Celebrity photographers Dookie Ducay and Andrei Suleik took Smart Postpaid subscribers behind the lens recently at the SM Megamall leg of the Smart Postpaid Series to show how they harness the power of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the latest flagship device of the Korean tech giant.

AI tools for mobile photography

For Suleik, a photographer of the stars, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has made his work easier, especially when using the AI functions Generative Edit and Edit Suggestions. He shared that he was hesitant at first to edit photos on a smartphone because he was used to editing photos on his laptop.

“But now that it has Generative Edit and Edit Suggestions, it automatically analyzes the photos that you took and edits it in like two seconds,” he said. “It makes it vibrant; it gives it more life.”

He also likes to use the Remaster feature. “From this one, it looks a bit pale,” Suleik said showing the original image. “But after remastering, now it looks vibrant. Actually, it looks like a painting to me!”

Ducay, who has made a mark in fashion photography and advertising, shared that his favorite AI feature on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the Live Translate. “When we went to Anilao (for a photo shoot), there were a lot of Japanese and I actually used it while chit-chatting with them,” he said.

He also demonstrated how easy it was to edit out people from the photo of a car he took, using the Object Eraser feature. “I’ll just pick the Object Eraser and then encircle the people I want out of the photo and then, for a few seconds, ayan, ‘diba, (they’re gone) — it’s seamless,” he said. Ducay also noticed that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s processor is so fast, which is perfect for photographers on the go.

On the hardware side, he is fond of Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera lens with 5x optical zoom, which is close to what he uses in professional work.

Pro tips for mobile photography

But while AI in mobile photography has somewhat changed the game and made it easier for hobbyists, this serves as a tool to complement one’s eye for good images and skills in handling subjects.

“Top one is ‘capturing emotions’, second is ‘light your background’, third is the editing part,” Suleik said when asked for tips on how to get good photos.

He added that one should just take as many photos as they can and “see what looks nice.”

“Don’t get pressured to take photos and try to be perfect. It will take time but it’s always up to you, whatever your style is,” he added.

Ducay echoed Suleik’s tip, “Shoot as many photos as you can because eventually it will train your eyes and you will get better.”

He also shared two practical tips for beginners: “Don’t stand. Try different angles, different views.”

“And if you’re shooting [photos of] people, make them feel beautiful, make them feel that they’re at their best,” Ducay added.

Powered by Smart 5G

Both Ducay and Suilek shared how reliable and strong Smart 5G was during their respective shoots in Batangas and Pangasinan, with the former saying he was uploading photos while en route to the event in Mandaluyong City from Pangasinan.

“With the AI technology of Samsung S24 Series plus the unlimited 5G Smart has, it’s going to be truly an impressive experience with the customers,” said Smart Postpaid head Shing Dimagiba.

The Smart Postpaid Series is an initiative of the telco giant to teach its subscribers how to maximize AI on their phones, particularly the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The customers also got a chance to win raffle prizes and even enjoyed waffles in the Smart Store. The next Smart Postpaid Series will be held on March 16 in SM Davao.