Headline: Find your perfect 'live' backdrop within the City
Subhead: Start planning your outdoor shoot while discovering the streets of MNL

Outline/Rationale:
For people who are into fashion, we see ourselves in photoshoots day in and day out. Searching for a good location, organizing the logistics, coordinating our powerhouse team, or simply flaunting our favorite outfits while getting the most out of our backdrop. Shooting in natural light or with the city lights inarguably bring out the natural beauty of our subject. However, some of us cringe with the idea of being outdoors because of direct sunlight, heat, dirt and pollution we have to bear. This article is going to list down suggestions for locations where people can shoot - a glimpse of what the city has to offer - while highlighting the importance of carrying a sun and pollution protection lotion.

Body Copy:
Do you live and breathe fashion as much as we do? Are you always in search of the best spots for your next photoshoot? Read on as we enumerate some locations across Metro Manila which you can visit in three ideal parts of the day.

Mornings in the City
If you’re familiar with the Golden Hour Rule, you know that some of the best shots begin shortly after sunrise. Parks and public spaces that are surrounded by trees and greenery such as Ayala Triangle Gardens, Legazpi Active Park, Washington Sycip Park, La Mesa Eco Park, and University of the Philippines Diliman are open as early as this hour.
It is also best to visit street art and wall murals in bustling areas like BGC and Makati in the morning when people are more likely inside their offices. This means less traffic and it gives you more time to freely walk around to take some snaps.
Empty lots and abandoned buildings add character to photos and definitely a must-visit, though not for the faint of heart. Art Deco-inspired buildings The Metropolitan Theater (The Met) in Ermita and Biological Production Service (BPS) in Alabang can create a certain kind of mood when taken into shot.

City from Noon till Evening
Was it love at first sight or love at first thought? Shooting in a historical edifice is definitely one for the books! With its neoclassical style and commanding facade, Manila Post Office and National Museum, the popular subjects of postcards and photographs never get old.
Moreover, Intramuros Manila (also known as The Walled City) serves as one of Philippines’ biggest cultural and historical landmarks. The memory of Spaniards who colonized the country may leave you haunted every time you walk at Fort Santiago but the structures surrounding it - The Manila Cathedral, Baluartillo de San Francisco Javier, and Plaza Moriones - may also leave you more than amazed.
The nostalgia continues as you enter the relatively new Rizal Park Hotel, witness the majestic ‘tree of life’ at the National Museum of Natural History, and the fantastic spiral staircase at the First United Building. The appreciation of beautiful stairways extends up to this era with Ronac Art Center’s gigantic spiral staircase.
Sunsets are best viewed while at the top. This could be one of the main reasons why a number of rooftop bars are quickly sprawling around the metro. Aside from a mesmerizing sunset view, rooftop bars and restaurants such as The Peak, Penthouse 8747, Firefly Roofdeck, Antidote Bar, and Encima Roofdeck offer a good view of the city even at night.

City by Night
Hit the streets after six! The time between you clock out of work and before you go to bed is yours to spend. After a long day at work, it’s relaxing to chill at insta-worthy spots that will not just feed your IG but will also boost your confidence back to its normal level. Work can get too exhausting at times, you just have to bounce back and redirect yourself.
Themed bars and restaurants such as Filling Station, OTO, Alamat Filipino Pub & Deli, and Early Night are designed to cater busy professionals especially the young ones or the young at hearts who strive to maintain their social life beyond work. Majority of these resto-bars offer striking yet memorable interior that you would literally love to stop by for a drink or a shot.
It also pays to be observant of the city life at night and capturing its nuances in photos would make a good story. Binondo, Escolta, Manila Baywalk, Makati CBD, and Poblacion are just some of the areas that never fail to charm us with their local patrons, lovely neon lights, diverse and scenic scenes.

It is high time to go to these places for a quick hang out and a shoot. You can start working on that mood board and planning your itinerary. You can also go through your list, start rounding up your dream team and suppliers. Sometimes when you dive into the excitement, you forget to equip yourself with things that matter the most – your health and sanity. Stepping outdoors and staying there for long hours for a much-coveted photo means exposing yourself to harmful UV rays and pollution that may cause aging, psoriasis, skin discoloration, and more. Thus, it is important to find a cream or lotion that will help you fight all these. With the new Vaseline Healthy White Sun + Pollution Protection, you are getting three benefits in one – an SPF (Sun Protection Factor), a PFA (Protection Factor of UVA), and a PFF (Pollution Protection Formula).

Be city-ready by beating sun and pollution with Vaseline Healthy White Sun + Pollution lotion, discovering what the metropolis has to offer and documenting them in photos!


Client: VASELINE
*Submitted to PREVIEW Magazine