Couple photography is delicate; I finally get to blog about my favorite couple photoshoot in Tokyo. Well, to be more precise, it did happen in Roppongi Hills, a place that gives me as a photographer a lot of options to play with the light and shadows, different backgrounds, like Tokyo Tower or just a plain park scene. Roppongi Hills really is a versatile place, visited by many tourists every single day with plenty attractive things to do and see. Did I mention high-end shopping stores? 🙂
At the right time, the couple have arrived at the meeting point near by the giant spider structure that dominates both the square and the tourists’ photos and selfies. Since e-mails and text messages don’t have accents, I was “ambushed” by the lovely couple with a nice, subtle and delicate French accent, which obviously made me think of Bordo and Edith Piaf: “Non, je no regrette rien”, one of the songs I absolutely love listening to. While I was in school although I hated learning French, I have always loved the way it sounds… “de la musique”.
These are Ambre and Romain. I hope I got the spelling right, because apparently autocorrect spells Amber and Romaine, the later meaning salad…. and for an almost rocket scientist wouldn’t sound quite right. Romain is an engineer who designs robots that go into space to detect, learn and…. lets get back to me being English speaking photographer in Tokyo, shall we? 😉
After I only took a few shots, I realized two things: a stunning connection between the two and an engineer frozen in front of my lens. It absolutely amazed me the way they look into each other’s eyes. The problem was… and I quote “you can imagine, SHE dragged me into this”! I totally get it man, I myself, I would rather shoot than be shoot at too, but hey, that’s why I am a photographer doing couple portraits in Tokyo.
Now, my brain was at full speed, using all of it’s “ram memory”: how do I distract Romain’s thoughts from thinking he’s in front of a camera? Well, I had started to talk about my own fear related to the camera, hoping that this will help relaxing Romain because the photoshoot session was still at the beginning. Indeed, talking about me and refocusing the “target” took off some of the pressure Romain was experiencing, so much by the end of the photoshoot he has forgotten why he was frozen. Not to mention he did it in the name of love, isn’t that beautiful?
As you have guessed already, Ambre and Romain are both from France. Ambre is from Paris suburb and Romain is from the southern part of France. They have met in engineering school in the west of France when Romain was already in the 2nd year and she was just a freshman.
They both have dreamed of studying abroad but as Romain was one year ahead and he has had already entered the process of coming to Japan for a double degree in a Japanese famous university at the time they have become a couple.
Amber is remembering: “for my part, I didn’t have any plan to live in Japan someday, I had thought about going in English speaking countries but not Japan as I didn’t speak Japanese. But I had to decide whether or not following Romain to Japan, which meant whether or not I wanted the relationship to continue because we were young and very long distance relationship are very difficult. But I was in love and after all, why not?
Living in Japan for a few years was not in my plan and it was sure a challenge but I loved the culture and I wouldn’t be completely alone so I did everything I could to learn Japanese, be accepted to the double degree and work a lot to get there.
After 3 years including one whole year of long distance relationship between France and Japan, we are living together in Kawasaki, both successful in our study/career paths, still thirsty of adventure in this beautiful country and happy as hell.”
Who would’ve thought that on a beautiful sunny day of November I would get to find out such a great love story during a couple photography session in Roppongi Hills? Well, over the time I have learnt to assume nothing and wait to discover the facts at the right time.
It is such a bless to be photographing so many people and find out their beautiful stories through my lenses. I get to learn, meet and discovered new people on a daily basis. More often than not, people open up and I have the chance to learn their life stories. Even though one hour photography session doesn’t sounds much, it actually is enough to gather precious information.
Being the man behind the camera I get to see that micro face expression that tells me so much, that sparkle in the eye, that doesn’t need words nor it can be properly expressed through words. This fills up my soul and motivates me to pursue my passion and live for the rest of my life as a photographer, be it in Japan or elsewhere on our beautiful planet.
I know it sounds like a cliche and I have already said it in another blog post about a family photoshoot I did in Tokyo, I do Frame Your Life Stories through my photography and I truly believe my photographs will virtually last for forever and make everyone happy for years to come.
Keep an eye close to my blog as I have in plan to bring up more touching and true love stories like Ambre and Romain’s and also write about my experience as a photographer.
Click the contact button below and book your photography session with me anywhere in Tokyo or Yokohama and allow me to tell your story through my vision. If you are like me and like to travel, that would only be perfect, you can book me too for your vacation photoshoot in Kyoto, or for that matter, anywhere in Japan. Shinkansen trains are insanely fast and Kyoto is only two hours away from a great photoshoot.
