I first met Joya while taking photos of the Nagoya Player's production "Psychic". We became Facebook friends, and took turns commenting on each other's photos. I could tell from Joya's photos that she is an appreciator of form, and finding beauty and interest in the visual world. We had talked of doing photo shoots together, but somehow never found the chance. Finally, though, I asked if Joya would be a model for me and we agreed on a date. We went to Heiwa Park on Saturday, on an unseasonably warm afternoon. Joya had incidentally just flown back from a visit to the U.S. the day before, so I was worried that she would be wiped out from jet lag, but she was a trooper. She said she wasn't really used to being photographed as a model and had no idea how to pose. And, as a photographer, telling people how to pose is my biggest weakness. Also, it was the middle of the day and the sun was bright and harsh, so I was a bit worried about how the session would go. We walked around for awhile, not really finding any dramatic locations --I guess this is why they suggest "planning before your shoot" --and I was feeling rather unprofessional. Fortunately, Joya is very easy to talk to and it was a nice afternoon, so I was thinking that maybe it would end up just being a nice walk in the park. Finally, though, we settled on a few spots and started shooting. I've been trying to integrate off-camera flash into my photography recently, so I had my flash on a cord, holding it in my left hand, while I took the picture with my right. Joya was a bit unsure at first, and I was not giving much direction, but once the jitters wore off, we both seemed to just let it come and I started to get that feeling where I think I may have captured something of meaning in the frame. I took fewer photos than I normally do, but still ended up with several that I really like, including three or four which I think really brought out Joya's beauty. My wife, while watching me edit, suggested that black and white might suit Joya's look, and when I tried it, I agreed. There is something powerful about black and white, how it reduces the amount of visual information, and draws attention to form. In this case, I loved how it emphasized Joya's eyes and brought out detail in her long, wavy hair. In the end, it turned out to be a fun, satisfying afternoon.