Macao Photoshoots

Locations

Where to shoot in Macao

The Ruins of St Paul's is the signature — a baroque stone facade standing alone at the top of a broad stair, with nothing behind it. It is magnificent and it is crowded from mid-morning onwards, so it is an early shot or no shot.

Senado Square is the Portuguese heart of the old city: pastel neoclassical buildings around an open square paved in black and white wave-patterned calcada.

A-Ma Temple is the oldest in Macao, built into the hillside in layers, with coils of incense hanging in the smoke. It is an active place of worship and is photographed respectfully and quietly.

Taipa Village gives you the best colour in the territory — canary yellow and mint colonial houses along Rua da Cunha, and the Taipa Houses museum terrace on the waterfront.

Coloane is the quiet southern end, with the Chapel of St Francis Xavier, a small village square and a complete absence of casinos.

Guia Fortress and its lighthouse sit on the high point, and the Cotai Strip provides the modern counterpoint if you want it.

Timing

Autumn and winter are the comfortable months

November to February is cool, dry and the most comfortable time to shoot here. Light is clear and the humidity drops away.

Summer, May through September, is hot and extremely humid, and it is also typhoon season. Signals go up at short notice and can close transport and outdoor attractions for a day or more.

Macao is one of the most densely visited places on earth. The Ruins of St Paul's, Senado Square and Rua da Cunha are all substantially emptier before nine in the morning than at any other time.

Evening is the other good window, when the colonial facades are lit and the Cotai strip comes on.

What to wear

Against pastel, keep it simple

The backgrounds here are already doing a lot — mint, lemon and coral facades, patterned paving, red temple timber. Solid colour or simple neutrals let the architecture carry the frame.

A-Ma Temple and the churches are religious sites, and modest dress is both expected and the practical choice for getting in without issue.

The old town is steep in places and paved in calcada, which is beautiful, uneven and slippery when wet.

Before you go

Temples, casinos and crowds

The casinos and integrated resorts on the Cotai Strip are private property, and most restrict or prohibit photography inside. Their exteriors and public forecourts are a different matter. We confirm what is possible rather than assuming.

A-Ma Temple and the churches are working places of worship. Shoots there are short, quiet and secondary to whatever is happening.

The historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and commercial photography at some locations can require permission. We check before confirming.

Macao is reached by ferry from Hong Kong or across the bridge, and entry requirements differ from the mainland. That is worth checking well before travelling.

Arranging it

How a Macao shoot gets booked

Macao shoots are arranged directly with our team rather than booked online. Tell us your dates, how many of you there are and whether you want the old town, Taipa or Coloane, and we will confirm what can be arranged and what it will cost.

If the Ruins of St Paul's matter to you, take the earliest slot offered. By ten in the morning the stair is full.