I love the Philippines, in fact I feel that there is no place better to live in than in Manila which is my home. But the city is just a b*tch when it comes to being a wedding photographer. Not only is it one of the least picturesque city I know, it is also the littered with security guards in almost every corner – all of which are instructed to oppose and seize people shooting with their SLR cameras. Sometimes it’s an advantage to those who really take the time to get a permit to shoot or has the right ‘connections’ to be allowed to shoot, but most of the time it’s a pain in the butt.

All these are a stark contrast to another of my favourite city, Singapore. In this small country, not only are people very tolerant of such shoots, the place is also astutely constructed to be conducive to shoot great compositions. And amazingly, when I already felt that I have shot in its nicest places already, they built something nicer to shoot at.

Today’s photos are from the pre-wedding shoot of Jen and Vergel. Shot this inside the newly opened Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, it is a marvel to behold. With a lot of provisions for creative angles that we really love and night lights that really take you. Given the attractive nature of this new location, a lot of shoots are happening simultaneously everyday, but we take that as a challenge and create shots that are different from what anyone else would expect.

So please enjoy these photos from Singapore while we go back home to Manila and take a different challenge – getting to actually shoot. hahaha!

It is time for part two of my SIngapore back-to-beck e-session feature. What I love about both these shoots from the Lion City are that they are very much different and yet they are very much the same. Different in the sense that the locations, the concepts, the poses, and the feel were very unique to the couples and to the spots we shot in. Also same in the sense that the style, the realness, and the diversity of the shots, which are signatures to all Metrophoto shoots, were all there.

For this edition we’re bringing you the photos from the shoot of Alvin and Dorothy. Going for the concept of “live, laugh, and love”, it aptly represents their lives having each other – and Singapore was the perfect place since both of them are based there already. We chose three different locations for each verb in the concept. Starting out with ‘live’, we shot inside the Singapore National Museum for its classic architecture and culture. Then we headed off to the bandstand of the Singapore Botanical Gardens for “laugh” where the atmosphere is light and very open. To complete the concept with ‘love’ we concluded on top of the Herderson Waves bridge somewhere south of the city. The night shots in a very modern architectural setting provided a more dramatic feel that was a perfect finish to the day.

This has been one of my most fun and memorable shoot as besides Alvin and Dorothy being immensely nice and enjoyable to be with, we had a team consisting of old and new friends. And I would like to thank my old friend from high school, Buddie, my hothouse alumni, Jon and his friend Bong for all the help, it wouldn’t have been this awesome if not for them. Special thanks also goes to Myca Velarde-Feng for dolling-up Doray and for offering to give us all a ride – it was impossible for us to all fit in her car but at least she offered. hahaha. Enjoy the photos.