It's my second year in photography, and I'm still working on my ongoing project to worldbuild a cyberpunk Manila through pictures.
We all know how 2020 went. But it didn't stop me from creating more. I had to take fewer photoshoots outside due to government-imposed lockdowns and regulations, which is why I've been spending most of my time indoors refining my editing, setting up my portfolio website, exploring new forms of art, and even getting into NFTs / crypto art (but the eco-friendly kind on Tezos and WAX).
This year, I had more clearly defined goals. I wanted to distance myself from the mainstream cyberpunk photography niche, so I had to delve deeper into the more dystopian subject matter truly deserving of the cyberpunk title. Aside from just neon lights and saturated cityscapes, I also made it about the core tropes that define cyberpunk as a genre—juxtapositions of disparity, megacorporatism, hypercapitalism, technology, hedonism, dystopian sceneries, power struggles, and the whole "high tech, low life" ethos. I wanted to establish a more unique reputation for myself in the community—not just as a neon city photographer, but also as a "true" cyberpunk photographer.
A real-world dystopian "high tech, low life" megalopolis is perfect for this, which is why I also made it my personal mission to bring Manila to the limelight in addition to the better-known Asian neon cities such as Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tokyo. Manila may have a different urban character, but it has its own brand of cyberpunk nonetheless.
You can find my portfolio, prints store, and social media links on my website. For those who are into crypto art, my photos are also available as Clean NFT on hic et nunc.
#21 An Architectural Shot At The Mall Of Asia Complex In Pasay
2points
#22 Another View Of The Mall Of Asia Arena. More Cyberpunk In The Daytime
2points
#23 Three Panoramic Views At The Stretch Of Highway That Runs Across Quezon City Cbd, Informally Known As "North Edsa"
2points
#24 Monumento Circle During A Rainy Monsoon Night. A Historical Monument Surrounded By Motels, Billboards, Shopping Malls, And A Nightlife District
2points
#25 This Place Also Has A Gigantic Neon Casino Along The Main Road
2points
#26 A Neon-Lit Budget Short-Stay Hotel In Sampaloc, Manila. You Can Tell That It's Good Biz Around Here Because Our Family-Centric Filipino Culture Expects Adults To Stay In Their Families' Homes Even After They Finish Their Schooling, Which Explains The Demand For No-Tell-Motels Like This
2points
#27 A Collage Of Three Panoramic Street Scenes At Sampaloc, Showing Its Wide Variety Of Venues For Student Nightlife
2points
#28 Three Panoramas In Neon-Lit Binondo, Which Is Manila's Historic Chinatown. A Melting Pot Of Multicultural Architecture
2points
#29 Another Scene At Binondo Chinatown During Duskfall
2points
#30 Quiapo Is The Place To Be If You're Looking For Affordable Tech. It Even Has A Literal Underground Tech Market At Lacson Underpass
2points
#31 A Collage Of Three Dystopian Panoramic Scenes In Quiapo's Market Streets And Highways
2points
#32 In The Philippines, You Can Purchase Cyberspace Access (Known As "Load") For The Lowest Prices In Small "Sari-Sari" Stores Like This. It Really Is A Mass Consensual Hallucination As William Gibson Prophesied
2points
#33 A Busy Night At Muntinlupa's South Empire Market. Gadget Chop Shops Are Everywhere
2points
#34 Another Dark Street Scene In Guadalupe. Slums Juxtaposed Against The Neon Skyscrapers Of Makati And Bgc
2points
#35 A Collage Of Four Streetscapes At The Outskirts Of Bgc, Showing A Residential Neighborhood Juxtaposed Against Glowing Megacorporate Skyscrapers
2points
#36 A Grimy Street In Binondo With A Neon Skyscraper Looming In The Distance
2points
