Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of becoming an idol.

I imagined myself standing on stage, performing in front of thousands of people, and interacting with fans. I loved the idea of performing so much that, for a while, I genuinely thought becoming a singer might be the path I would take.

Well… that didn't exactly happen.

Instead of becoming an idol, I became a fangirl.

But in a more professional take, I ended up going in almost the complete opposite direction. I started working behind the camera instead of in front of it, eventually studying film production and directing short films.

It's funny how life works sometimes. You don't necessarily stop loving your childhood dreams. You just end up finding a completely different way to live them.

But somewhere deep inside me, I still had that little dream of being on stage.

At 30, I figured it might be a little late to pursue an actual idol career. So instead of taking that dream too seriously, I decided to have a little fun with it.

I booked an idol-inspired photoshoot in the Philippines. And honestly? I'm really glad I did.

I discovered BRH Project while scrolling through TikTok. Their account appeared on my For You Page, and I saw that they offered an IDOL Debut Stage concept photoshoot.

Since I was planning to be in the Philippines for my birthday, I immediately thought, "Why not?" I decided to treat it as a little birthday gift to myself.

BRH Project is located in Makati and booking the photoshoot was very easy through their online booking platform. For my photoshoot, I booked their IDOL Debut Stage Package, which was listed at ₱7,000 at the time of my booking.

The package includes edited and printed photos, as well as idol-inspired merchandise such as a mini album and photocards.

Basically, the whole experience is designed to make you feel like you're debuting as an idol which was exactly what I wanted.

One of the things I appreciated about the experience was that I didn't have to prepare much beforehand.

You don't necessarily need to bring your own clothes or prepare an elaborate concept. BRH Project has outfits available for you to choose from, along with makeup services. Of course, if you already have a specific outfit, styling, or concept in mind, you can also bring your own things.

In my case, I didn't really have a specific concept prepared. I just showed up with my friend, aka my manager. She was very supportive throughout the whole experience, basically doing her job as my idol manager for the day.

When I arrived, I filled out the necessary details and chose my outfit. After that, I sat down for makeup.

And honestly, I loved how the makeup turned out.

I didn't have any specific makeup inspiration to show them, so I mostly let the staff do their thing. I think that was actually the best decision because it allowed them to create the look they thought would work best for the concept.

Once the makeup and styling were done, it was time for the actual photoshoot.

This was probably the most interesting part of the entire experience for me.

I'm used to being behind the camera.

As a filmmaker, I'm much more comfortable thinking about the composition, directing actors, checking the framing, and worrying about what's happening on the other side of the lens.

This time, I was the subject.

And I was nervous.

I felt awkward. I wasn't completely sure what to do with my body. And at one point, I was genuinely wondering if booking this photoshoot had been a terrible idea.  But eventually, I just decided to stop overthinking it.

I pretended I was an idol. And somehow, that worked.

The staff were also really kind throughout the photoshoot. They encouraged me, gave me directions, and kept hyping me up when I was feeling shy. That actually helped me loosen up and become more comfortable in front of the camera.

And ironically, the experience also taught me something as a director.

When you're directing someone who isn't used to being in front of a camera, they can easily become self-conscious or unsure of themselves. Having someone encourage you and tell you that you're doing well can make such a difference.

So while I went into this photoshoot thinking I was just going to pretend to be an idol, I somehow came out of it with a little lesson about directing too.

After the photoshoot, I got to choose the photos I wanted to have edited. This was honestly harder than I expected. There were so many photos to choose from, and suddenly I had to become my own creative director.

Once I selected my favorites, the photos were edited and printed, and they were turned into the different products included in the package. Seeing the finished mini album, merchandise, and photocards was such a fun experience. It really did feel like I had my own little idol debut. And seeing the final results completely changed how I felt about the photoshoot.

Remember how I said I was questioning my decision halfway through?

Well… I ended up loving the photos.

For me, yes.

This wasn't just about getting pretty photos.

I wanted to do something fun and slightly ridiculous for my 30th birthday. More importantly, I wanted to do something for the younger version of myself who once dreamed of becoming a singer.

Maybe I didn't become the idol she imagined. But for a few hours, I got to step into that dream. And I think that's pretty special.

I also found the experience reasonably priced compared with some of the photoshoot experiences I've seen here in South Korea, which made me even happier to see this kind of concept becoming available in the Philippines.

I'm really glad I decided to try it, and I would definitely love to visit BRH Project again the next time I'm back in the Philippines.

@annyeongruth POV: you finally got your idol debut… just a few years late 😂✨ I’ve always wondered what I would look like as an idol, so when I saw this concept on my FYP, I took it as a sign. 🤭 No mood board. No elaborate preparation. Just me, my “manager,” and a studio that somehow made me look like I have an actual debut scheduled. 😭 Would you book an idol photoshoot for your birthday? 📍 @BRH Project #BRHProject #KpopPhotoshoot #kpop ♬ cutie - Mofeny

If you're looking for an idol-inspired photoshoot in the Philippines, especially if you want to experience what it feels like to have your own K-pop-inspired debut concept, BRH Project is definitely a fun experience to consider.

And if you're like me and usually spend your time behind the camera…

Maybe it's time to step in front of it for a change. ✨