You’ve Seen Lawson With Mt. Fuji—Now Check Out 7-Eleven With Mayon Behind It
The photographer gives tips on how you, too, can make the shot.
You've probably seen it and maybe even dreamt of taking a similar snap of the popular Lawson convenience store in Japan with the snowy peak of Mount Fuji in the background. It would be extra challenging to do that now as Japanese officials have already installed black screens in the area, obstructing that particular view for tourists. It's their last resort, local officials said, to address overtourism—or too many people wanting to take the Lawson x Mt. Fuji picture—which led to problems like littering, trespassing, and traffic violations in the community.
So you'd be pleased to know that in the Philippines, specifically in Camalig, Albay, you can find a local equivalent of this popular shot. Imagine capturing a 7-Eleven store with the iconic Mount Mayon standing majestic in the background.
Also read: Say Goodbye to the View: Japanese Town Officially Covers Famous "Lawson Mt. Fuji"
Getting the shot
Talented young photographer, Paul Sugano, discovered this during a recent trip to Bicol with his father, as they were on their way to Biliran.
"Normally we just drive straight ahead without doing a long stop, but this time, my father decided to slow it down. We planned an overnight stop in Albay, just a few hours before the Port of Matnog, which is an entry point to the islands of Visayas," Sugano told Esquire Philippines.
As they were heading towards the hotel, he asked his father if they could stop at the diversion road to take a few snaps of Mount Mayon.
"We waited for around 10 to 15 minutes, hoping na magpakita 'yung cone, pero makapal pa rin 'yung clouds sa tuktok." As he waited, his attention was drawn to the shifting clouds. "Mukhang mas clear sa kabilang side."
As they haven't had lunch yet, father and son continued driving toward the end of the diversion road in search of a place to eat. It was along this stretch that Mount Mayon gradually revealed its majestic form.
They passed by a newly opened 7-Eleven and behind it, Sugano was surprised to discover, Mayon was fully visible. "Parang everything just fell into place—ang ganda ng framing, walang tao, tahimik, and the light was just right. It reminded me of the Mount Fuji x Lawson photos sa Japan, but this felt more personal. Local. Parang ikaw lang 'yung nakakita. Kairos moment talaga siya. 'Yung tipo ng timing na hindi mo pinaplano, pero alam mong once lang siya mangyayari. As a photographer, instinct mo na to frame it when it appears. Sayang kung palampasin."
Sugano's photo went viral, garnering thousands of likes and shares on Facebook.
Also read: NASA Predicts a Total Solar Eclipse Will Loom Over Mayon Volcano in 2042
How to take a similar shot of Mayon Volcano behind 7-Eleven
For those aiming for a similar shot using their cellphones, Sugano offered these pro tips.
If you want the background to be more visible and appear larger, avoid using the 0.5x lens (ultra-wide). Instead, try the 2x or 3x zoom. Step back a little until everything fits in the frame. He explained, "The higher the zoom, the closer the background appears to the subject. This is called compression—one of the secrets to beautiful portrait and travel shots."
Finally, he dispensed an important advice: "Pumwesto po tayo sa maayos na lugar. Respeto po sa paligid at sa ibang tao. Hindi po kalsada o gitna ng highway ang photoshoot spot. Tulad ng sa Japan—hindi photo op ang harap ng Lawson kung sagabal na sa daan. Wag po tayong maging dahilan ng bad rep ng mga turista. Happy shooting po! Ingat at respeto lagi sa subject, background, at komunidad."
This story originally appeared on Esquiremag.ph. Minor edits have been made by the SPOT.ph editors.