All-new OnePlus 11 puts portrait capabilities to the test with extreme drone-shoot in Scotland’s most remote village

Matt Porteous: Award-winning photographer behind the Prince and Princess of Wales official family portraits captures the UK’s most isolated community in one of the world’s most challenging photoshoots

The OnePlus 11’s exceptional portrait camera was able to help capture Knoydart’s thriving community spirit and the natural beauty of the Highland village.

January 30^th 2023, UK: To celebrate the upcoming release of the OnePlus 11 5G and showcase its camera’s outstanding portrait capabilities, OnePlus is using the power of technology to visually profile the UK’s most remote community, Knoydart. By capturing portraits of its residents and their incredible way of life upon its wild and spectacular terrain – in one of the world’s most logistically challenging and extreme photoshoots.

Knoydart can only be accessed by boat or on foot via a two-day hike through the Scottish Highlands. To reach the community, whose front doors step into the UK’s last known wilderness, the OnePlus 11 was mounted to a drone and flown into the peninsula. Using the industry-leading colour science of Natural Colour Calibration developed with Hasselblad, the smartphone was able to capture the landscape’s natural beauty in true-to-life colours and deliver DSLR quality photography, thanks to optical image stabilisation capabilities.

Using the One Plus 11’s state-of-the-art camera, co-created with renowned photography masters Hasselblad, whose cameras have captured some of the world’s most iconic images, including the first ever photograph of men on the moon, Matt Porteous directed the residents of Knoydart, capturing stunning shots of life within this isolated community.

With zero network connectivity to contend with, OnePlus connected Matt via satellite technology to enable him to expertly guide the locals from his studio over 500 miles away, whilst shooting their portraits using the smartphone – which comes equipped with an all-new 13-channel multi-spectral light-colour identifying sensor, ensuring the OnePlus 11 produces professional quality DSLR-level portrait images, even in the most challenging of conditions.

This comes as new research from OnePlus reveals that 33% of Brits don’t know the name of their next-door neighbour – with 1 in 10 only speaking to them just once a month. But in Knoydart, one of the trickiest destinations in the world to reach and connect with and home to just over 100 residents, the opposite is true… as 100% of people know their next-door neighbour by name, while 82% speak to them at least once a week, and 73% even celebrate Christmas together.

Nationally, it’s a somewhat different picture, with fewer people interacting with and relying on their neighbour. Only 25% would give a neighbour a key to their house for safety. 63% wouldn’t think to ask a neighbour to watch over their home when they are on holiday, while 88% lock their doors every day – with many saying they rarely used to.

The collection of stunning portraits will be featured across OnePlus’s social channels, sharing the hidden treasures of this incredible community as well as celebrating their unique way of life. People will also be able to learn more about Knoydart, like the fact that it is home to the most remote pub in mainland Britain, The Old Forge. While off-grid businesses like Doune Knoydart, a stunning remote restaurant and lodges where guests can be at one with nature as families of seals, dolphins and Orcas regularly visit the bay, which offer spectacular views of the Isle of Skye, and in winter the incredible Northern Lights.

Matt Porteous, who most recently snapped Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Christmas card said: “This was the most challenging test because I’ve never before led a portrait session using a smartphone, much less one that is soaring through the air while I’m hundreds of miles away. However, the OnePlus 11 boasts an outstanding camera system that made it possible for me to capture DSLR quality images, even under challenging circumstances – incredible! 

The residents of Knoydart have incredible stories to tell – from Jayne Eddie, the Western Isle Cruises Skipper, to Finlay Greig the local Ranger – and I’m honoured to have been able to use the OnePlus 11 to help share a visual snapshot of their way of life” 

Celina Shi, Chief Marketing Officer, Europe at OnePlus added: “With the OnePlus 11, we’ve created the best mobile portrait photography ever. Using the Hasselblad Portrait Mode, you can capture portraits with the quality, look and feel that you’d expect from a professional camera. To showcase our camera’s portrait capabilities, we channelled our ‘Never Settle’ spirit and partnered with Matt to make great portraits accessible to everyone, even if people are sitting miles away. 

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