Filipino creatives are capturing global attention with increasing momentum. From gracing runways to appearing at exclusive events, our homegrown talents are carving their rightful place on the world stage—and now, photographer BJ Pascual has joined their ranks.
With a 15-year career that has seen him photograph international stars like Troye Sivan, Coco Rocha, and Noah Centineo, BJ is no stranger to working with notable figures. Yet, his latest project marks another leap forward for the Cavite-born artist.
This past week, BJ flew off to New York City, where he was invited by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to set up a portrait studio and capture images of attendees at their annual Fashion Awards. The high-profile event, which took place at the American Museum of Natural History, brought together influential industry figures in a grand celebration of fashion’s finest visionaries. And for this year’s ceremony, BJ was entrusted with the task of photographing the evening’s esteemed guests.
In an exclusive interview with Preview, BJ shares reflections, and briefly lets us in on the experience.
Preview Exclusive: BJ Pascual on Being the Official Portrait Photographer at the 2024 CFDA Fashion Awards
How does it feel to be able to photograph such high-profile personalities for a prestigious event like the CFDA Awards?
“It felt so surreal. It was like a fever dream, getting to shoot all of these beautiful and talented individuals in the fashion, music, and entertainment industries who I’ve only admired from halfway across the world—all within a span of just a few hours. It was fun but quite intense. Seeing their immediate reactions to the photos on the monitor kept me going!”
What does this milestone mean for you and your career as a photographer?
“I've been working in Manila as a photographer for the past 15 or so years now and I think it’s natural to want to expand my horizons. I’ve done a few jobs as a photographer in LA and New York but this one is probably the biggest job I've done in this side of the world. Hopefully, this opens doors for me in America.”
What was your creative vision heading into the project? Were there any special preparations involved?
“Doing portrait sessions during events is quite tricky creatively because I don't have much control over a lot of key elements I find important in a portrait i.e. the styling, hair and makeup, so finding the right lighting and backdrop is key."
"I presented a few lighting samples of my previous work to CFDA and we agreed on a lighter version of a beauty campaign [which I previously] did with Pia Wurtzbach (this was before I knew she was even attending!). The thing is, that was a pretty big lighting setup.”
“We were shooting inside the American Museum of Natural History. [It was] open ‘till 5:30 p.m., [which meant] we could only bring equipment in when it closes, and we had to start shooting at 6:30 p.m! We only had one hour to set up, which is NOT a lot of time for this kind of lighting. I had two assistants for this shoot (compared to the four I have in Manila), both professional assistants in NY. But with the time crunch, even Thazzia Falek (my makeup artist who flew in from Manila to do my glam for the red carpet) stepped in to help us with setting up!”
Can you share with us some memorable moments from the shoot?
“Loading, setting up all the equipment, and shooting in a full Rick Owens look with 6.5-inch platforms and walking the red carpet in between all of this. Shooting the iconic Bethann Hardison, was the best surprise! Seeing Winnie Harlow’s reaction to her photos on the monitor. And Mahmood. Just Mahmood.”
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