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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.

An Early Morning Arashiyama Proposal — And a Walk Through the Old Streets After

By the time we met in Arashiyama, the morning air was already warming up. We had planned an early start on purpose — mid-July in Kyoto doesn’t leave much room for slow starts, and I wanted them to have the space almost entirely to themselves for the proposal.

He and I had worked out the plan together beforehand: he would naturally bring her to the spot we had chosen, right on time. And that’s exactly how it happened. When they arrived, everything unfolded so smoothly that even I was quietly impressed. Nothing about his approach gave anything away, and she had no idea what was about to happen.

When he asked, her surprise was complete. I could tell in an instant that she had not seen this coming at all. I kept shooting through the whole moment — the exchange, her reaction, the joy that followed. Some of my favourite frames from this year are from those first few seconds.

After we had captured the proposal itself and given them some time to just be together, I suggested we walk into the heart of Arashiyama for a change of scenery. They loved the idea. The atmosphere of central Arashiyama is completely different from where we had started — busier, full of traditional buildings, small shops, and that distinctive Arashiyama feeling in the air. We spent the rest of the hour there, capturing an entirely different mood in the same session.

They were both so wonderful throughout the whole thing. The heat was real, and I had asked them to walk quite a bit, but neither of them complained once. Every pose I suggested, they went for. Every spot we stopped at, they were up for. Their energy stayed light the whole way through, and it made every photo better.

By the end of the session, they had loved every image I showed them on the back of the camera. That’s always such a nice moment.

Thank you both so much for choosing me to photograph such an important morning, and thank you especially for walking through the summer heat without a single word of complaint. Congratulations — I really hope life brings you back to Japan sometime, and I would love to photograph you again.

If you are planning a summer proposal in Kyoto or want to catch Arashiyama before the crowds, you can browse my Kyoto packages.

A Kyoto Surprise Proposal Where the Groom Played His Part Perfectly

He walked up to me before I could walk up to them. That’s usually not how these things go — normally I’m the one approaching the couple as a tourist, camera in hand, playing my part. This time, he beat me to it. And honestly, it turned into one of the smoothest surprise proposals I’ve ever photographed.

For a surprise proposal to work, so much depends on the groom-to-be being able to act naturally. If he seems nervous, or if there’s any hint that something is off, the surprise falls apart. This one was in a different league entirely. His acting was so natural that even I, watching him from close up, would have believed everything was completely normal. That made my job so much easier — I could relax into my own part, and the two of us pulled off the whole thing together like we had been rehearsing for weeks.

When the moment came, she had absolutely no idea. Not a hint of suspicion. It hadn’t even occurred to her that he might have hired a photographer. When he actually proposed, her surprise was complete, and it turned quickly into the softest, happiest kind of tears. I photographed the whole thing with her joy filling the frame.

After the proposal itself, we spent the rest of the hour just enjoying each other’s company. Both of them were so friendly and warm that it barely felt like a photoshoot — more like the three of us were out playing together for the morning. I love photographing sessions that feel like that. The energy is different, and the photos always come out looking natural and easy.

More than anything, though, what I loved about this couple was their smiles. Both of them have these bright, warm, completely genuine smiles that just carry every photo they’re in. I ended up with so many frames of the two of them beaming at each other, and honestly, looking back through them afterwards made me happy all over again.

Thank you both so much for choosing me to be behind the camera for this important morning, and thank you especially for being such a wonderful co-conspirator, and such lovely people to spend an hour with. Congratulations — I really hope life brings you back to Japan sometime. I would love to see you both again.

If you are dreaming up a surprise proposal in Kyoto, and you’re the kind of person willing to play your part beautifully, here’s where to find my Kyoto packages.

There is one large bridge tucked inside one of the quieter, more spacious parks in Kyoto — the kind of spot that looks made for a moment like this. That is where we had planned the proposal to happen.

He and I had spent some real time picking the location together beforehand. We wanted somewhere with a bit of space, somewhere with beautiful scenery, and — more than anything — somewhere private enough that this moment could belong just to them. The bridge fit all of that. My only worry going into the morning was whether a few local walkers might pass through at the wrong moment, but as it turned out, we had the spot entirely to ourselves.

He arrived right on schedule, and everything unfolded exactly the way we had planned. She had absolutely no idea what was coming — no hint of suspicion at all — and when he actually asked, her surprise was completely genuine. She was so happy, and watching him watch her reaction was just as beautiful. Standing there with my camera up, I felt so lucky to be included in a moment that clearly meant so much to both of them.

After the proposal itself, we kept walking and shooting throughout the rest of the park. This place is such a quiet gem — full of gentle changes in scenery. We stopped near one of the ponds, then walked over to a spot with these huge, tall trees where the light came filtering through the leaves so beautifully. Later, we found a small river running through the park and took some photos there too. It was the kind of session where every ten minutes we found ourselves in a completely different landscape without ever leaving the same park.

They loved every single photo I showed them on the back of the camera, which honestly made my morning. Their energy was so warm the entire hour — I finished the session smiling.

Thank you so much for choosing me to be there for such an important moment, and for trusting the plan we had built together. Congratulations to both of you — I am really happy for you, and I hope life brings you back to Japan sometime.

If you are dreaming up a private, spacious surprise proposal spot in Kyoto, my Kyoto packages are right here.

Mid-June in Kyoto usually feels warm and heavy. This year, somehow it didn’t — the air stayed cool and calm, and it made the perfect kind of day for a Gion Kyoto couple session.

I met this couple in the middle of June, and from the moment they walked up to me, they were so warm and friendly that it honestly felt like we had already known each other for a long time. That kind of energy makes such a difference on a shoot. Any tension you might normally have as a photographer just melts away, and you can focus completely on capturing the two of them at their most natural.

Because of that easy start, I didn’t have to think twice before suggesting poses or trying new ideas. They took every suggestion beautifully, and they clearly enjoyed the process just as much as I did. It’s always so obvious when a couple is genuinely having fun in front of the camera — the photos tell you before anyone says anything.

I took them through a range of spots — some full of green and nature, others surrounded by the classic old wooden architecture that makes Gion Kyoto so special. Every place we stopped, they were up for. Every angle I set up, they trusted. The whole session had that lovely, easy rhythm where nothing feels forced and everything just flows.

The hour flew by. We talked and laughed the whole way through, and by the time we wrapped up, it really did feel like I had just spent an hour with friends rather than doing a shoot. When I showed them the photos on the back of the camera, they loved every single one — which is honestly the best feeling in this job.

Thank you both so much for being so open, so warm, and so easy to work with. Getting to photograph couples like you is one of my favourite parts of what I do, and I feel really lucky it was me you chose. I hope you come back to Japan sometime — I would love to see you both again.

If you are dreaming up a couple photoshoot in Kyoto that feels natural and easy from start to finish, come see my Kyoto packages here.

I have photographed proposals. I have photographed maternity sessions. But I have never done both in the same morning until this one.

We met at 8 in the morning along a river in Arashiyama that most people never find — a small, tucked-away spot where the water runs quietly and the trees hold most of the sound. Because we had started early, there was no one else around at all. Just the water, the birds calling in the trees above us, and the two of them stepping into what turned out to be the most magical morning.

They arrived right on time. As we had planned together beforehand, the surprise proposal unfolded exactly the way we had hoped. When he asked, she was completely overwhelmed. She started crying almost immediately, in the softest, happiest way. I photographed the whole moment feeling deeply lucky to be there for it.

And then, just as we started transitioning into the rest of the couple session, they shared something with me I had not known — she was expecting. So we naturally added maternity photos into the session too, right there by the river. Some of my favourite frames of the entire morning are the quiet ones with her hand on her belly, the two of them standing together in the soft morning light. Getting to photograph their proposal and the beginning of their family life in one continuous session is an experience I will carry with me for a long time.

We shot in a few different spots along the river and beyond, and every single one worked. They loved every photo I showed them on the back of the camera, and the whole morning had this quiet, beautiful, complete feeling to it — a family photoshoot before the family even fully arrived, in a way.

Thank you both so much for choosing me to be behind the camera for such a big morning. It really did mean a lot. Congratulations to the two of you, and to your growing family — I wish all three of you every ounce of happiness in the days ahead. I really hope to see you all again the next time you visit Japan.

If you are dreaming up a sunrise proposal in Arashiyama, a maternity session in Kyoto, or something that combines a few beautiful moments into one, the details are at my Kyoto packages page.

They were standing on a small bridge over one of Gion’s quieter rivers when he asked. It was still very early morning — the streets around us empty, no one else in sight, and the light doing that gentle thing it does just after sunrise.

We had planned an early meeting to avoid the usual Gion crowds, and it worked exactly as we had hoped. When they walked up to the bridge, I was already there pretending to be a tourist taking photos of the river and the traditional houses. They arrived right on time, and as they stepped onto the bridge together, he turned to her and asked.

I photographed the whole thing from a small distance, so their moment stayed entirely their own. She started crying almost immediately, in the softest way — pure, real joy. Then they hugged, and there was so much smile in that hug that I felt myself smiling behind the camera too. Watching them stand there in the still, quiet morning was one of those experiences that makes this job feel so lucky.

After the proposal, we walked through Gion Shirakawa and some of the other beautiful older streets nearby, and the two of them stayed just as warm and easy the entire time. Even when we walked into the busier parts of Gion later, their energy did not change at all. They were the kind of couple that makes any location feel light.

At one point I took them past a spot with a whole wall of gachagacha machines — those little Japanese capsule-toy vending machines — just because I thought it might make a fun photo. They loved it. I do not usually take proposal couples to places like that, but I am so glad I did that day. The photos turned out fun, playful, and completely them.

The hour flew by. We talked and laughed the entire way through, and by the end I felt like I had spent time with people I would love to see again someday.

Thank you both for choosing me to be there for such an important morning, and for being so open to going a few unexpected places along the way. Congratulations — I am so happy for you, and I really hope you come back to Japan sometime.

If you are dreaming up a quiet, early-morning proposal in Kyoto, you’ll find everything on my Kyoto packages page.

How do you photograph a private, unhurried surprise proposal at Fushimi Inari — a shrine that welcomes tens of thousands of visitors every single day? The short answer is: very early morning, and a lot of quiet planning together beforehand.

Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of Kyoto’s most-visited shrines, and honestly, in the days before this shoot I had been a little worried about the crowds. So he and I spent some real time working out the plan in detail. I mapped out exactly where we would meet, exactly where I would step in as a tourist, exactly where he should ask. He had taken it all in, and on the morning of the shoot, he arrived at the meeting spot right on time — and from that moment on, everything unfolded just the way we had hoped.

Because we had started so early, the shrine was almost empty. There was no one in the background at all in the frames where it mattered. As planned, I walked up as a tourist and asked her if she could take a photo of me. She did not suspect a thing, and she said yes so warmly that I already knew this was going to be a good session. Then he turned to her, got down on one knee, and asked.

She was completely surprised. She started crying almost immediately, in the softest, most heartfelt way, and watching that moment through the camera was one of those experiences I do not take for granted. I felt so happy standing there. I remember thinking, right in the middle of shooting, how grateful I was to be trusted with this.

After the proposal moment itself, we walked around and shot in some of the quieter parts of Fushimi Inari that most visitors never really slow down to see. The famous torii gates get most of the attention (rightfully so — they are stunning), but the shrine grounds are full of these smaller, beautiful pockets that deserve their own photos too. We talked and laughed our way through the rest of the session, and they loved every photo I showed them on the back of the camera.

Thank you both so much for choosing me to be the one behind the camera for such an important morning. It really meant a lot. Congratulations — I hope life brings you back to Japan again soon.

If you are dreaming up a private surprise proposal in Kyoto — even at somewhere as busy as Fushimi Inari — everything is on my Kyoto packages page.

Some sessions just click from the first few frames. About ten minutes into this one, I realized I had barely given any direction at all — and every photo was already coming out the way I had hoped it would. This session was that kind of session from start to finish.

We met near Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama on an early, quiet morning. There is something so special about this area before the day really begins — the river running softly next to us, the mountains still holding their soft morning light, and hardly anyone else on the paths yet. We spent the first part of the session walking along the water, taking photos with the river and the hills as our backdrop. The two of them were so gentle, so easy in front of the camera, with calm, natural smiles that never needed to be prompted for. Every time they held each other, or laughed at something, or just walked side by side, the photos came out beautifully.

When I showed them the first set of photos on the back of the camera, they were so happy with them, and honestly it made me happy too. There is nothing quite like that moment.

Because everything was flowing so smoothly, we had time to visit more places than we usually get to. From the riverside, we walked over to Kimono Forest and then to the bamboo grove, and even after all of that, we still had time left. So I took them into a quieter pocket of old streets tucked a little away from the main Arashiyama area — a spot I have always loved because so much of the original Japanese atmosphere is still there. They fell in love with it right away, and being able to share one of my personal favourite corners of the city with them made my morning.

Arashiyama can feel very busy once the tour buses arrive, but because we had started so early, everything was quiet, and the whole session felt so relaxed. The hour flew by. Easy conversation, photos coming out the way I had hoped, and the two of them are honestly the kind of couple I finished the day still smiling about.

Thank you both for such a lovely morning together. I really hope to see you again the next time you visit Japan.

If you are dreaming of a couple session in Kyoto — whether at Arashiyama or somewhere quieter — you can look through my Kyoto packages here.

Tucked deep inside Daigoji Temple in Kyoto, there is a quiet hall called Bentendo that most tourists never find their way to. It sits a fair distance from the city centre, so even most Japanese visitors only stop by once in a while. It is the kind of place where you can stand by the pond, hear nothing but birds, and feel like the world has slowed down — exactly the kind of place you want to be when you are about to propose.

This couple and I had chosen Bentendo for exactly that reason. He had quietly scouted the area himself before reaching out to me, and the two of us worked out the morning together — he would naturally lead her toward Bentendo, and from there, I would step in.

When they arrived, the hall really was completely empty. There was no one else around at all. As planned, I walked up as a tourist and asked if they could take a photo of me. The conversation flowed so easily that, when I offered to take a photo of the two of them in return, she had no idea what was about to happen.

When my signal came, he turned to her and asked. The whole moment had this quiet, almost held-breath kind of feeling to it — just the two of them, the pond behind them, and a stillness around us that I could not have planned for. She was completely surprised, and the way her happiness came through, soft and genuine, was something I will not forget any time soon.

After we spent a few quiet minutes there, we kept walking through Daigoji and shooting at the other beautiful spots inside its grounds. The temple grounds are full of small surprises — old gates, stone paths through the trees, little bridges — and at every place we stopped, they were so easy to work with. They threw out their own ideas, I shared mine, and we just kept building on each other through the whole hour. It really did fly by.

Thank you both for trusting me with such an important morning, and for being so much fun to work with along the way. Congratulations — I am so happy for you, and I hope life brings you back to Japan again sometime soon.

If you are dreaming up a surprise proposal somewhere quiet and beautiful in Kyoto, the details on my Kyoto proposal packages are over here.

What does a surprise proposal at Daigoji Temple look like when both of the people getting engaged happen to be bodybuilders? Honestly — exactly the kind of joyful, sunny, slightly unexpected morning you would hope for.

We met at Daigoji on one of those very first early-summer days where the air is still cool but the sunlight feels warm on your face. Daigoji at this time of year has its own quieter beauty — the rush of cherry blossom crowds is over, and the temple grounds feel almost peacefully empty.

He had reached out to me weeks before, and the two of us had been quietly working out the plan together. The idea was for me to walk up as a tourist and ask her if she could take a photo of me. She did not suspect a thing — she very kindly took my photo, with a smile, completely unaware of what was about to happen. After that, I offered to take a photo of the two of them together, and that is when he turned to her and got down on one knee.

Her reaction was beautiful. Real surprise, big smile, the kind of joy you cannot fake or pose for. Watching that moment unfold through the camera is honestly one of the best parts of this job, and capturing both of them happy together right then was such a gift.

A little later, when I told her how he and I had been planning the whole thing in advance, she was so happily stunned all over again. There is something special about that second wave of surprise — when the proposal itself is over but the realization of “wait, you were in on this too?” hits.

After that, the shoot turned into the most fun couple session. Both of them are bodybuilders, with incredibly strong, beautifully built physiques, and we had so much fun bringing some classic bodybuilding poses into the temple grounds. Every idea I suggested they jumped into with so much energy and humor — and they brought ideas of their own too. The combination of the quiet old temple in the background and the two of them showing off everything they have built together was honestly such a beautiful, slightly unexpected sight.

To be chosen as the photographer for this big moment in your lives meant a lot. Thank you both for trusting me with the plan, for being so generous with your energy on the day, and for letting me have so much fun behind the camera. Congratulations — I am so happy for you, and I hope life brings you back to Japan again sometime soon.

If you have your own story to tell — a surprise proposal, a couple session, or something with a little personality (bodybuilding poses absolutely welcome), you can find my Kyoto proposal packages here.