Talent + perseverance + hard work + a little bit of luck + and a squad of people who believe in you is the recipe for successfully making it in Manila. And this holds true especially for 27-year-old Filipino photographer BJ Pascual, who skyrocketed to become one of the country’s most sought after fashion photographers today.
At such a young age, he conquered the fashion industry by storm, something that a lot of young aspiring photographers can only hope to imagine for their career. Last November, BJ Pascual launched his first book – PUSH: Muses, Mischief, & How to Make it in Manila.
“The book isn’t a retrospective – I think it’s too early in my career for that,” explains BJ, “but the book is more about me confronting the first six years of my career. I talk about my experiences as a young creative, the inspirations that have fueled my work, the people who’ve served as role models, and the muses who have helped me achieve some of my favorite images,” he adds.
PUSH illustrates how a young mind can make it in such a cutthroat industry. His book is an intimate look at his inspiration, muses, ambitions, dreams, and the people dear to his heart. A creative journey perfect for any millennial’s reading list.
“PUSH is not just a mantra. It’s a call to action,” writes Raymond Ang (editor and founder of Made of Bricks that edited PUSH under Summit Publishing Co.) in the foreword of the book. Who knows – there may be another BJ Pascual who touched this book waiting for that little push to go after his dreams.
“I initially had no plans of making a book because as I said, it’s too early in my career for a retrospective, but when my friend Raymond presented this really great outline for a book aimed to inspire young creatives, I immediately said yes!” says BJ.
Reading the book makes you feel like you’re part of his journey, Chapter 3’s “Inspiration Is Everywhere” provides an intimate perspective of BJ and his connections between the people in front of his lens. The entire chapter features conversations with celebrities like Solenn Heussaff, Liz Uy, Bea Soriano, Isabel Daza, Anne Curtis, Kathryn Bernardo, Nadine Lustre, Liza Soberano, among others. It features not just BJ’s journey behind his lens, but at the same time the journey of self-discovery of some of the industry’s famous celebrities.
The book is available in four different covers with Nadine Lustre, Liza Soberano, Julia Barretto, and Kathryn Bernardo – BJ’s magic four, the muses whom he kind of grew up with as they all reach for success in their current careers. Young as they may all seem, the stories of these millennials are great reads especially for the hungry young creative.
So what’s next for BJ Pascual? “Hopefully more international work!,” he exclaims.
Push: Muses, Mischief & How To Make It In Manila is available in all leading newsstands and bookstores.