Frequently Asked Questions⁺

General Questions⁺

What type of photography do you do?

I specialize in Headshots, Personal Branding, and Family & Couple portraiture. We can tailor each session specifically to your needs, whether indoors, outdoors, on location, or in one of our studio spaces throughout the Tokyo and Kanto areas.

Why should I hire a professional photographer?

One of the things I hear most from my clients is their insecurities about taking photos. Wouldn’t it be a relief to hire a professional who understands how to handle their client’s insecurities and create excellent, confident, and memorable images for them to cherish or use proudly? I know I would. Being wary of photography should mean something other than skimping on investing with a Tokyo Portrait Photographer or any other photographer in Tokyo. Make the investment!

Are deposits refundable?

Deposits paid can be refunded or repurposed for a different session as long as the cancellation is made three weeks from the date of our session.

How much are your photographic services?

For my family and couples sessions, the session fee (AKA the deposit) is 20,000 yen plus sales tax. Our Headshots and Branding session fees are 40,000 yen plus sales tax. Our corporate team sessions have a base price of 50,000 yen plus 12,500 yen per person.

Any event fee is 20,000 yen per hour, and images are included in our private photo gallery.

I have a question about your cancellation or rescheduling fees.

Cancellation and rescheduling fees are both 40,000 yen. For rescheduling fees, our 40,000 yen payment will be rolled into your image packages once we’ve completed our photo session and ordered an appointment.

Do you touch up the images?

Yes, we can make minor touch-ups while maintaining the integrity of who you are and the message you want to convey in the image.

Where can we view our images?

Images can be seen via Zoom at our ordering appointment for all portrait sessions. Once purchases have been made, we can share your new photos via a digital private gallery. If you have ordered any of our Italian prints, we will place the order with our lab partners and have them shipped to your home.

Do you travel for sessions?

Yes, we travel throughout the Kanto area at no additional charge. However, for locations outside of Kanto, any incurred costs, such as transportation and accommodation, will be added.

What if I lose my images?

We save all of our images in cloud storage and on mirrored RAID hard drives. If you need them restored, just let us know.

Do I own my images?

Yes, payment for your images grants you commercial rights to use them however you see fit.

What is your philosophy of photography?

My philosophy in photography is that everyone deserves to be photographed at any significant moment of their lives. We get so caught up in wanting our bodies to look younger, thinner, or whatever our idea of perfect is before we step into someone’s studio for a photo. But what many people fail to realize is that our bodies do amazing things. They keep us alive, keep us moving. While they change over time, they still maintain those two essential functions.

We tend to take our bodies for granted. We also tend to take our significance to others for granted — our importance to our friends, colleagues, and, most importantly, our family. How will they remember us when we’re gone?

At that point, no one is really counting the pounds, wrinkles, or gray hairs. They’re recounting the memories they had with you, no matter what state your body was in at that moment in time. I want my clients to cherish that captured moment in time.

Headshots / Branding / Family & Couples⁺

When will we get our finished prints?

Our print lab partners in Italy usually take four weeks to handmake, print, install, and send our images to our Japan studio.

Do you include digital images?

Yes, our prints are complementary to their respective digital copies.

How long will our session take?

Our sessions are typically 90 minutes long. This is long enough to accommodate outfit changes and location changes if necessary.

What kind of physical prints do you offer?

All of our physical prints are sourced from Italy. Our print paper is museum-grade Lustere Matte archival print paper.

We have two print collections: Our leather Reveal Box Collection and our suede Portfolio Wrap Collection. Each can hold up to 30 matted images at 8 x 10 inches or 20cm x 25cm.

Our Storybook Album Collection is a leather exterior with Japanese washi paper that holds the rich colors of our images. We can create up to 60 pages. All collections have engraved title options available.

We also have wall art pieces that are as small as an A3 size poster and go as large as an A0 size poster! We have them as Enlarged Mats and Leather Canvases.

Vegan options of equal quality are available.

How many images do you deliver?

You can buy as many as you like. Some clients buy ten and some buy 100! It is entirely up to you and your needs (and wants)!

Do you backup images? Can we trust our images will not be lost?

Absolutely. We do not throw away any of our images. We store them in a cloud management system and on mirrored hard drives in our office.

Corporate & Business Team Headshots Sessions⁺

How long will our session take?

For individual sessions, our sessions are typically 90 minutes long. These are long enough to accommodate outfit changes and location changes if need be.

For our team headshot sessions, we can have 5-minute sessions with each team member or even 30-minute sessions with each team member. The company’s number of headshots needed, budget, and allotted time is entirely up to the company.

How many images do you deliver?

For our sessions, we usually present around 100 images to choose from at our ordering appointment.

For our team headshot sessions, we show each person via our tethered laptop what the images look like. This gives each person an opportunity to select their favorite image or perhaps photograph a bit more in a different way.

I have questions about what to wear.

For a team headshot session, it’s best to confer with the point person coordinating the session. We photographed some teams in uniforms, business casual wear, and business formal wear.

For individual sessions, what message would you like to give your audience? What style of attire do they mostly see you in? During our consultation, we can start by tailoring your photo session.

Events⁺

Can we get images quickly for social media?

Yes, you can receive up to 30 images on the day of the event for social media use.

Do you have a team of multiple photographers?

Yes, I have access to photographers and videographers with whom I have collaborated in the past, and I trust their work ethic and level of service.

Do you do videography?

I still strictly do photography; however, I have a network of other videographers with whom I have collaborated in the past, and I trust their work ethic and level of service.

How many images do you deliver?

The average number of deliverable images is between 80 to 100 per hour of shooting. For quick same-day delivery highlights for social media, we send up to 30 images.

How much are your event photography services?

For all of our event photography clients, we make sure they receive the following:

An average image count of 50 to 80 images per hour
My assistant as a second photographer if the event is over 5 hours long or is a large event
Up to 30 images same-day delivery for social media
Five day turn around time for full delivery
Kanto transportation costs are covered

All of these for 20,000 yen per hour of covering your event

School Photography⁺

What services do you offer for school portrait day?

We provide individual portraits, class group photos, and sibling photos captured on location at the designated school facility. We also offer various digital and print package options and retouching services.

How are Fine Art School Portraits different from Standard School Portraits?

Fine Art School Portraits is an opportunity to step away from more traditional school photos. A new experience that not only allows your institution a more elevated look but also enriches your school’s students with an experience that allows them to express themselves authentically without forcing them to smile or create unnatural expressions.

Our images are simple and have a minimalistic black or cream background, allowing our team to focus on your child’s personality and character.

What are your rates?

For our schools, we charge a simple day rate of ¥96,000 for half days or ¥160,000 for full days. Half days are less intrusive to our schools’ daily schedules. Schools have access to one digital image per student for their use for things such as yearbooks, student IDs, and the like.

Parents will have access to individual galleries for digital images at ¥4,900 per image, with additional options for physical prints and retouching.

What time of year do you do school photo shoots?

We work with each international school to schedule shoots at a time of year that is convenient for them. The most popular time of year is from September to November.

Do you do class photos?

Yes, we offer class photos and extracurricular group photos if needed on the day or if they are scheduled at a later time.

How many students do you accomodate for?

We have offered similar services to international schools ranging from 50 students to over 300 students!

How do parents receive photos?

Parents will receive an email from us with a link directly to their child’s private gallery. Only the parent or guardian has access to the gallery. Once they have made their purchase, they will receive an invitation to download their digital images or receive their physical prints by mail at the mailing address provided.