Anything fun to do on a Sunday morning is usually born out of romanticizing the simplest things. And lately, I’ve found that one of the best ways to do that is through a photowalk, where seeing the world differently is really just a matter of attention. So when I asked my equally idle, weekend-suspended friend Mara, to tag along for this year’s Fujifilm Nationwide Photo and Video Walk (NPVW 2025), she said yes “for a perspective check.” We used to do this back in college, but this time, with the right gear and a more personal purpose, it felt like a true creative pursuit.
NPVW was the largest in the country, a nationwide creative movement that gathered over 4,000 photographers and videographers from 32 cities across the Philippines. The general goal was to capture the distinct sights and soul of our local streets, with each lens reflecting how we see home. But this year’s theme, “Contrast,” narrowed it down a bit to make sense of our current political landscape now that so much is being revealed and there’s growing outcry in the streets.
Our chosen location was Intramuros, Manila, a place already full of built-in contrasts. You could point your camera in any direction and find something poetic: road markings etched on centuries-old cobblestone, calesas clattering past sedans, guardias civiles stationed in the city, or the Manila Cathedral framed by high-rises that didn’t exist a generation ago. Even the light that morning seemed to play along after weeks of torrential rains.
Fujifilm moved past the hobbyist meetup for a collective expression of how Filipinos see their own cities. Across the country, participants were doing the same, shooting at Magellan’s Cross in Cebu, Quezon Park in Davao, and countless other local landmarks. Some even joined Fujifilm’s guided walks led by seasoned photographers from previous NPVW editions. And while the prizes (brand new Fujifilm cameras and gear from tech and lifestyle partners) added a fun incentive, most people I spoke to weren’t in it for that. They were there for the thrill of seeing and belonging. “FUJIFILM supports local communities by highlighting the spirit and stories of the neighborhood and city streets. This event is open to everyone, no matter what your skill is. We want you to show pride in your city and share your unique view with the world,” said Masahiro Uehara, President of FUJIFILM Philippines, Inc.
You could tell everyone there, whether carrying a Fujifilm mirrorless camera or a vintage film one, had their own version of what “contrast” meant. Fujifilm ambassador Rommel Bundalian spoke at the event, encouraging everyone to shoot anything that captured the idea, like textures and symmetry, colors, candid emotions—or maybe just to wander and wait for something beautiful to happen against something that isn’t, and let that tell a story. There was also that strange sense of camaraderie among strangers that even if you don’t speak, you share the same hunt for fleeting moments “worth the shot.”
Fujifilm even teamed up with 32 cafés nationwide to hand out free coffee to participants as a small gesture that somehow summed up the event’s communal (a bit caffeine-fueled) spirit.
The super simple theme gave way to visual opposites that were probably a little too on the nose, but it was really about seeing life’s layers side by side. Most of the scenes we captured were identical and shared between us but shot on different cameras, so I’m just giving the spotlight to my friend who’s a better shooter with her Fujifilm x-m5. Here’s one moment that stayed with us:
For a few hours in Intramuros, those contrasts sharpened a stagnant vision blurred by too much of life happening all at once. And maybe that’s what makes this so special. You capture stills, yet they change the way you see.
