Think it’s so easy? Think again and find out how digital influencers are now using Artificial Intelligence technology to up their selfies to superstar status
A picture is worth a thousand words – or so the saying goes. Today however, it’s also worth hundreds of thousands of likes.
In this hyper-social era, sharing selfies and photos is a constant form of self-expression and engagement. But with an astounding average of 80 million images uploaded per day on Instagram*, by its 800 million or so monthly active users, it’s both a challenge and a feat to stand out. So imagine the pressure celebrities, digital influencers and the likes face when fans, followers count on them to be their absolute best.
From umpteen retakes, adjusting settings, angles, lighting, edits and filters to get it just right for their fans – well, the truth is that it ain’t easy. But according to some of the region’s most popular and well-‘liked’ Instagram faces, the most important factor in determining your photo’s online fate is simply your smartphone camera. Lucky for us, they’re giving us a glimpse into their glam lives to learn how they get it all done to look so fabulous and flawless every selfie, every day, and how they’ve finally found the answer to all their selfie-taking challenges…
Tamara Jamal
With nearly half a million Insta followers, TV Host Tamara Jamal is no stranger to posing for screen or selfie. But behind-the-scenes of all those stunning fashion, beauty and lifestyle shoots is a lot of hard work and patience with the limitations of your technology, she admits.
Q. What’s a day-in-the-life of posing for the camera really like?
So tell us, what really happens behind the scenes during one of your shoots?
A. Funnily, far more time is spent behind the camera, or well holding the camera, meaning your smartphone, than in front of it. It may just be one selfie, for example, so people think that’s just all done in an instant. But if you’re in the public eye as part of your daily work, you have to be incredibly patient and passionate about pictures, and confident enough to strike a pose no matter where you are, what you look like and what sort of day you’re having.
This is where your skill and the skill of your smartphone comes into play. Just imagine you’re trying to show off a new lipstick or eyeshadow but the bad lighting or clashing backdrop makes it look like a different shade, or that new outfit ends up looking like a completely different colour, or you lose the beauty your background completely. So my selfie isn’t even half the story if I miss out on the rest.
Q. How do you deal with these challenges?
A. Well, until a few days ago, I had no clue there might be a magic solution in sight. So basically it was the same tedious routine of adjust-retakes-filter-edit for each selfie. But I’ve just tried out the new HUAWEI nova 3 and I honestly want to know where this phone has been all my life. It’s the answer to every single photography challenge I face every day.
First of all, it gets all the colors exactly right because it’s actually got an Artificial Intelligence selfie dual camera that adjusts all the settings for you. More importantly, it doesn’t force you to blur your background if you take a selfie. It just knows to focus on your face, and literally gives you a sharp, detailed studio quality portrait in just one take, while also adjusting to capture the beauty of your background.
