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Before their trip to Japan, they had been studying a little Japanese. It came up early in our shoot, and I have to admit it made me really happy. Taking the time to learn some of the language before visiting says a lot about how much respect someone has for a place and its culture.

We met in one of the busiest parts of Kyoto — around Yasaka Pagoda, Ninenzaka, and Sannenzaka — but early enough that the streets were still quiet. That gave us a short, precious window to photograph them with the old wooden buildings and stone-paved slopes before the crowds arrived.

They had dressed beautifully for the day, and they were completely at ease in front of the camera. No stiffness, no nerves — just natural expressions and relaxed poses from the very first frame. That kind of comfort makes a huge difference, and the photos showed it.

I wanted their photos to feel like a real memory of Japan, so I took them to the places that feel the most unmistakably Kyoto. They loved every spot I suggested, and each time I showed them the photos on the back of the camera, they said how much they liked them. That reaction never gets old.

What I enjoyed most, though, was the conversation. Somewhere along the way it turned into a small language exchange — I asked them about English expressions I was curious about, and they asked me about Japanese words and phrases. We traded back and forth between shots, laughing at the tricky ones. It made the hour feel full and fun, and it went by far too quickly.

Both of them were kind, calm, and bright, and it was a real pleasure to spend the morning with them. Thank you for choosing me as your photographer — I truly enjoyed every minute. Please come back to Japan again, and keep practising your Japanese. I look forward to seeing you next time.

If you are planning a couple photoshoot in Kyoto, here’s a look at my Kyoto packages.

Arashiyama has one big advantage for families with small children: room to run. Wide riverside paths, open grass, trees to explore — it gives kids the freedom to be themselves, and that is exactly when the best family photos happen.

This family of five met me by the river. Mum and Dad arrived carrying the kind of bags every parent of three little ones knows well, but they were fully prepared and ready to start within minutes. I always admire that.

The three children warmed up to me remarkably quickly. Within the first few minutes they had forgotten the camera was even there, which is the best thing that can happen on a family shoot. Instead of stiff, posed smiles, I got real ones — kids being kids, running along the paths, crouching down to touch the grass and leaves, discovering little things in the trees. Those are the moments parents tell me they treasure most later on.

In between the adventures, we gathered everyone together for family portraits too. With five people, and three of them very small, that can take a little patience. But this family made it easy. They were so close and so comfortable with each other that the togetherness showed up naturally in every frame.

Mum and Dad also trusted me completely with poses and direction. That kind of trust makes a real difference. It means they can relax and simply be with their children, while I take care of finding the light, the angles, and the moments. By the end, we had a wonderful mix of family photos, playful shots of the kids, and quiet moments between parents and children.

Thank you so much for choosing me to photograph your family. It was a joy to meet all five of you. Please come back to Japan together someday — I would love to see how much the kids have grown.

If you are planning a family photoshoot in Kyoto with little ones, you can see my Kyoto packages and details here.

The ring was already on her finger when they walked up to meet me. They had gotten engaged shortly before our shoot, and I knew it — so the very first thing I said to them was congratulations. Their faces lit up straight away, and from that moment the whole session had a celebratory feeling to it.

We met at Maruyama Park and started with the greenery there, keeping things relaxed while they settled in. From there, our plan was to walk to Gion Shirakawa, and the walk itself turned into half the fun. Along the way we stopped at a Japanese vending machine, at old wooden storefronts, and at little corners of Gion that most people walk straight past. Some of my favourite frames from the day came from those unplanned stops.

They told me it was their first time wearing kimono, which honestly surprised me, because it suited them so naturally. Against the old streets of Gion, they looked completely at home. Every time I lifted the camera, the colours, the setting, and the two of them seemed to fall into place.

They were also wonderful to work with. Whatever I suggested — a pose, a spot, a slightly different angle — they said yes with real enthusiasm. When I showed them photos on the back of the camera, they kept complimenting the shots, which made me very happy. And because they had shared a few places they wanted to visit beforehand, we were able to fit many of those in too.

By the time we reached Gion Shirakawa, it felt less like a photoshoot and more like a stroll with friends, just with a camera along for the ride. They were friendly, kind, bright, and quick to smile, and I enjoyed every minute.

Congratulations again on your engagement — I am so happy I got to be part of this chapter. Please come back to Japan someday. I would love to see you both again.

If you have just gotten engaged and want to mark it with photos in Kyoto, my Kyoto packages are all on this page.

Every good proposal location starts with one question: what would she love? For this one, he and I spent a while on that question together. He told me what he was hoping for, and what he knew about her taste — and slowly, the answer became clear. It had to be a Japanese garden in Kyoto.

The garden we chose is a genuinely beautiful place, but it is not somewhere you can simply walk in and start a photoshoot. Photography there requires permission in advance, so I took care of that side of things before the day. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes work most couples never see, and that is exactly how it should be.

He and I had mapped out where in the garden the proposal would happen, and on the day he kept me updated with messages the whole way through. On top of that, their friends and family were there too — several of them had reached out to me beforehand so we were all on the same page. With that many people quietly working together, everything ran beautifully.

She was completely surprised. He looked so happy and relieved that it had all come together. And the moment it was done, their friends and family came over to celebrate. I photographed the whole family together, group shots, photos with friends — everyone wanted to be part of it, and showing them the photos afterwards brought out more smiles all round.

Then I took the two of them to the spots in the garden I had scouted earlier. It was late afternoon by then, and the setting sun was turning everything gold. Some of my favourite frames of the day came from that stretch — soft light, quiet paths, and two people who had just said yes.

We talked the whole time, too. Anime, manga, and especially games — it turned out we all love games, so we ended up talking about Nintendo for far longer than I expected. It was one of those sessions where the conversation flows as easily as the shoot itself.

Both of them were warm and kind, and their friends and family were just as bright and welcoming. I had a wonderful time with all of them. Thank you for trusting me with such an important day — congratulations, and please come back to Japan soon.

If you are imagining a proposal in a Kyoto garden built around what your partner loves, my Kyoto packages are right this way.

The gates of Daigoji Temple opened, and we were the first ones through. He had arrived a little early, and so had I — which meant that for a short, precious window, the temple grounds belonged to just the three of us.

That was the whole plan. Daigoji is one of Kyoto’s great temples, and on most days it fills up as the morning goes on. By being there right at opening, we gave ourselves a completely empty setting for the proposal.

As we had arranged, I walked up to them as a tourist and asked if they would mind taking my photo. She was so kind about it. She took her time, framed the shot carefully, and handed the camera back with a smile — not a hint of hurry or hesitation. When I offered to take one of the two of them in return, she agreed with a huge smile, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

Then he got down on one knee and held out the ring.

She jumped. Actually jumped — straight up, hands flying, pure joy all over her face. I have photographed a lot of proposals, and reactions like that never get old. The two of them held onto each other and celebrated right there in the empty temple grounds, and I just kept shooting. It was one of the happiest few minutes I have seen behind the camera this year.

After that, we explored more of Daigoji together. Every pose I suggested, they went for with real enthusiasm, and every spot we stopped at gave us something new. By the end we had a wonderfully varied set of photos — quiet moments, playful ones, and a lot of laughter in between. When I showed them the results, their reaction made my whole morning.

The two of them have the kind of smiles that light up a frame, and they treated me like a friend from the very first minute. Being their photographer for this was a real gift.

Congratulations, both of you. Please come back to Japan someday — I would love to see you again.

If you are dreaming up a surprise proposal at one of Kyoto’s temples, take a peek at my Kyoto packages.

Maruyama Park, then Yasaka Pagoda, then the stone steps of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, and finally the wooden houses along Gion Shirakawa. That was the route this couple and I walked together — and it all started with a proposal.

He and I had chosen a quiet corner of Maruyama Park for the moment itself. He arrived right on time, and there was not a single other person around when he asked. She had no idea it was coming. Her surprise was immediate and complete, and the happiness that followed was the kind you can see from across a garden. I kept shooting through all of it.

When it was over, I walked over to congratulate them and showed them a few of the frames on the back of the camera. Watching them look at those first photos together — still a little stunned, still smiling — is one of my favourite parts of any proposal.

From there, we started walking. It was their first time in this part of Kyoto, so everything was new to them: the pagoda rising above the rooftops, the old shopfronts along Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka, the slow climb of the stone slopes. They kept stopping to take it all in, and at one point they told me how happy they were to have photos somewhere that felt so unmistakably Japanese. That meant a lot to hear.

We did not stop there. We kept going all the way to Gion Shirakawa, where the old wooden machiya houses line the canal. It was quieter than I had expected, which gave us room to slow down and take our time. They were completely up for every idea, and the photos from that stretch are full of relaxed, genuine laughter.

What stayed with me most, though, was how they moved through these places. They were polite, careful, and clearly respectful of the neighbourhoods we were walking through — the kind of visitors Kyoto quietly hopes for. It made the whole morning feel easy and good.

Thank you both for choosing me to be part of this day, and for walking all those streets with me. Congratulations — I hope life brings you back to Japan again soon.

If you are dreaming up a proposal in Gion with a walk through old Kyoto afterwards, my Kyoto packages are one click away.

There are sessions where the couple’s joy just quietly spills out beyond them. This one at Daigoji Temple was exactly that — the two of them were so warm and open that even local Japanese visitors passing by ended up joining the celebration.

He and I had planned this shoot carefully, choosing a time when we thought the temple grounds would be at their quietest. He arrived exactly on time, and on top of that, he had kept me updated in real time throughout the morning — where he was, what time they were leaving, everything. That kind of communication makes such a huge difference on the day itself. When they arrived, everything unfolded exactly the way we had planned.

The proposal itself was one of those beautiful, uncomplicated moments. She was clearly overjoyed, and he looked so relieved and happy that his plan had worked. I captured that whole exchange with a real sense of gratitude — this is the kind of moment you never take for granted as a photographer.

From there, we moved through some of the more beautiful spots inside Daigoji. Because the temple is famous, there were quite a few Japanese visitors around — not tourists in the international sense, but Japanese locals visiting the temple grounds. What was so lovely was that a handful of them noticed what had just happened and came over to congratulate them. They chatted, they smiled, they wished the couple well. Some of these little moments of warmth from complete strangers are things you cannot plan for, but they made the whole session feel extra special.

The couple themselves are honestly two of the kindest, most gentle people I have had the pleasure of photographing. Every pose I suggested, they went for with such positive energy. Every location we tried, they loved. That kind of openness makes my job feel less like work and more like spending a morning with people who happen to be brilliant in front of a camera.

Thank you both so much for choosing me for this important morning, and for the warmth you brought to it — a warmth that clearly reached everyone around you too. Congratulations. I really hope life brings you back to Japan sometime.

If you are dreaming up a proposal at one of Kyoto’s beautiful temples like Daigoji, you can pop over to my Kyoto packages.