Capturing smiles in Bohol

by Diana A. Uy

New technologies undoubtedly are either a gift from mankind or a bane in our existence.

For example, it is easier to spy on just about anybody, discover remote addresses, catch celebrities in unguarded moments, and bust international crooks from undergound hideaways thanks to today?s superior lenses, sensors, satellites and other techie watchamacallits. And think twice before leaving any of your human body components/marks just anywhere, lest you become cause for national security. Acute personal identification, after all, has evolved from mere fingerprints to the latest 23andMe (a portable gene-testing service).

Sony Ericsson, however, keeps it simple by introducing a technology that is simple, fun, and completely safe. All you have to do is smile.

The latest from Sony Ericsson, the C510 Cyber-shot introduces, for the first time, the smile shutter technology in mobile phones that is harmless and portable enough to shoot at friends, family and even yourself. It comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera and other cool features like auto focus, face detection, and the playful photo DJ for that ultimate mobile phone camera experience.

Last week, Sony Ericsson invited members of the press to Bohol to help spread the good word, er, smiles.

?We chose Bohol because it is one of the most beautiful places in the world,? says Patrick Larraga, marketing manager, ?Bohol is very picturesque and the locales among the happiest, making it perfectly suitable with the features of the Sony Ericsson C510.?

Our own private paradise

We were billeted at the Panglao Island Nature Resort, a secluded paradise in Dauis, boasting of neat cottages enveloped in lush tropical landscapes, an infinity pool overlooking azure Bohol seas and a small manmade island, delicious fare, and one of the most heavenly massage experiences at the Mithi Spa.

The itinerary for the three-day media trip can be summed up in the following: a smile photo-contest, where we had to shoot candid or orchestrated smiles of the locales and fellow lifestyle writers; a tour of famous places in Bohol and hours on end of good, clean fun. Easy. Most of us were camwhores, with smiles plastered on our faces like a permanent scar. Plus we were in beautiful, bucolic Bohol with tour guides telling the most fascinating stories of the province and cracking jokes without even trying. How can we have a hard time?

Point and shoot

On our first day, Nino Carandang, Digital Photography magazine editor, breezed us through the basics of digital photography, arming us with tips and tricks along the way. Afterward, he gave us a few lessons on the smile shutter technology, some photo enhancing and editing tricks with the Photo DJ, and then the mechanics of the game. The smile shutter technology automatically detects the smile of your model. The phone camera is pre-programmed to search out teeth, and like the Sony Digicam with the same technology, so every time your subject shows some the camera clicks away. Only make sure your subject is within a ?smile detect-able? shooting distance and in a good lighting condition. Otherwise, you might have to wait a few seconds before the C510 recognizes the smile or when it does, images come out blurry.

Sadly, the C510 is not yet equipped with some Facebook applications that would allow you to upload your smiling picture instantly. But Sony Ericsson says it will be introducing that application in succeeding units before the year ends.

The autofocus feature, meanwhile, can detect up to three faces in one frame while the photo DJ helps you add effects like frames and cliparts, turn images into sepia or black and white, adjust color tone of the pictures, to name a few. Other features include auto-rotation, for either landscape or portrait viewing; the SMS conversation style which lets you view messages at a glance; a media player with album art, Mega Bass sound and TrackID (a Sony Ericsson-exclusive function that provides song information), e-mail, web surfing, 3D games, Google Maps, video streaming, FM radio among others.

Ready, set smile

Like the Amazing Race, we had to look for Sony Ericsson Smile Shutter banners, beside which we will shoot our willing victims. We visited Baclayon Church, where we toured its museum housing age-old book of marriage listings (in handwritten Spanish of course), intricate and heavy-looking priest robes, a statue of Christ with eyes made of glass (a rarity today and a sign of opulence before), golden goblets and cups and other Catholic treasures.

Afterward, we proceeded to the Clarin Ancestral House, a traditional Filipino-Spanish house and considered a heritage site by the National Historical Institute. This early 19th century home has preserved the Clarin family collections dating back to the American period: intricately carved canopy beds, dressers, rocking and ?impolite? chairs (this particular chair has huge armrests which supposedly can serve as footrests as well. Go figure); earthen pots, and even Filipinianas in relatively good condition. The owners have turned the ground floor of the house into a restaurant called Cafe Olegario for hungry visitors.

Of course, no one leaves Bohol without visiting the famous Chocolate Hills. Tired as we were from climbing the 200 steps up to the viewing deck (some opted the winding pathway which proved to be as equally exhausting), we took snapshots of ourselves with the chocolate kisses as backdrop, our huge smiles captured by the C510.

And then she comes

The next day, came the surprise.

Through a press conference, Larraga, together with Vince dela Cruz, product marketing manager, introduced the rest of the units Sony Ericsson is launching in the market this year: C901 and the C903. They also introduced SE?s brand/smile ambassador, Sarah Geronimo. To all our surprise, Geronimo materialized out of nowhere and explained (not sing, unfortunately) her new role, emphasizing how she loves the smile shutter feature of Sony Ericsson. Naturally, we were starstruck and began capturing Geronimo?s smile (well, that too was part of the contest).

Back on the road

The next few hours saw us visiting the Bohol Bee Farm, where we had a few lessons on organic farming, herbs, worms, and of course the life of bees. Some of us braved holding a tray where bees make their honey. Then we went on a Loboc River Cruise, where we had our late lunch complete with local folk singers entertaining us as we sail along the famous river. We also stopped for some cultural show on one side of the river before we reached the dock.

Another famous attraction we didn?t dare miss was the tarsier sanctuary in Corella. We saw only four tarsiers as we arrived during mating season and most of the female tarsiers were already pregnant. Pregnant tarsiers had to be careful of their babies.

Dinner was at Dauis Church, where we had the rare opportunity to dine and socialize at its convent. We feasted on chicken halang-halang (chicken tinola made even more delicious), Bohol?s version of lechon kawali, sweet and sour fish and sweet ube for dessert?all prepared by the locals.

Winners

After the two-day photo excursion, it was Ruby de Vera (Philippine Daily Inquirer) who won the top plum. Mike Lim (Daily Tribune) won for the most pictures of smiling locales. Enrico Subido (Philippine Star) won the ?add effects? and the Sarah Geronimo smile categories.

Sony Ericsson C510 Cyber-shot will be available starting March 27 at P10,500.