What happens when a fashion publication swaps its traditional professional camera setup for a foldable smartphone? South Africa‘s latest fashion editorial offers an interesting answer: the future of professional photography might be closer to your pocket than you think.
For its latest digital cover, Glamour South Africa has partnered with Samsung and television presenter and content creator Chanley Wong, using the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra to capture the entire production.
But this is about more than putting another flagship smartphone in front of a professional photographer. It represents a bigger conversation about how technology is changing the creative industry, who gets access to professional-quality tools, and what the next generation of South African content creators can achieve with the devices they already use.
When a Smartphone Enters the Fashion Studio
Fashion photography has traditionally depended on extensive equipment, from professional camera bodies and specialised lenses to external monitors and connected editing systems.
Samsung is challenging that established approach.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra‘s first professional cover assignment puts its photography capabilities in a demanding editorial environment, where details such as accurate skin tones, lighting, sharpness and image quality can make or break a final photograph.
Its camera system features a 200MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wide lens and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, supported by Samsung’s ProVisual Engine.
For photographers, this combination offers flexibility when capturing different perspectives without constantly changing equipment.
More importantly, it demonstrates how smartphone photography is moving beyond casual social media content and into spaces traditionally dominated by dedicated professional cameras.
The Foldable Advantage Behind the Lens
The device’s most interesting feature might not be its megapixel count, but its ability to change how a creative team works.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra opens into an 8-inch main display, creating a much larger viewing area for reviewing photographs during a shoot.
Instead of relying on a small smartphone screen or connecting a camera to an external monitor, photographers and creative directors can inspect composition, focus and image detail directly on the device.
That could make production workflows more flexible, particularly for smaller creative teams, independent photographers and content producers working across multiple platforms.
Glamour South Africa Features Editor Thobeka Phanyeko says the partnership allowed the publication to rethink what is possible in fashion journalism.
She highlights the device’s clarity, colour accuracy and large display as important elements in making the production seamless while maintaining the publication’s editorial standards.
A Bigger Story for South Africa’s Creative Industry
This collaboration also forms part of Samsung’s longer relationship with South African media.
In 2021, GQ South Africa used the Galaxy S21 Ultra to photograph its May/June dual covers, fashion spreads and behind-the-scenes content. The following year, GQ returned with the Galaxy S22 Ultra for an outdoor cover shoot, while Glamour used the device for its Disruptors issue.
In 2024, Samsung expanded the conversation beyond photography with Ekhaya, a South African short film shot entirely on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The latest Glamour collaboration continues that journey, showing how mobile technology is becoming an increasingly serious creative tool.
For South Africa‘s growing community of photographers, filmmakers, influencers and digital storytellers, this shift is particularly relevant.
Not everyone has access to expensive production equipment, but more accessible technology can create opportunities to experiment, develop skills and produce work that competes in increasingly demanding digital spaces.
Creativity Is Still the Real Game-Changer
Of course, better technology does not automatically make someone a better photographer.
Lighting, composition, storytelling, creative direction and the ability to connect with a subject remain essential. A powerful camera is only as effective as the person using it.
Chanley Wong‘s appearance on the cover brings the collaboration into the world of fashion and personality-driven storytelling, while Samsung gets to demonstrate its technology in a real editorial environment.
Ultimately, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra’s Glamour debut raises an interesting question for the next generation of South African creatives: If professional tools are becoming increasingly portable, what is stopping more people from experimenting with their creative potential?
The equipment is evolving. The opportunities are expanding. But the vision still belongs to the creator.
