A unique portrait photoshoot in Tokyo is always one during cherry blossoms. It doesn’t matter if you like the cherry flowers or not; the portraits will be fantastic. Japan, without sakura, would not be whole during spring. The hundreds of thousands of blossomed cherry trees make spring an exceptional season, a time when photo sessions are a must if you live or visit the Land of The Rising Sun.
As you can imagine, sakura shoots are some of my favorite sessions to photograph. An earlier article about cherry blossom shoots introduces you to an exceptional place away from mainstream instagrammable places in central Tokyo.
Table of contents:
- Ideas for choosing the places for sakura portrait shoots
- Ideas for what to wear during photo sessions when is cherry blossom season
- Model
- Gallery
Ideas for choosing the places for sakura portrait shoots
Suppose you ask any outdoor family photographer based in Nippon’s capital about well-known places for photo sessions. In that case, everyone will respond with an impressive list of parks, gardens, and famous streets and canals(Meguro Canal).
However, there is more to it than famous parks like Yoyogi, and Shinjuku Gyoen National Park, which are gorgeous, no question. At the same time, these places are notoriously crowded without any spots to spare. We have to wait for turns during photo sessions to take photos more often than not.
My experience as a portrait photographer has taught me that more often, going off the beaten path can be way more rewarding. For example, this little stream is surrounded by secular cherry trees, hundreds of tulips, and other flowers. All of these create a unique place to spend quality time with your family, or, why not, by yourself; not to mention that this place is a fantastic natural backdrop for anyone’s portrait. After all, this is Japan, and sakura is a trademark. As a bonus, nearby is the biggest IKEA store in Japan, where you can go and enjoy some Swedish meatballs if you are a fan.
My recommendation for anyone who wants a personal photo session is to consider a smaller park or area that is not so well known, but you have grown to like it. That’s going to make the images even more valuable to you.
Ideas for what to wear during photo sessions when is cherry blossom season
Clothing is one of the essential aspects when considering a photoshoot. As a Tokyo portrait photographer, I received this question many times:
“What should I wear during the portrait session?”
I’m not going to transform this article into a philosophical and technical one to discuss the color wheel theories. Instead, based on my personal experience, you’ll find out that I consider it a must that you feel comfortable during the session. Click here if you are curious to see the most common fears people face about photography sessions.
Yes, it is essential to feel comfortable, safe, and happy. In a week or two after the session, all you’ll remember is how you felt during the shoot and ignore the clothes you were wearing. Experience is above everything, and my job is to provide you with the best experience I can.
As a general rule, the best idea for clothing to wear during a cherry blossom photography session is to think of ways not to blend in.
Considering that cherry flowers are white(with some degrees of pink), this is the color you should avoid so that you can stand out even more in your portraits. Conversely, if the blossomed flowers are of plum(big parks have them blended with cherry trees), those being a lot more pinkish, avoid pink blouses or pink dresses. (The fine gentlemen accompanying their families and partners should also consider avoiding the pink pants and shirts).
Model
Having lived in Tokyo for more than three years, I got the chance to work with models for different projects. With some people I worked with, I remained friends. It’s the case with Kana, a passionate model; we completed several photography projects, like shooting portraits at night in Odaiba.
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Gallery
