When Shaira booked me four years ago, her first question to me was, “What is your dream shoot?” Ambitious as I am, I said that one of them was to shoot at Mt. Everest. From that point on, I saw Arnold and Shaira do everything they could to make it happen. Needless to say, we were all thrilled at the prospect of this once-in-a-lifetime experience (and shoot!).

The planning was intense. We were going to fly – not hike – to the Everest Base Camp and shoot what could have been one of the most iconic photos of Metrophoto. We were set to travel to Nepal last April 2020 and then the worldwide lockdown hit. We tried several times more to see if we could still move forward, but further complications, mostly brought about by Covid-19, just made it impossible. 

The world had been turned upside down and everyone was still reeling from the pandemic. It would’ve been understandable to do something easy and simple. But who’s to say we’re ones to settle? We collected ourselves and thought about doing something just as exciting and memorable. I then remembered how I was inspired by another Harry Styles video where he was floating above and around the stunning Scottish landscape. It was another dream shoot that won’t require travel abroad, though it presented its own sets of challenges. I shared the idea with Shaira and Arnold and they were up (pun intended) for the challenge! 

The Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija proved to be the ideal location for what we were aiming to achieve. I shot there a few months before and got an English countryside vibe. With the help of the whole team, especially our executive producer, Mike Lavarez, we made the shoot possible. Yes, we had to go through a lot – separate practice sessions, finding the suitable suppliers to make them ‘fly,’ etc., – but in the end, we knew that it was going to be worth it. When else would we do it if not now and who else would do it if not us? 

By seeing the photos in this feature, I hope you get a more vivid idea of how massive this undertaking was and show some love to couples like Shaira and Arnold, who did not let countless obstructions stop them from having their dream shoot. They let the doubts fly, and in the end, they themselves literally flew. This one may not be as magnificent as shooting in Mt. Everest, but it would still count as one of the highest in terms of achievement and fulfillment.