Borgy Angeles and Gabriel Villareal Capture the Undiscovered Narratives Along Manila and Makati

From sunrise to sunset, the two creatives venture into the environments they know best to tell their stories of Metro Manila’s urban life

To celebrate the recent launch of the Pura 80 Series of smartphones, Vogue Philippines and HUAWEI invite photographers Borgy Angles and Gabriel Villareal as they capture the nuances of urban living for the next installment of Vogue Experiences.

From the violet skies that drape Manila Bay moments before sunrise to the neon lights that switch on to wake the Poblacion nightlife, both creatives explore the environments they know best through the lenses of the Pura 80 Pro and Pura 80 Ultra phones, later sharing conversations on what phone photography means to them.

For the Rizal-born photographer, he expressed that outdoor and natural light photography have become almost intrinsic to his approach in visual storytelling, adding how it brings out a different facet to the subjects he captures. “They just give this unique honesty [and] contrast that you just cannot find anywhere else.”

Through the strip that traces SM Mall of Asia’s view of Manila Bay to the contrasts of flora and industrial textures that surround designer Ito Kish’s J.P. Rizal showroom, Angeles took to utilize the HUAWEI Pura 80 Pro and its Ultra Lighting Macro Telephoto Camera to manipulate daylight into each shot. “Using the phone, I find that it works really well with the natural light, and how it captures even the smallest details,” he said.

“Honestly, using the phone for photography is not really far from using a digital camera. The Pura 80 Pro offers almost the same specifications as a DSLR, so I think it’s really perfect if you want to start or do it professionally.”

“It’s not about perfect technicalities; For me, phone photography is ideal to capture the moment before it slips away”

Borgy Angeles

As a creative who initially took to uncover the narratives found within Metro Manila’s nightlife, Villareal expressed how his growing desire to explore different environments, communities and mediums have allowed him to discover new inspirations and refine his craft. “I think no matter the medium of photography that I’m shooting, be it nightlife, fashion, or black and white, everything has layers of influences to me. That’s what helped me set the tone for how I embody my creative vision when it comes to photography.”

In taking him along the vibrant-colored streets of P. Burgos and establishments such as Cheshire Speakeasy and Apotheka Manila, Villareal, alongside the Pura 80 Ultra and its 1-inch Ultra Lighting HDR Camera and Switchable Dual Telephoto Camera, gave himself the mission to capture the emotions in such densely crowded areas.

“For me, features like its low-light sensitivity and advanced optics allow emerging photographers to experiment and play around with contrast, depth, and storytelling straight from their phones. I think we’re at a point where creativity isn’t limited by gear, it’s more so enabled by it. It kind of levels the playing field, while still respecting the craft.”

“Phone photography to me is instinctive. I like capturing fleeting details and capturing a scene that I know can’t really be staged”

Gabriel Villareal

Visit the HUAWEI website to see more of the Pura 80 Series; Visit HUAWEI Philippines’ Facebook and Instagram pages to learn more.

by LIAM BITENG. Featuring Photographers BORGY ANGELES and GABRIEL VILLAREAL. Portraits by MATTHEW TIONGCO. Video by EJ BONAGUA, assisted by NICO SEÑEREZ. Art direction by LARA CASTAÑEDA. Hair and Makeup by NIX INSTITUTE OF BEAUTY. Produced by ESAB RAYMUNDO. Account manager ICE LEE.