Best Street Photography Spots in Manila

You have built an arsenal of gears for your next adventure. You just bought some prime lenses from Viltrox or Sigma plus a K&F travel tripod and you are itching to try them out in the wild. But you forgot that travel is more of a nuisance rather than a luxury with COVID-19 still in the horizon. So, you’re stuck with your expensive camera equipment with nowhere to go. Wrong. There are great spots to do street photography without breaking the bank.

But before I list down some of the best spots we frequent, I’ll just break down a few things about street photography and why is it so special for us.

Street photography is a type of photography where us photographers take pictures of subjects that interest us, such as people, locations, and objects. Instead of posing our subjects, we prefer to capture natural situations. Street photography frequently showcases spontaneous scenarios; – a slice of life. Sometimes, we even disregard traditional rules in photography to further add character to our shots. I guess that is what makes street photography such an appealing activity. We really like how we get to immerse in a specific environment and immortalize the scenes that captivate us.

Doing street photography has been a great therapy for me after recovering from serious nerve damage. Unfortunately, streets here in our area are bland and uneventful, so we really go out of our way to places that does spark the creative juices.

Without much fanfare, here are four Best Street Photography Spots in Manila:

• Intramuros, Manila
• Quiapo, Manila
• Binondo, Manila
• BGC, Taguig

Intramuros, Manila

If you want to maximize a whole day of shooting, you can never go wrong with the Walled City.  The rich turn-of-the-century establishments are the lifeblood of the vicinity. 

These are some of the best spots within Intramuros that you should never miss:

• Manila Cathedral
• Casa Manila
• Fort Santiago
• Baluarte De San Diego
• Various museums and churches

One of the unwritten rules to doing street photography is to accept the fact that you will eventually get tired from shooting and will need refreshments and nourishments. Intramuros has lots of equally interesting establishments that will quench your thirst and hunger which warrant a list of its own here in the future. Of course, not all are bells and whistles in the magnificent walled city. There are spots where the use of camera is not prohibited (but ironically, you will see kids here doing photoshoots using their smartphones). But don’t be devastated. They will allow compact cameras like my beloved Fujifilm X100S, and weirdly enough, my XT100 with the 27mm f2.8 pancake lens. 

Not writing this as an excuse, but these were my first few outdoor shots from my then-brand-new Fujifilm X-T100 back in October of 2022 plus I am nursing my carpal tunnel back.

Quiapo, Manila

If huge crowds, narrow streets, and the constant potential for danger are your thing, then Quiapo is definitely for you. You will always stand out like a sore thumb when you shoot here (unless you’re with a group of photographers). But despite the risky location, you will love the hustle and bustle of Quiapo. If your aim is to capture grit, nothing else comes close to shooting the market section. Best to use small wide-angle lenses or compact cameras here. Perfect starting point is the Quiapo Church or Isetan Mall if coming from LRT-2 line.

You can check out Hidalgo while you’re here.

Binondo, Manila

The Street Photography Capital of the Philippines. But that is just my opinion. The maze of winding streets, narrow lanes, and distinct scents from street markets over hundred-year-old temples is the area’s main charm. Binondo is full of sights that will appeal to your every senses. If you want a speck of character and a tinge of history, this is the right place to start your street photography hobby.

It is best to do ample research if this will be your first time doing street photography in Binondo. The last thing you would want is to have your camera on your dominant hand and google on the other. You don’t want to be too familiar with the place as it will lose the magic, but it would suck if you come unprepared and find yourself easily lost. With Binondo, you can basically bring any camera (and lens) you would like to use as the place and populace is pretty used to seeing them.

These shots were made after I fell in love with shooting mainly black and whites on my wife’s Fujifilm X100S. Read more about it here.

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Bonifacio Global City, or BGC, is a melting pot of culture. Due to the very colorful and diverse cultural background, its aesthetics can go toe-to-toe with Myeongdong of South Korea or Asakusa of Tokyo, Japan where there are always something good to look at. every candid situations frequently occur and street photography is the norm. Beautiful buildings, some street musicians, and short glimpses of daily life can all be found there.

Living in the quaint rural hometown of Rizal, BGC is a stark contrast. Modern, it is perfect for glamourous portrait shoots and . Eye-candy everywhere. Magnificent skyscrapers, colorful neon signs adorning every corner, this corner of Taguig will really make use of your storage space and batteries.