{"id":64,"date":"2026-07-26T22:59:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T13:59:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jlp.net\/blog\/kyoto-photo-shoot-preparation-guide-en\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T22:59:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T13:59:04","slug":"kyoto-photo-shoot-preparation-guide-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jlp.net\/blog\/en\/kyoto-photo-shoot-preparation-guide-en\/","title":{"rendered":"First Photo Shoot? Don't Worry: The Complete Kyoto Photo Shoot Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"jlp-figure jlp-cover\"><img src=\"\/assets\/images\/blog\/kimono-pond.jpg\" alt=\"Kimono at Maruyama Park\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption>Kimono at Maruyama Park \u00b7 Sample image \u00b7 Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:JP_%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC_Japan_%E4%BA%AC%E9%83%BD_Kyoto_%E4%B8%B9%E5%B1%B1%E5%85%AC%E5%9C%92_Maruyama_Park_lake_n_female_visitor_wearing_red_n_white_kimono_June_2026_N13P_02.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">HAGAT hOMSZE<\/a> (CC0)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Guests often ask me: \"What should I prepare before the shoot? Will it be awkward if I've never done one?\" Believe me, <strong>90% of my guests have zero experience before their shoot<\/strong>. This checklist makes it easy.<\/p>\n<h2>One week before<\/h2>\n<h3>\ud83d\udc57 Outfits<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Colors<\/strong>: Light tones (off-white, light blue, soft pink) stand out best in Kyoto's old streets and green shade. Avoid solid black and large busy patterns<\/li>\n<li><strong>Styles<\/strong>: Skirts and long dresses look more flowing in photos. Bring a light jacket for the morning and evening temperature changes<\/li>\n<li><strong>Kimono<\/strong>: If you booked a kimono shoot, I'll help you contact a kimono shop, so you can just go and get dressed on the day<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shoes<\/strong>: Kyoto has lots of stone paths, so bring comfortable flats. Change into heels for the shots<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\ud83d\udc87 Hair and makeup<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Wash your hair the day before (hair washed that morning is too fluffy to style)<\/li>\n<li>Light makeup is enough, just slightly stronger than usual. The camera \"eats\" some of the makeup<\/li>\n<li>Kimono plans usually include basic hair styling, and you can send me reference photos in advance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The day before<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Get enough sleep<\/strong>: This really matters! Your skin and the sparkle in your eyes depend on it<\/li>\n<li><strong>Drink less water<\/strong>: Avoid morning puffiness<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pack a small bag<\/strong>: Powder, lipstick, a comb, plasters (for heels on stone paths), insect repellent (in summer)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Charge your phone<\/strong>: You may want to take some behind-the-scenes shots yourself<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>On the day<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Arrive 15 minutes early<\/strong>: Get used to the surroundings and relax<\/li>\n<li><strong>No posing experience needed<\/strong>: I'll guide every movement. All you need to do is relax and enjoy Kyoto<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eat when you're hungry<\/strong>: Don't shoot on an empty stomach. Kyoto has plenty of street snacks<\/li>\n<li><strong>Say when you're tired<\/strong>: A shoot isn't a task, it's a good memory of your trip<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Common worries<\/h2>\n<p><strong>\"What if I'm not photogenic?\"<\/strong> \u2014 That's my job. You smile, I shoot.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\"I don't look good when I smile.\"<\/strong> \u2014 Everyone has their own best angle, and my job is to find it. A natural, relaxed smile always looks a hundred times better than a forced pose.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\"Won't it be awkward with so many tourists in Kyoto?\"<\/strong> \u2014 The spots I choose avoid the crowds, and early in the morning there are almost no passers-by.<\/p>\n<h2>Recommended shooting times<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"jlp-figure\"><img src=\"\/assets\/images\/locations\/gion.jpg\" alt=\"Gion\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption>Gion \u00b7 Sample image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83c\udf05 <strong>Early morning 7:00\u20139:00<\/strong>: The softest light and the fewest people<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf07 <strong>Late afternoon 16:00\u201318:00<\/strong>: Golden hour, warm soft light<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udeab From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the light is too harsh, so avoid it if you can<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"margin-top:24px;\"><a href=\"\/en\/contact\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:var(--accent-brown);color:white;padding:12px 28px;border-radius:4px;text-decoration:none;\">Book a Kyoto photo shoot<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Never done a photo shoot before? A Kyoto checklist from one week out to the day itself: outfit colors, styles and what to keep in mind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jlp.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jlp.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jlp.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jlp.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jlp.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jlp.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jlp.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jlp.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}