as the Richard Avedon of Asia, he has photographed countless Hollywood Celebrities, including the likes of Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh and Ken Watanabe for the cover of Time Magazine, Fortune, Elle, GQ and so much more.
Just recently, he made a trip down to the OPPO Concept Store at Suntec to give us a few tips and tricks on how to take amazing portraits just like him. The best part? You don’t even need to invest thousands into a new DSLR. All you need is the new OPPO N3.
Get them moving
Now, you are the one behind the camera. You are the one controlling how the photo is going to turn out. Get your model to move around – tilt the head a little to the left, turn around, or put their hands in the pocket – as even the slightest change in angle can alter the shape of the face significantly.
Change the perspective
Anything goes. Centre, to the left, right or even a close-up. Try different point of views and you might just get that right composition to make it a beautiful or compelling shot. Though, try not to raise the camera up too high as it would cause the unflattering effect of shorter legs!
The again, don’t go too crazy with strange angles for portraits. Russel suggests keeping the camera perpendicular to the floor and zooming in on the model a little more. Phone camera lenses have a wider angle than those of typical cameras, and zooming in will rid of the distortion.
Of course, there are more than one ways to take a photo nowadays. With the OPPO N3’s automated 206o swivel camera, Russel took a panaromic shot with ease. Not only did he not have to stitch photo by photo together, it took him less than a minute for the shot!
Keep the camera ready at all times
Talk to your model and grab a moment at where they are most candid. Natural smiles and expressions tell a lot more about a person than asking them to do a pose in front of the lens. No matter how ready I am, I still get all awkward and stiff when someone brings up a camera. Let your model get comfortable and, who knows what amazing shots you might just get!
Keep the camera angle realistic
Of course, this cannot be about a phone camera without a selfie section. The only thing to remember is to keep the angles realistic. Sure, a high angle can definitely make your face sharper and skinnier but that beauty of the shot disappears. A slight upward tilt like Russel’s will be enough! There’s really no need to fear a selfie even when you feel less than confident. The OPPO N3 comes with all the beauty mode enhancements and filters to make anyone look flawless no matter where and when.’
It’s Your Turn with Russel Wong
As one of the more revered photographers hailing from Asia, from Singapore, I could not have been more honoured to get my photo taken by him! The OPPO N3 is able to take photos in .raw format, allowing for that unparalleled quality when printed on site.
No need to be envious as Russel will be making his way down to the OPPO Concept Store at Suntec City Tower 3, #01-627 on 6 June 2015 from 5pm to 9pm for another round of “It’s Your Turn with Russel Wong. That day, lucky members of the public will have a chance to get their portraits taken by the master, himself, using the OPPO N3. I might even try sneak in some burning questions on how to take your photography game to the next level if I were you!
About the Writer
Jessica is a young lady of many obsessions. She gets herself into everything ranging from the latest in the monochrome fashion world (she only wears black, and sometimes, white) to convincing the masses that Community is the best TV series ever made.
Currently, she enjoys looking like Sailor Mercury had a baby with Wednesday Addams.