So, this was a first for me. Recently, I got to shoot a portrait session with a professional portrait photographer. I met Tasseer through Instagram. He is a portrait photographer based in the Kyoto - Osaka - Kobe area of Japan, and he wanted some portrait shots taken to use on his website. It was also his first time to visit Nagoya, so he wanted to see some locations here. He said he liked the photos I recently took of Tomomi in the Shikemichi area, so we decided to start there. When Tasseer arrived, the sun was still pretty high in the sky, so we looked for some open shade opportunities. I like the Shikemichi area for its warehouse district look, so we included the buildings in the background for an urban feel.

While walking around, we passed a couple locations that we thought would look cooler at dusk, so we decided to walk to Noritake (about 20 minutes away) first, while waiting for the sun to set a bit. Tasseer told me that he often walks around town with his clients, looking for locations to shoot, and that he doesn't mind walking. I like walking too, so we ended up doing a lot of walking (and a lot of talking). At Noritake, with it's brick buildings, fountain, and grassy areas, we were able to get a different look. It was interesting doing a portrait shoot with another photographer, because I could consult with him and get opinions. At times, I got so into talking about cameras and shooting techniques that I almost forgot we were doing a shoot. But, Tasseer was really nice about it, and kept saying that he likes my work and that I should just do my thing, so that was nice to hear.

After shooting at Noritake for awhile, the sun had drifted lower in the sky, so we decided to walk back to the Shikemichi area. One feature of the Shikemichi area is the shotengai shopping mall that is several blocks long. Besides having interesting shops, restaurants, and temples, there are rows of lights along the canopy that come on at dusk, and look nice as background bokeh. For the darker shots, I took out my flash to use as fill-light on Tasseers face and body, so I wouldn't have to overexpose the background and lose the color and feel of the ambient night light. I am still learning about flash, so it was great to be able to consult with him about what settings to use. 

During the blue hour just after the sun had set, we remembered to hit some of the locations we'd scoped out earlier, including the restaurant with the dark wood wall with a lamp hanging above. Sure enough, in the pale evening light, the lamp created a pool of warm light that contrasted well with the cooler colors of the evening sky. We also used the bridge and a local restaurant as backgrounds as they conveyed a sense of the neighborhood.

After the shoot, we had dinner and talked camera some more, and then Tasseer drove back to Kyoto. It was a stimulating and fun shoot, and I was honored that he chose me to do it. If you find yourself in the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area looking for a photographer, I highly recommend Tasseer. He's a great photographer and a really nice guy.  https://www.kyotophotographer.com/