Once a common sight in areas all around the world, tigers have unfortunately now become a first-class endangered species, with the habitats they once thrived in and the ecosystems they once dominated increasingly at risk, too.

In order to raise awareness of the pressing need to protect tigers, as well as their habitats, Samsung Electronics teamed up with Discovery and Project C.A.T. (Conserving Acres for Tigers) to produce a documentary called ‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ shot using the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

Taking Initiative To Protect the Tiger’s Habitat

Tigers are the top predators of their food chain. They play a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, but due to illegal hunting and extensive habitat destruction, these majestic creatures are now being threatened with the danger of becoming extinct – a loss that stands to affect entire ecosystems.

Project C.A.T, started by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Discovery, is an initiative that promotes the preservation of remaining tiger populations’ natural habitats. This project currently supports nearly six million acres of tiger habitat across India, Bhutan and Russia, as well as providing support to local economies and climate justice for these marginalized communities. Understanding the importance of Project C.A.T.’s mission, Samsung has joined hands with Discovery to help raise awareness of this meaningful initiative.

As part of their partnership, Samsung and Discovery worked together with passionate local filmmakers to produce the remarkable collaborative documentary ‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ in order to bring these astounding creatures to viewers all over the world and shine a spotlight on the work these organizations are doing.

Eye to Eye With a Tiger, Captured by the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ was shot in Jaipur, India, and throughout the course of the documentary we follow wildlife photographer Yashas Narayan as he sets out on his journey to capture the most elusive big cat on the planet – the tiger. The documentary follows Narayan as he puts his experience in tracking and photographing tigers to use with help from his Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G as he ventures deep into the wilderness of Ranthambore National Park in order to catch sight of this elusive creature – and provide viewers with some top tips for wildlife photography along the way.

Narayan, one of India’s foremost wildlife photographers, is not only united with the documentary’s award-winning director Vikram Singh through their passion for capturing their native country’s beauty, but also in their passions for nature, conservation and connecting with people. As showcased in the documentary, the pair enthusiastically took on the challenge of tracking tigers in Ranthambore National Park – notoriously a time-extensive process – harnessing the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to capture some of the other brilliant wildlife they encountered along the way.

The documentary comes to a close as the pair finally manage to encounter a wild tiger and capture it in all its glory using the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, an experience that is well worth all the challenges tracking the animal bring about. As well as being a fascinating look into tigers in the wild, ‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ not only showcases the quality camera experiences and flexibility offered to the filmmakers by the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G as they went about their journey, but also the scarcity of tigers in the wild these days, and the need to protect these creatures and the habitats they occupy.

Master Shooting Like a Pro With the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G’s Camera

Eagle-eyed viewers will be quick to spot that, throughout the course of the documentary, Narayan’s Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G comes in extra helpful for capturing not only the beauty of the tigers the team manage to encounter, but the other wildlife they come across along the way, too.

Not only is the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G a smartphone capable of capturing high-quality videos, such as the ‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ documentary, but is also the perfect tool for capturing those special moments in everyday life – in top quality.

Take a look at some of the top tips for subject photography as showcased in the ‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ film below.

1. Bring Faraway Subjects Right in Front of Your Eyes: Dual-tele Zoom & Space Zoom

With the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G’s powerful zoom functionality, you can zoom in on your subject to get that close-up shot either 3x, 10x or even 100x,¹ meaning that you’ll never miss a detail even when capturing objects in the distance.

2. Never Miss a Moment When Recording: 8K Video Snap

Thanks to the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G’s 8K Video Snap feature, you can make sure that unmissable moment you’re recording is captured in both video and picture film for ultimate shareability. While recording, 8K Video Snap lets you capture the scene in front of you in both video and ultra-high-definition photo formats.

3. Adjust Every Detail Your Way: Pro Mode

The Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G’s next-level camera comes with a function that helps even the most amateur of photographers produce high-quality shots – Pro Mode. Pro Mode lets you calibrate your camera’s shutter speed, contrast, saturation, ISO value and more manually, meaning that you can capture near-professional-level photos, all without the need for any external professional help or other equipment.

4. Capture Quality Video Like the Pros – With Just a Smartphone: Pro Video Mode

Not only does the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G offer a Pro Mode to those looking to capture high-quality photos, it also features the Pro Video function. Pro Video lets you adjust your camera’s resolution to a stunning 8K, as well as manage the camera’s focus to be on your desired subject when shooting and even choose which direction you are recording sound from as you go, so you can be sure that your video recording is as high-quality as Narayan’s during his journey to document the glorious tiger.

¹ 100X Space Zoom includes 10x Hybrid Optic Zoom and 100x digital zoom with AI Super Resolution technology. Zooming in past 10x may cause some image deterioration.

Tigers, lions, bears, giraffes, pandas, foxes… These are some of the wild animals that live in Everland, the Land of Fantasy. Everland takes care of endangered animals by making sure that they are raised in an environment closest to their natural habitats and organizes a variety of ecological programs to help visitors learn about the importance of nature and all living things. To dive into the world of the mysterious world of animals, Samsung Global Newsroom has created its Online Zoo series by capturing the animals with various Samsung devices.

Today, June 21, is World Giraffe Day as designated by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF). This day was assigned to make collaborative efforts to prevent the extinction of giraffes, whose number is rapidly reducing, and to take some time to learn a bit more about these gentle giants. Considering the most characteristic feature of giraffes—their long necks—the GCF chose June 21 as World Giraffe Day as it is the summer solstice,¹ the longest day of the year.
Using some of Samsung Electronics’ most innovative devices, Samsung Global Newsroom followed the everyday lives of the twelve giraffes that live in Everland, from the story of the world record-breaking head of the giraffe family to the surprisingly belligerent nature of giraffes, and finally their charming yet subtle characteristics. Read on and take a look at the videos below to learn more about these gentle yet surprising creatures, and see if you can work out how the Galaxy S21 Ultra and The Sero TV made their way into the footage as you do.

The Most Famous Giraffe in South Korea

Giraffe matriarch Jang-Soon is living the life of a superstar who cannot escape the spotlight. Since making it into the Guinness Book of World Records for a special reason and becoming the most prominent giraffe in Everland, Jang-Soon’s conjugal harmony, silver wedding and other events have been reported on the news. The next giraffe to likely continue Jang-Soon’s legacy in the giraffe family has also come to the forefront. Who is this next contender for the leader of the superstar Everland giraffe family? Let’s find out by following a day in the life of Jang-Soon and her family.

Slow Yet Stealthy: the Hidden Abilities of Giraffes

“If you encounter a giraffe in the wild, don’t look back and run for your lives!” noted Jun-Yeong Park, Everland zookeeper who has been working with Lost Valley’s giraffe family for over 10 years. In fact, the giraffe is one of the top 10 strongest fighters among African land animals. ‘Cheong-Ryong’, the heaviest and strongest member of the giraffe family of twelve, in fact weighs 1.5 tons. If a giraffe harnesses its heavy body and starts kicking with full strength to defend itself, it is enough to break the skull or spine of a lion into pieces.

What’s more, their big eyes, each of which is the size of a tennis ball, grants them excellent eyesight and a visibility range of 4 to 7km, meaning that giraffes are very good at escaping from their enemies. Let’s learn more about some of the surprising physical characteristics of giraffes that are disguised behind their beatific eyes and relaxed gait.

The Longer the Neck, the Higher the Blood Pressure

One of a giraffe’s most characteristic features is its long neck, which is hard to see in one go even if you tilt your head as far as you can. Male giraffes engage in fights using their necks, known as ‘necking’, in order to compete for females, meaning that it is more advantageous to have a longer neck as it increases a fighter’s overall centrifugal force.

That said, as giraffes have to pump blood all the way to the top of their heads which sit 3m above their hearts, giraffes inevitably have high blood pressure, with their normal blood pressure being 270/180 mmHg. The blood pressure of the giraffe is two times that of the human, which is 120/80 mmHg, but nevertheless, giraffes manage to eat, drink, sleep and play with ease. So what is their secret?

¹ One of the twenty-four solar terms, the summer solstice has the longest day and the shortest night of the year.

Here are some #SamsungJagaYou tips on staying safe and sane all day and every day during MCO 3.0 with none other than the best smartphone in town—the Galaxy S21 Series 5G.

Tip 1: WTF – Where’s The Food?

Can’t go to your favorite cafes to satisfy your random cravings? Tap into your inner Michelin Star Chef and cook up a storm from your very own kitchen! With millions of recipes available online, you don’t need to go to the latest restaurants to reinvigorate your tastebuds. If cooking alone gets too boring for you, host a cook-with-me LIVE on Instagram and Facebook, or creatively record your experience on TikTok for all to see! With the 5nm AP built into your Galaxy S21 Series 5G, multitasking on your phone while cooking is now a breeze! Look up recipes, reply text messages and engage with your followers during the LIVE session and switch between these tasks without breaking a sweat!

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Series 5G’s Pro-Grade Camera can capture studio-quality photos of your latest creations in any setting and record your cooking videos in stunning 8K. The shots of your food will look as good as they taste! Try your hand at food photography or vlogging and share your delectable delights with the world on Instagram and don’t forget to use #withGalaxy.

Tip 2: Hustle for Those Muscles!

Don’t let the gym closure during the MCO 3.0 stop you from working out at home. Build those muscles, shed excess fats, and keep yourself fit because pandemic or not, it is evident that health is wealth, and exercising is the best activity you can invest your time in this season! Though starting your fitness journey may seem difficult at first, all it takes is a 15-minute daily jog at the local park to kick-start this new healthy habit! You can join online workout sessions led by expert trainers or go the extra mile to spice up your workout routine by trying new activities such as Calisthenics, Yoga, or maybe even Pilates which require no gym equipment.

With the Motion Mirror[1] feature on your Galaxy S21 Series 5G, you can project your smartphone to your TV[2] to help you ensure proper form. To keep you going, put on the Galaxy Buds Pro and listen to your specially curated fitness music playlist to pump you up! Staying at home all day may leave you feeling sluggish and demotivated but squeezing a workout session or two into your day may help you improve your mood and keep you energized.

As you embark on this fitness adventure at home, track your progress using the Samsung Health app from your Galaxy S21 Series 5G and pair it with the Galaxy Watch3 to measure your results. Nothing is more rewarding after a workout session than seeing how much you have progressed! Through the app on your Galaxy S21 Series 5G, you can track your step count, heart rate, and even get an estimate of how many calories you have burnt after your workout to ensure that you are on the right track towards your fitness goals.

Tip 3: Lepak Together Safely

With everyone stuck at home, the usual lepak sessions at your local mamak are a no-go, but you can still be that friend in need this MCO just by checking in regularly for a quick virtual hangout session with your loved ones! Video calls are the in-thing right now so whip out your Galaxy S21 Series 5G and start connecting. You can share your stories and spend quality time together as the intelligent battery helps you optimize battery usage so you can chat and stare longingly at the faces you miss for as long as you want.

Game like a champ all day too while staying connected with your friends on voice calls. Form your gaming dream team while safely tucked in bed and charge onwards into battle! Thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate on Galaxy S21 Series 5G display, you can experience smoother screen action and intuitive touch response to help you clutch the game and win! If that didn’t impress you yet, take advantage of the Galaxy S21 Series 5G’s enhanced game booster for better gameplay and performance so you can defeat evil bosses, take out the enemy teams and cheer at the end with your friends.

Tip 4: Are you still watching?

Watching movies on your Galaxy S21 Series 5G is the next best alternative to cure the cinema blues. Whether you’re into comedy, action, thrillers, or maybe even horror, there’s nothing like a good movie on a good screen, coupled with astounding stereo speakers to help you pass the time and keep you entertained!

Planning a movie marathon or binge-watching the latest season of your favorite shows for hours? The new Eye Comfort Shield feature that’s available on your Galaxy S21 Series 5G is designed to help keep your eyes protected from harmful blue lights and reduce eye fatigue as you look at the screen for long periods.

Furthermore, don’t let the travel restrictions stop you from going on crazy action-packed adventures! Thanks to the advanced display technology on the Dynamic Super AMOLED display, you will have a brighter screen, more vivid colors, and an immersive viewing experience that will make you feel as if you were going on epic adventures yourself. Let your imagination run wild as you follow the main characters on deadly journeys all over the world from the safety of your comfy crib!

Times are tough, but you are tougher! Our smartphones are proven today to be man’s most essential tool and the Galaxy S21 Series 5G is built with innovative technology and a well-connected ecosystem that can elevate your day-to-day experiences, even when you’re alone. Weathering the uncertainties and isolation alone can be difficult and with that, the Galaxy S21 Series 5G delivers the #SamsungJagaYou promise to keep you company, keep you connected and work for you to make your everyday moments epic. It is the best device you can have to bring out the best in you, every day.

Now you can seize everyday epic moments when you get your hands on the charming Galaxy S21 Series 5G with RM 400 instant rebate, and simply trade in your older devices and save up to RM 4,805 off! Catch the sale this weekend and don’t miss out on these big savings! Visit https://www.samsung.com/my/smartphones/galaxy-s21-5g/buy/ today!

[1] Motion Mirror only available on the selfie camera.

[2] Available only on Smart TVs that support Miracast.

But the beauty of Jeju doesn’t stop at its coastline. In commemoration of the United Nations’ World Ocean Day this June 8, a day set to appreciate and advocate for our globe’s oceans, Samsung Global Newsroom is taking a dive into the pristine waters surrounding Jeju along with the help of Dong-sik Kim, an acclaimed underwater documentary director, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. This year’s World Ocean Day theme is “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods,” and so Kim headed underwater to capture the multifarious marine life that lies beneath the waves of Jeju.

Meet Dong-sik Kim, Seasoned Underwater Documentary Director of 39 Years

Dong-sik Kim is a professional underwater documentary director who has been bringing the diverse marine life of the world’s oceans to viewers for the past 39 years in order to help people answer the question, what is life really like beneath the waves?

Kim has devoted his life to making ocean documentaries that capture both the mystery and the beauty of the nature that thrives beneath the surface of our oceans in order to raise awareness of preserving our oceans. Kim is currently working on his latest documentary focusing on Jeju’s diverse marine life, including the island’s famous ‘hanyeo’ (female divers) and its dolphins, all the while highlighting the co-existence of human and marine life.

Given the nature of the subjects he is capturing, reducing the size of his shooting gear is important to Kim. “Instead of weighty gear, a slim and compact smartphone used to capture marine life can help close the distance with my subjects, reduce undue stress on marine life and help protect the environment,” noted Kim. “Shooting a documentary using the Galaxy S21 Ultra is definitely a new challenge for me!”

How to Film Underwater With the Galaxy S21 Ultra

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is an IP68-rated smartphone with outstanding dust and water resistant functionality for use in everyday life. When diving deep, however, a separate waterproof cover is required in order to most effectively harness the S21 Ultra’s camera while keeping the device safe from water exposure at great depths.

Once you’ve fitted your Galaxy S21 Ultra with its extra layer of protection, the ‘record’ and ‘stop recording’ functions become the only settings available for use, meaning that you will need to arrange your camera settings before commencing shooting underwater. For this shoot, Kim set his camera to wide-angled mode in order to properly capture those more active marine creatures like dolphins. Kim also opted for 8K resolution at standard-angled mode in order to take brilliant up-close shots of coral.

Fine-tuning your lighting levels is crucial to getting the best videos with your smartphone. If you are shooting using just natural lighting, you may end up with different results depending on what time of day it is. For underwater photography, early morning and late afternoon are considered the best times of day to shoot, and if low-light situations occur or you encounter ocean sediment, getting closer to the subject can help with the shot.

Online Aquarium Part 1: Jeju’s Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins

As many as 100 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are estimated to live off of Jeju Island, living in groups that are generally around 5 to 15 in size but that can number up to 70. For these dolphins, enjoying acrobatic feats in the blue waters or harnessing a stray piece of seaweed as a toy is the best way to have fun.

Take a look at the powerful yet graceful movements of Jeju’s dolphins below, captured on the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Online Aquarium Part 2: Uncovering a Hidden World

The water temperature off of Jeju is around 1-2℃ higher than other mainland coastal regions, and with its clear water allowing sunlight to penetrate thoroughly, Jeju’s waters make the ideal habitat for a whole range of creatures to live harmoniously, including some tropical species.

Underneath the waters of Jeju lies a colorful and truly beautiful hidden world of life. Take a look at some of these fascinating creatures and their unique underwater lives in the shots below.

Here, a Jeju Balloonfish goes about its way unperturbed. Unlike other pufferfish, the Jeju Balloonfish is not poisonous – but it is almost completely covered in spikes, with the exception of its fins and tail.

In the above, a camera-shy octopus tries to hide between the rocks. Thanks to its excellent camouflage and mimicry capabilities, this creature is well-known as being the chameleon of the sea.

Found at a depth of 50m beneath the surface of the waves, the wide-eyed Scorpion Fish is found at a variety of rocky coastal areas around Korea, including the seas off of Jeju.

A Luna Lionfish shows off its dynamic fins and bold stripes. Known for its awe-inspiring patterns, this lionfish immediately captures attention with its imposing posture.

In Korean, the Spotted-Tail Morwong is known as ‘ahopdonggari,’ or ‘9 pieces,’ in reference to the nine vertical stripes that cover its body.

These Cocktail Wrasse inhabit rocky areas underwater covered with seaweed – the fish will wedge itself between a piece of rock or seaweed in order to get a good night’s sleep. The male of this species has a black-purple body coloring, while the female has a red-brown coloring.

Online Aquarium Part 3: Exploring an Underwater Tropical Rainforest

On the underwater cliff faces of Jeju’s sea sit breathtakingly beautiful corals, a sight that takes the aquatic landscape to the next level thanks to their vibrant color palettes. Over 160 species of corals can be found in the waters around Korea, and of the 126 found in Jeju, 90 of them are native just to the island.

The colorful colony that emerges when a coral reef forms almost resemble the birds-eye-view of a tropical rainforest found on land; take a look at some of these stunning underwater vistas, captured with the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

These delicate red soft coral colonies are known as the cherry blossoms of the sea, and are one of the most common types of soft-type corals found in the waters off of Jeju. They can be spotted with a range of red and yellow colorings, including light yellow, reddish yellow, orange and even pink.

Another common soft coral that can be spotted in the Jeju seas is the giant sea anemone, which comes together to form lumpy colonies.

These plant-like corals may not have flashy coloring, but the array of shapes they come in and the way they sway gently with the tides is certainly eye-catching. They might seem frail, but be careful – they contain poison that can cause burns to human skin.

These broccoli-like members of the Dendronephthya castanea species of coral come together to build a colony that resembles the springtime blossoming of flowers, complete with stems.

The flower sea fan is one of the most well-known fan-shaped corals. While they may appear thin and flexible, the sea fan’s protruding stems are surprisingly strong.

The Euplexaura crassa coral boasts the most vivid yellow color among all the corals found in Korea – while its rounded edges make it seem soft, it is in fact very resilient to breaking.

Ready to dive in and discover more about the astonishing marine life found beneath the waters of Jeju Island? Take a look at Kim’s video below, captured on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, to see more.

Starting with the Galaxy Note9’s Scene Optimizer, which used deep learning to deliver the best photos and editing effects, Samsung has continued to introduce more powerful AI features to its Galaxy cameras.

The Galaxy S21 series is the latest to feature Samsung’s cutting-edge AI-powered cameras, giving mobile photographers of all skill levels pro-grade tools that work behind-the-scenes to ensure every moment you capture is truly epic. In the first of this three-part series, we’ll take a closer look at how AI is improving portraits on the Galaxy S21 series.

Enhanced Selfie Experience

We’ve all had that moment of panic, frantically thumbing for the delete button, after taking a less than adequate selfie. But with the Galaxy S21 series’ selfie camera, you’ll always look your best with AI that delivers a more natural look and improved details. There are two key parts to the enhanced selfie experience:

1. Face information detection: When you snap a photo, the AI-powered selfie camera first identifies faces in the image, then segments them from the rest of the details in the scene, and finally applies natural enhancements to your subjects—all in the blink of an eye.

2.Restoration: The natural enhancements include bringing out the details in your subjects’ hair, eyes, and facial features and adjusting white balance to create more natural looking skin tones in any environment. The results are instantly shareable photos that don’t look overly processed or require further editing.

Samsung also included support for third party apps, so you can take images from your favorite camera or social media app and still get the benefits of AI-powered selfie camera.

Updated Portrait Mode

The Galaxy S21 series goes beyond just improving selfies—it also allows even beginners to capture studio-quality portraits of your friends, family, and even pets. The new advanced Portrait mode, formerly known as Live Focus, uses improved 3D sensing to deliver photos with more depth and dramatic effects.

When using Portrait mode, you can select from a variety of special effects to apply to your final image which include Blur, Studio, High-key Mono, Low-key Mono, Backdrop, and Color Point. As soon as you click the shutter, the onboard AI begins segmenting, matting, and refining the details of your subjects. Here’s how it works:

1. Segmentation Map: First, the AI immediately recognizes the humans or pets in the scene and generates an instant segmentation map to separate each individual subject.

2. Seed Map: Based on this segmentation map, a seed map of the subjects is generated to which your selected effects will apply. In a portrait like in the chart above, a seed map would separate the background from the main subject.

3. Tri-map: Image processing then adds a tri-map on top of the seed map, to identify the subject, the background, and the areas where they blend together.

4. Matte Map: Matting is then applied to the tri-map to bring out the details in the hair and facial features of your subjects.

5.Depth Estimation: Meanwhile, the AI simultaneously measures depth information to refine the background details and depth-of-field.¹

During segmenting, the AI powering Portrait mode is able to discern whether you’re capturing a singular person, a group of people at different depth levels, or a pet cat or dog.

Refining the Details

Regardless of whether your subject is a human or an animal, AI matting plays an important role in ensuring you capture them in as much detail as possible. As noted above, after segmenting your subjects, the seed map generates a tri-map where black represents the background, white represents the subject, and gray represents areas of the image that are uncertain.

During image processing when the background is blurred out in Portrait mode, this map ensures that the blur doesn’t overlap with your subject. A matte map is then generated to refine the details in the gray, unknown areas of the scene and to improve the resolution of the image. At the same time matting takes place, the AI uses the seed map to refine the details of the interior parts of the subject. The maps are then combined and upscaled to produce a final, high-resolution portrait where your subjects really pop off the background. Although it seems like quite an extensive process, it all happens within 3 seconds.²

To learn more about the intelligent features behind the Galaxy S21 series’ powerful camera, be sure to check out the rest of the Behind the Snapshot series at Samsung Newsroom Malaysia.

¹ Depth-of-field adjustments are only applied when using the Blur effect on portraits of people and animals. If the camera measures an object at the same depth as a person, the effect is not applied, and the image is saved with its natural depth-of-field.

² Portrait mode processing times may vary depending on the shooting conditions.