Few weeks ago, I was on assignment at the foothills of Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary for the annual Earth+Lens project of Manila Bulletin.

This year’s Earth+Lens featured the micro and macro elements of the Philippine forests with its theme ‘Fragments of Entirety’ in partnership with Department of Tourism and Huawei. (Read More about the project)

I chose to shoot in the foothills of Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Mati City, Davao Oriental since this year’s photo exhibit aims to promote forest conservation.  The Mount Hamiguitan Range, a UNESCO Heritage site, is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots not just in Mindanao but as well as in the country.

However, instead of using our bulky DSLR cameras, Huawei sent us its flagship unit P60 Pro smartphone to try its features in the forests.

I’m not so tech savvy to write in detail the phone’s specification. (Please visit Huawei’s website to know more about the phone)  All I can do is to share the pictures I have taken during the assignment. Be the judge.

 

Scroll (left to right) to compare the wide and telephoto shot (10x).


Taken at Darrporrt with a little light from nearby camping site.

 

Handheld shot in the middle of a pitch-black campsite at Darrporrt in Barangay Macambol, Mati, Davao Oriental.

Campsite area at  9:15pm

Night shot feature at 4:24am

Wild orchid

Wide and telephoto feature.

Damselfly ( Agriocnemis femina femina)

The Super Macro feature is unreal. It gives us (user or audience) an idea how these tiny creatures look like up close. And it’s not everyday that we get to see these tiny details with our naked eyes.

I think the other features ( ultra wide, night shots, aperture), are already available in other  Huawei units or even other brands.  But this Super Macro feature is perhaps Huawei P60 Pro’s edge over its competitors.

I believe that this smartphone would suit well to those who are in the field of botany and entomology.

These photos were taken around  the Tinikaran Peak in Barangay Macambol, one of the most popular trekking destinations in the foothills of 32,000-hectare Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary. Sadly, this popular tourist destination may soon disappear should mining operations continue in the area. (Read my story here)

Maybe unknown to many, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued mining tenements to at least six large-scale mining companies covering over 16,000 hectares outside of the declared protected area of the mountain range.

What makes Mount Hamiguitan unique? Read more here.