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.
More info: luciusfelimus.com | Facebook | Instagram | twitter.com
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"The Street Finds Its Own Uses For Things", As Quoted From Burning Chrome By The Legendary Cyberpunk Author William Gibson. Manila's Gadget Chop Shops, Like This One In Mandaluyong, Are A Real-World Embodiment Of This
Cyberpunk Is Said To Be A Juxtaposition Of "High Tech" And "Low Life", Which Are The Themes I Try To Capture In Photography. This Was Taken At A Dark Unkempt Street In Guadalupe, Juxtaposed Against Bright Billboards And The High-Tech Megacorporate Development Known As "Cybergate City" In The Background
A Sprawling Aerial Cityscape Of The Metro Manila Skyline, Showing 5 Of Its Cities In One Picture
One Of The Futuristic Buildings In The High-Tech District Of Northgate Cyberzone In Alabang
You Can See That I'm Trying To Make Daytime Cyberpunk A Thing - And This Dystopian Scenery At Edsa-Mandaluyong Is A Perfect Fit For It
Another Edsa-Mandaluyong Dystopian Daytime Scene, Just Two Train Stations Away. Much Of My Inspiration Comes From Movies Like Blade Runner
The Skyline Of San Juan And Cubao, Captured From A Rooftop In Ortigas
When I Say That My Photography Is Cyberpunk, I Really Mean It In The Truest Meaning Of The Genre. I Make Sure To Include Elements Of High-Tech. Here Are Kids Jacked Wirelessly Into Cyberspace At A Busy Overpass During Rush Hour
Yes there is that juxtaposition between the corporate skyscrapers and the bustling streets but the core of cyberpunk is existential. The individual is fundamental as well as the setting. You’ve captured that in some images. I’d like to add that a cyberpunk economic system would be capitalism with fully free trade. So the international element is quite important for the aesthetic such as LA and Hong Kong during 60s. Maybe in future you could incorporate more of this though you have done this is a few.
One Of The Several Ktv Bars In Monumento's Red Light District
This Collage Of Pictures Are All Taken From One Of Quezon City's Slums, And You Can See That Even Our Slums Are High-Tech
A Street Scene From The Same Slum, With Megacorp-Owned Buildings Towering Over It
A Dark Alleyway In Quiapo, After The Market Streets Have Closed In Preparation For The Government-Mandated Curfew
Neon Lights And Megacorporate Buildings Of Bonifacio Global City (Bgc)
My condo used to be about 2 blocks away from here. The building on the left (with the purple lights) is right next to the Philippine Stock Exchange, located right across the street from High Street.
A Collage Of Three Panoramic Cityscapes Taken In Makati Cbd. Deus Ex Vibes
More Of Makati's Skyscrapers During A Rainy Day. This Is The Dreary Daytime Aesthetic I'm Trying To Capture, Because We Don't See Much Of Daytime In Cyberpunk
Two Panoramas Of The Same Scene In Ortigas Cbd, Taken At Day And Night
Fisher Mall In Quezon City, With Its Facade Of Giant Billboards
A Short-Stay Budget Hotel Chain In Monumento. Love In The Time Of Cyberpunk
Two Neon Skyscrapers Of Ortigas - The Unionbank Plaza And The Marco Polo Hotel
An Architectural Shot At The Mall Of Asia Complex In Pasay
Another View Of The Mall Of Asia Arena. More Cyberpunk In The Daytime
Three Panoramic Views At The Stretch Of Highway That Runs Across Quezon City Cbd, Informally Known As "North Edsa"
Monumento Circle During A Rainy Monsoon Night. A Historical Monument Surrounded By Motels, Billboards, Shopping Malls, And A Nightlife District
This Place Also Has A Gigantic Neon Casino Along The Main Road
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
A Collage Of Three Panoramic Street Scenes At Sampaloc, Showing Its Wide Variety Of Venues For Student Nightlife
Three Panoramas In Neon-Lit Binondo, Which Is Manila's Historic Chinatown. A Melting Pot Of Multicultural Architecture
Quiapo Is The Place To Be If You're Looking For Affordable Tech. It Even Has A Literal Underground Tech Market At Lacson Underpass
A Collage Of Three Dystopian Panoramic Scenes In Quiapo's Market Streets And Highways
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
A Busy Night At Muntinlupa's South Empire Market. Gadget Chop Shops Are Everywhere
Another Dark Street Scene In Guadalupe. Slums Juxtaposed Against The Neon Skyscrapers Of Makati And Bgc
A Collage Of Four Streetscapes At The Outskirts Of Bgc, Showing A Residential Neighborhood Juxtaposed Against Glowing Megacorporate Skyscrapers
A Grimy Street In Binondo With A Neon Skyscraper Looming In The Distance
I'm a diehard fan of the Cyberpunk and Future Noir genre and I appreciate you word captions and photography work! I couldn't shake the fact that a lot of your choice neighborhoods and cityscapes images resemble some of the areas in Cyberpunk 2077's Night City, and I don't mean just generic, pan-asian cyberpunk city aesthetic either. It's like your photos are the live-action images of some of the places in-game, if that makes any sense. I do know there were a couple of Filipino development teams working with CDProjekt Red on the game and most likely why I'm drawing a lot of comparisons between your photos and the game itself.
I'm a diehard fan of the Cyberpunk and Future Noir genre and I appreciate you word captions and photography work! I couldn't shake the fact that a lot of your choice neighborhoods and cityscapes images resemble some of the areas in Cyberpunk 2077's Night City, and I don't mean just generic, pan-asian cyberpunk city aesthetic either. It's like your photos are the live-action images of some of the places in-game, if that makes any sense. I do know there were a couple of Filipino development teams working with CDProjekt Red on the game and most likely why I'm drawing a lot of comparisons between your photos and the game itself.
