IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OPPO
Visual journaling is second nature to us Gen Z. Whether you take the time to story your day on Insta or mock up memes about real time events to shitpost, documentation is something we do on a regular basis to make sense of the world around us. For better or for worse, we sip on that mockumentary juice on the daily. Social media toxicity aside, once you remove the online posting aspect of this habit, visual journaling is actually a pretty good way to help you cope with, well, life.
That said, what’s been happening in the world is getting especially difficult to deal with lately. For times like these, we turn to art as a springboard to help us adapt. But before you pull out your story apps, we listed down different takes on the quarantine journal that can offer customization in expressing your thoughts beyond the usual in-app filters. No need for equipment or expensive software—we’re keeping it accessible. All you need is a phone, scrap paper and whatever else you can pull out. We experimented with these visual journal templates while taking the latest OPPO Reno3 out for a Scout test run.
Doodle journals
If bullet journals are meant to keep you organized and planning for the predictable future, then doodle journals are its casual, feel-good counterpart. In a situation where our plans for the day aren’t revolving around productivity and the future is difficult to anticipate, introspective journaling is where it’s at. Talk about your ideas instead of your to-do list. Forget bullets or organized thoughts, just write paragraphs and doodle in between. Making your journals a safe no-pressure space can help you feel less stressed. You don’t even need a physical journal, just find a journaling or note app on your phone to doodle with. With flexible note-taking apps like Inkboard, casual scribble journals are easy and convenient.
Doodling takes a bit of practice, but thankfully the Reno 3 has a wide screen and good touch sensitivity that proved pretty useful for quick drawings. The 48MP rear camera is pretty useful as it really captures clear photos of the neighborhood. And a plus point: Using the Ultra Wide feature gives a lil’ extra doodle space. Throw in the portrait HDR feature, and you can come up with a variety of photo canvasses. Apps like Inkboard, which allow you to draw on photos, are useful for experimenting with some fun ideas. Quick tip: You can even transfer your doodle on Notes so you can add a date, entry title and text.
Scrapbooks
Scrapbooking is a great way to keep your hands (and your mind) busy. Even if you’re not as crafty with your hands, there are a number of good scrapbooking apps to choose from. There are a lot more sophisticated editing apps these days too, so you won’t need software to post process your image either (unless you already have the equipment). Doing it casually will eventually lead you to interesting ideas. Just don’t forget that the primary focus is to express your pent-up feelings and not to come up with something polished or post-worthy. Scroll through your Tumblr faves and come up with fresh designs on apps like Project Life.
It feels very tita to scrapbook, even digitally. But experimenting on it long enough, you can come up with fresh layouts that feel more like a zine than a family album or a sixth grade art project. Felt nervous about working on a smartphone screen but the Reno3’s custom Android 10-based operating system was convenient in terms of design and function. Got to make some pretty sweet samples.
Photo essays
Processing your thoughts can sometimes be easier with photos. It can also be therapeutic to document the life around you, looking forward to a future where you can look back at these images from a safer point in time. You can even add short captions or journal entries for context. Photo essays are flexible and easy to put together; you can conveniently create a gallery of images and store it in a secure digital space. Once you have your images, photo caption apps like Journey can help you put them together wherever and whenever you want.
Okay, here’s the tea: A smartphone is nothing without a good camera. Being told that the latest OPPO Reno3 is packed with 48MP Zoom Quadcam enabled with up to 108MP photography had our expectations set. Thankfully, those specs translated for clear photos under a wide range of natural light conditions (peep the time stamps). The Ultra Night mode feature also managed to capture non-awkward evening photos without me having to adjust the dim porch lights. Made this photo essay in a snap.
Video diaries
Short, personal films you can take the time to edit together is another way to help you express your feelings. There is no one way to use creativity for self-expression and it all boils down to your preference. Whether you’re a film student who wants to continue their craft or someone who just enjoys taking Instagram stories to document their day, video diaries are a way to explore a range of emotion, along with flexing your cinematography skills. Free editing apps will work like a breeze with a strong smartphone. And you don’t have to download anything—use the Soloop Smart Video Editor built in the OPPO Reno3.
Another make-or -break smartphone feature: phone video quality. Thankfully, there were no lags during the trimming and frequent footage transitioning (I’m not organized as a person or a video editor, so my timelines are shifting messes.) Not bad for a couple hours stuck at home with a built-in vid editing app. Also, shooting this freehand video compilation felt a bit more manageable with the built-in stabilizer feature. A pretty good bet for first time filmmakers.
Everyone has their own way of coping. Sometimes scraps of paper or a collection of stored images can make all the difference with the help of the OPPO Reno3 series – Reno3 and Reno3 Pro. For budding Zoomer artists, OPPO Reno3 would make a good choice with its top level camera features such as 48MP Zoom Quadcam, 8MP Ultra Wide Lens, 13 MP Telephoto Lens and 2MP Mono Lens. The Reno3 also has Ultra Clear 108MP Image feature promising crisp quality images. Additionally, Reno3 brings back the selfie expert in OPPO with its 44MP front cam with an Ultra Night Selfie Mode on top of the main camera’s Ultra Dark Mode feature. Lastly, the Reno3 series adopts the VOOC flash charge technology through the latest VOOC 3.0.
While we pass the time indoors, now more than ever, us Zoomers need a quality camera that can capture everything we want to document. If you need a reco, the OPPO Reno3 series is a good bet for a quality camera and enduring processor that can handle all your editing apps, photo and video storage and android cloud needs.
For more updates about OPPO Reno 3 series, visit the official OPPO Facebook page and Instagram page.
Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash
