Push: Muses, Mischief, & How to Make It in Manila

by B.J. Pascual, Raymond Ang (Editor)

In this book, photographer BJ Pascual puts together a road map for young creatives, tracing his journey from his childhood in Cavite to his career as a high-flying fashion photographer. PUSH looks back on his highs and lows, round up his heroes and muses--Kathryn Bernardo, Liza Soberano, Julia Barretto, Nadine Lustre among them--to tell the story of the 27-year-old who's taking fashion by storm.

135 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2015

About the author

Photographer BJ Pascual was born in Los Angeles, California. When he was 3 months old, he moved to Cavite, Philippines where he was raised by his grandparents. In elementary, he would always bring a camera to school, and would take photos of friends in his makeshift bedroom studio.

He first got his foot in the fashion industry’s door while in college De La Salle University in Manila (International Studies, when he started a t-shirt brand with some friends. BJ shot and laid out the lookbooks and promotional materials. The brand was a hit. Magazines soon took notice and began to feature his work.

After a year, he opted to sharpen his self-taught skills and took up summer classes in New York at Parsons, the International Center for Photography, and FIT. Since then he has done over 100 magazine covers, and has amassed an immense body of work from local and international publications and advertising clients, making him one of the youngest and most successful photographers in the Philippines today.

Reviews

[kwesi 章英狮 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who is the guy behind Push: Muses, Mischief, & How to Make It in Manila? BJ Pascual could be an obscure celebrity photographer for the non-fashion inclined peeps, but this top-billed celebrity—or as he called them his ‘muses’—posing for his book cover attracts bystanders afar. Truth be told, it was Liza Soberano who really introduced me to BJ Pascual and his familiar photographs. This is a story of his success behind his growing and cascading work of portraits and to his undying love for fashion.

BJ Pascual sounds less familiar, but his pictures are. He mostly contributes to leading fashion magazines and been commissioned to held big ads for leading local brands. Remember Bench’s most controversial ad early last year? The #LoveAllKindsOfLove campaign. BJ Pacsual was the man behind the big billboard of Vince Uy and Niño Gaddi. If you never heard or read it, you might be living in the past. This sought-after photographer’s booming career amazes me.

This is not your survival guidebook on how to make it in Manila… really. This is a short coffee or yosi break with BJ Pascual, because you want to know him. Because you have a big crush on him. Because you have a thing for artistic and successful millennial. Instead of stalking, you build ties with him. Push unravels the success behind BJ Pascual’s career as a fashion photographer. Nothing so astonishing about the book, he is your little brother who pressed the right button and before the fairy godmother take back her magic, he transcends into Miss Universe. Taking his crowning moment on the stage. [Waves]

Everyone have heard BJ Pascual’s story over and over again. Da! It is every successful person’s story. That skill and talent is not enough, you need passion; you need inspiration. That your ever supporting gay and kikay friends will tell you, ‘push mo ‘yan, teh!’ That no man is an island, ‘you need connection, pare!’ and make lifetime friends. That you need to give your family the credits of your success. But it was Pascual’s early and newer shots and strong sense of connection with his subject that really ‘pushed’ my heart as an outsider. Every picture speaks of the subject’s confidence and admittance towards Pascual’s skill. My opinion, Pascual could create stunning shots for his subject. I don’t see him selling clothes or for fashion, but selling the true beauty of the subject or the true 'you'. As a whole, this encyclopedia of celebrity portraits, sum up the artist’s portfolio as a fashion photographer. Nevertheless, this book is worth the try for its pricey startup.

Special mention to Raymond Ang for his affinity for books and everything cool that made the first Made of Bricks book, an imprint of Summit Media. Another series to look forward this year.

[Yoela Leonor · Rating 5 out of 5]

bj pasucal is so inspiring. i really want to become like him but if this book showed anything, passion is the most important driving force that fuels people to success. passion. cos when theres passion there comes the motivation, the hard work to read material, and with knowledge comes ideas. they all start from passion. and i particularly like how he says u dont have to be inlove with fashion for this field. however there has to be taste as well on your part, and i think i can make it. i think i really really can bro. more than being just a photographer is also collaborating with others and other people would be there to help the vision.

Lord, im kinda bad at styling myself but i feel like i can work on it yk. Lord, please let me be a fashion photographer in the future bye🙏

[Ann Louise De Leon · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The book's title came as a joke at first;PUSH because of the popular usage, as in "push mo yan." But the more we thought about it, the more it made sense. PUSH because it's a commitment to doing good work..." -Raymond Ang, Editor