Manila, the Pearl of the Orient - the heartbeat of The Philippines! I will cover my top 7 spots in the Manila Metro area that are the most photo-worthy! This guide can give you some ideas and help you decide where you would like your photo session or just some ideas on places to go and explore with your camera! After many years of experience in Manila, photographing many visitors and residents, I will review the top places now with the following ranking system….
Ranking Key:
1 to 10 ranking, 10 representing the highest recommendation
Paco Park
Located in the heart of Manila, this beautiful park is rarely crowded and is truly a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of Manila. With beautiful old trees, historic stone walls, and lush gardens, it is not hard to see why this would be a photographer’s dream! I highly recommend this park as a second location if you selected Package 2 or 3 from my website and your first location is very near.
For professional photo shoots: 7/10
Intramuros
I can easily spend all day shooting here! So many unique places are incorporated into what is commonly referred to as Intramuros. My favorite places within Intramuros are San Agustin Church, Fort Santiago, and Plaza Moriones. This area is worth taking your time exploring; a photo opportunity is nearly everywhere.
For professional photo shoots: 10/10
Kasalikasan Garden / The Tree
Nestled at the edge of Bonifacio Global City, starting at this beautiful garden / green space while working north on Rizal Drive gives my clients nice contrast to have a couple of different backgrounds during their photo session as Rizal Drives does provide an attractive “me in the city” type background. The streets around BGC are well-maintained and offer an ideal location for various photo sessions. Just steps nearby is “The Tree” roundabout which is quite lovely to use as a background. Around sunset, the lighting from the shops nearby always gives a beautiful bokeh for my client’s photos.
For professional photo shoots: 8/10
Ayala Triangle Gardens
Located in Makati City, this green space is lovely. One of the significant aspects of it is that there are so many shops and large buildings surrounding it, making it easy to incorporate beautiful business profile photos. An excellent example is companies that book me to photograph the entire staff with the same “central business district” background for a uniform look on their company website, company brochures, etc. Again this area provides a clean, business-style professional environment in a natural setting. One last point on this area is that I love the large mature trees all around; they always look great in the shots!
For professional photo shoots: 7/10
The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial
Located in Bonifacio Global City, I love this extraordinary place! One of the main takeaway points of this beautiful and spacious cemetery is how peaceful it is and how much well-maintained green space there is. It is difficult to find such an immaculate green space and have a city background towering in the background in Metro Manila, and this location certainly has that! Beautiful trees located throughout also serve as lovely additions to any photo session! The inscribed stone memorial walls in the center of this memorial are breathtaking and so perfect for photography! This location is a must and one of my absolute favorite locations to recommend!
For professional photo shoots: 10/10
Pinto Art Museum
Located in Rizal, just outside Metro Manila. One of the first things that struck me when I visited this museum was how beautiful the exterior Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA) inspired building looked. It instantly reminded me of New Mexico with a gorgeous Filipino flare to it! The galleries in the museum are nothing short of spectacular, I loved every moment of my visit, and quite simply, there are too many fantastic opportunities for photos here! This place is another must! You cannot find another background like it anywhere else in The Philippines!
For professional photo shoots: 9/10
Rockwell Center Makati
Well-maintained streets and sidewalks alongside beautiful storefronts make this location desirable for wonderful portraits! In addition, several residential towers with beautifully maintained landscapes serve as great backgrounds. Some of my favorite spots to shoot at are the interior of Power Plant Mall, Edades Tower exterior area and lobby, Luna Garden’s lobby, the green space between Power Plant Mall, Amorsolo and Hidalgo Buildings, the lobby of 8 Rockwell, and finally, of course, the streets around the entire Rockwell Center area.
For professional photo shoots: 8/10
I am ready to be your photographer in Manila, let’s get started….