Age of ExplorationRan is beautiful, soft spoken, and has a tender disposition. She is pleasant to be around. Immediately you can tell that Ran is turning into a wonderful young lady. What you can't readily tell is that Ran has an interest in modeling and wants to cultivate that interest. She has come to one of those pivotal transition periods in her life where exploration is necessary for evolution. Ran is at one of those ultra-exciting portions of life where anything seems possible. Here is where I come in.I decided to meet in Koenji, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Tokyo known as a stronghold of Japanese subculture. I wanted to shoot in a location that would provide a variety of portrait possibilities. Koenji was perfect. It has a plethora of scenes and is not clogged with throngs of people. Ran and her lovely mother Rosemary showed up right on schedule and we spent some time getting to know each other (email can only take you so far). Even though I had just met Ran, I was proud of her for taking a step to pursue something new and was grateful that she had asked me to take part in the process. After sharing a high five, we got to work. By the end of our session, Ran and I had crafted a wide variety of images in a short amount of time. Though she is nearly at the end of high school, Ran's session wasn't about creating senior portraits. Her session was about moving forward in life and stepping out of comfort zones. I love working with clients like Ran, people who are willing to explore their interests and take risks. To me, just booking a portrait shoot showed that Ran was willing to allow herself be vulnerable. This, in itself, proves that she is mature beyond her years. I was honored to work with such a kind and eager young woman. In fact, Ran served as an inspiration, reminding me that there is great potential in personal vulnerability and that every stage in life is full of fresh possibility. There is no time like the present. Book your portrait session today! Other Recommended PostsThe Client CoffeeI want to have a cup of coffee with all of my clients before our shoot. Sure, I love coffee and fantasize about it more than the average man. The caffeine helps me stay focused and gives me a jolt of energy for the portrait session. But that isn't why I want to have that cuppa with the client. You can learn a lot about a person over a cup of coffee. That ten minutes of time is just enough to get a feel for a person. Working with tons of clients over the years, I can tell how a shoot is going to go just by that cup of coffee. If a client is willing to relax and have a warm beverage (as is social convention), then they will likely be relaxed throughout the shoot. Having a cup of coffee and some good old fashion conversation allows me to establish a connection with my subject. It is the connection that will either make or break a portrait session. I love that ten minute coffee. I love learning about who my client actually is, what makes them tick, and why in the world they would want to spend an after noon with me pointing a camera in their face. This weekend I had the pleasure of having a cup of coffee with Jordan. Jojo, as she likes to be called, is an accomplished dancer from Canada. Naturally, she ordered a maple latte from the quaint outdoor cafe in Kichijoji's Inokashira Park. Being fond of all things Canadian, I had the same. We took our coffees to a nearby bench and began chatting away. In between sips of my latte I learned a lot about Jojo. I learned how she moved away from her home in Canada to follow her dreams in New York City. I learned about her experience earning a BFA in dance. I learned about how she also has trouble learning Japanese. And I learned that she is a real life Disney princess.
I was fascinated. I grew up on Disney movies. Trust me, I can sing the whole Aladdin soundtrack by memory and have a story or two about different ways that one can watch Fantasia. But how, exactly, is Jojo a Disney princess? Jordan left New York to embark on an incredible journey with Disney. Here in Tokyo, Jordan is a stage dancer and plays the part of some of our favorite fairy tale females. Day in and day out, Jojo captivates audiences who have always dreamed of seeing a princess in the flesh. So why would a princess want to spend an afternoon with me? Like many other artists, Jojo realizes the need to keep an up-to-date portfolio stocked with artistic headshots. With a book filled with stellar portraits, entertainment industry professionals are likely to land contract after contract. While Jojo is enjoying every minute in Japan, she is smart to consider the future and knows that Tokyo is just one stop for a princess. With our coffees finished and some great rapport established, Jojo and I jumped into our portrait session. Barnardsville, North Carolina (Summer 2016)Casey and I had only known each other for a week or so. We first worked together on a review I did on a new Manfrotto stunt bag. In the hour or so we shot together, I didn't really get to know Casey and could only say that she seemed as caring and intelligent as she is beautiful. I really like developing relationships with people, especially those I chose to work with. The better you know your portrait subject or creative team, the better work you can produce. After our first shoot together, I was eager to schedule another session with Casey and get to know her. We met in the late afternoon at my house outside of Asheville, North Carolina. It isn't often that I get to shoot near my mountain home as most of my year is spent in Tokyo. Casey showed up on time (rare for a model) and was ready to get to work straight away. We packed a bag and headed towards Barnardsville, a sleepy Appalachian town with little more than a convenience store and a post office. The sun was shining bright but I knew that the mountain humidity would bring rain sooner or later. We cracked the windows and chatted about this and that. I asked questions about Casey's boyfriend and yoga career and she asked me about my life in Tokyo and what it is like to be a new father. Our conversation seemed natural and it felt as though I was having a conversation with a friend instead of someone I had only recently met. We tore through Barnardsville at forty miles per hour, five over the town's strict thirty five limit. I knew we were near our destination when I saw the sign that said, "Pavement ends, five miles." Those five miles went quick as we winded up the mountain road, entered Pisgah National Forest, and bumped off the end of the paved road. We snaked our way up the one lane road and the forest canopy became thick. The air was clean and the July heat was no match for the thick trees. Basically, I couldn't ask for a better location for an afternoon portrait session. Past the first creek bridge was our initial stopping point. Pisgah is my stomping ground and I knew that near this particular bridge was a small cascade that would make a wonderful spot for our first set. We parked the car and hopped into the cold mountain creek. Casey was very patient sitting in the frigid mountain water and was able to stop her shivering lips as she lay upon moss covered boulders. Of course I worked as quickly as possible. After thirty minutes in the creek bed, we decided to head up the forest road to a clearing in the woods. It is odd finding an empty field in a North Carolina forest. These mountain fields seem so out of place after miles and miles of dense deciduous and evergreen. We parked the car along the road and slid past a forest service gate into the field. We got another fifteen minutes of photographs in the field before I saw the clouds. Over the tree line I could see the nastiest looking storm approaching. They were the kind of clouds that you expect Lord Voldemort to come out of. With the storm above our heads we quickly popped back to the car and headed back down the mountain the way we had come up. We rolled the windows up and the rain begin to drip, drop, pour. I drove a bit faster to get down the mountain. Flash floods are common in the area and mountain roads aren't exactly known for being smooth. But coming around the last real switchback I realized that the road washing out was the least of my worries. Right where we had been parked for our cascade set a giant oak tree had succumbed to the wind and had fallen across the road. To the right of the tree, a steep hill that once held the old oak's roots . To the left, a ravine. Normally, the forest service is quick to maintain the roads and to clear trees when they do fall. With the rain coming down, no cellphone service, and night coming I knew that the big tree wouldn't be cut and removed until the next day. I did my best to complete a twelve-point turn on the narrow gravel-mud road and again headed back up the mountain. There was no other option. As we climbed, widow makers fell throughout the forest and the windshield wipers struggled to keep up with the pouring rain. It was at this point that I realized I had never taken the forest road to the top of the mountain. I had no idea where or if that forest road led to anywhere other than a backwoods campsite (So much for arrogantly thinking that these were my stomping grounds). The road climbed steadily and as we gained altitude my nerves and anxiety increased. Honestly, the complete wuss in me really came out. I don't do well driving in the rain. Hell, I don't do well driving period. But after forty minutes of gravelly curves and rutted road we reached the peak of the mountain and began the descent down the other side. Soon enough we came to a T where there were several good ole boys sitting on the side of the road drinking beer next to their old Ford truck. I rolled down the window and immediately amplified my southern twang. After a minute or two of jaw harping with the guys I learned that we were in Burnsville, North Carolina. With my most direct route home cut off by a fallen tree our only choice was to begin the ride home along the state byways. On our way we past beautiful creeks, saw rainbows accented by the sunset, and even managed to find a new road to add to my mental map of the area. Some shoots are standard without too much excitement or anxiety. Some aren't. While portrait sessions with me are never boring, some truly are more exciting than others. Would you like to craft an photo adventure together? If so, check out my portfolios and then reach out so that we can start planning your session!
Last Minute In ShimokitazawaSeveral days ago a spunky student named Lana reached out t0 me. She desperately wanted to schedule a portrait shoot and had a very short timeframe in which to do so. Lana has been in Tokyo for three months completing an internship. With her work practicum complete, she is leaving "for good" in a couple of days. I could tell that Lana really wanted to have a professional portraiture session and time was indeed of the essence. Though it was last minute, I carved a few hours out of my schedule to help Lana out. Lana's problem is quite common. She hadn't had any photographs of herself made in Japan and wanted to have a few portraits of her time in Tokyo to share with family in Hanoi and friends at the University of Illinois. Considering this, I knew that Shimokitazawa was the perfect location for my client. Shimokitazawa station is in Setagaya at the intersection of the Keio Inokashira line and Okakyu Electric Railway. The small station tricks you into thinking that you must have gotten off at the wrong stop. Frankly, the stop is damn small. There aren't large billboards or neon advertisements screaming for your attention. From the platform you can't see a forty foot robot statue like you would in Odaiba nor can you see a massive Godzilla looming from a nearby building. It isn't exactly downtown Tokyo, that much is for certain. Still, Shimokitazawa is definitely the place to be. Vogue Magazine even claimed that the neighborhood affectionately called Shimokita, is the coolest neighborhood in the world. Throughout the morning Shimokitazawa is extremely calm. but as the day wears on, the the streets of Shimokita begin to clog with hipsters from all over Tokyo. Due to limited traffic access, independent fashion retailers thrive and cafes, theaters, bars and live music venues are filled with Japanese youth. What better place to photograph a creative and artistic spirit like Lana? We met at the south gate of the small station in the late afternoon. While the south end of the neighborhood is amazing (there is a video arcade there that takes a lot of my spare change), I knew that we needed to head to the north end of the station to avoid the majority of the crowd and have a more relaxing portrait date. I was right. Once on the north side of the area, the crowds were thin and a gentle breeze cut the summer heat. We lazily strolled the streets, popped into boutiques, ate some pancake pies from Flippers, and even managed to complete our portrait mission. Thank you Lana for such a wonderful afternoon. Congratulations on a successful internship in Japan and good luck with your junior year of university! Do you need a photographer in Tokyo to document your Japanese experience? If so, contact me today to find out how I can help!
About This Studio Portrait SessionBased in Tokyo, Noémie Nakai and Go Kamada are about the prettiest couple you can find. You know... One of those couples who are so gorgeous you almost hate them. Go is a fashion model under the management of BARKinSTYLE (Toyko) and Noémie is an actress and television personality here in Japan. Basically, the couple is one of the most photogenic pairs on the block. I was determined to get the lovers behind my lens. But, instead of shooting a romantic couple's portrait session, I wanted to photograph the two individually. I spoke with Noémie and Go a few times about some portrait ideas and we decided on a date. I was thrilled that we were finally going to have a session together. As I packed my bag, I grabbed a few interesting items that I thought could be worked into our shoot. I found a one piece bathing suit, some cigarettes and a pile of my wife's hair curlers quickly (Hair curlers may seem to be an odd thing to through into a man's bag. But, for some reason I knew I should take them). Noémie and Go showed up at the studio in the late afternoon and we crafted a few looks out of the clothes that I had brought along with me. I even convinced Noémie to put those hair curlers in! With wardrobe decided, Noémie and Go sat down with Carolina Lee, our fabulous make-up artist. For the next couple of hours, we messed about in our downtown studio and produced several solid frames that I am happy to share! Are you in need of a photographer in Tokyo? If you are interested in your own, high key portrait session, contact me today and let me know how I can best serve your photography needs. More On The BlogBehind The ShootI had the opportunity to shoot a set of the White Lies Burlesque for Groove Magazine. At that portrait shoot, I met all of the members of the group that was shaking up the conservative Seoul scene. One of those fiery performers was the petite, French bombshell from who goes by the name Strawberry Cherie. After our initial meeting, Strawberry and I kept in touch. Come to find out she is much more than a burlesque performer. Ms. Cherie is a designer, creating both costume and custom lingerie for clients with particular tastes. She also is a performance artist as well as an accomplished photographer. Strawberry and I met up to talk photography and for a portrait shoot of our own. We worked in a nearby forest, on the rooftops of my apartment building and in the neighbor's basement. Other Portrait Sets You Will LikeFrom Paris France, Meet AlixComing from Paris, it seemed natural that Alix would want her individual portrait session in Tokyo to be inspired by fashion photography. Alix was also clear that she was keen on incorporating nature into our shoot. I scouted a location that was secluded enough for Alix to feel comfortable and that would yield the results we desired. Prior to our shoot time, Alix and I met with makeup artist Rebekah Howard to prepare for the shoot and get Alix all dolled up. From the cafe we walked together to our first location, a quiet spot in some nearby woods. We laughed and enjoyed the fall leaves and lazily shot frames until we had enough material. From the woods we moved a short way down the road to a field full of dead stalks. I had seen the field a few days before and knew that the crumpled and dried field would be a perfect place for portraits. At the end of the day, I couldn't have asked for a nicer client and was honored to be Alix's photographer. Of course I was stoked to share the results with a fabulous client! Thanks for a great portrait session Alix! Makeup by Rebekah Howard
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