Tokyo › Solo portrait
Shared with our clients' permission. The photos are retouched.
When you travel alone, the hardest photos to get are the ones with you in them. Selfies only go so far, and strangers rarely frame the shot you want. On a Tokyo solo portrait session a photographer walks a route with you through the old streets of Asakusa, the slopes of Yanaka and quiet Japanese gardens, and photographs you with the city around you.
The session starts with a walk. The photographer tells you where to stand, where to look and how fast to walk, takes a few relaxed candid shots first, then adds half-body portraits, close-ups and wider scenes. It’s fine if you’ve never posed for a photographer before.
Who it’s for
Solo travelers
You’re in Tokyo on your own and want travel photos with you in the frame
Graduation trips and birthdays
A set of natural, polished photos for a graduation, birthday or anniversary
Social media
A consistent set of photos for your profile picture, Instagram or other feeds
Friends and family
Standard and Extended cover 1–4 people, and two people pay the same price as one
Where to shoot a solo portrait in Tokyo
- Senso-ji + Sumida Park: Kaminarimon, the five-story pagoda and Tokyo Skytree across the Sumida River: the classic first-time-in-Tokyo shots
- Yanaka Ginza + Nezu Shrine: Old shops, slopes and narrow lanes for everyday street portraits, and the vermilion torii of Nezu Shrine for more formal portraits
- Kiyosumi Gardens: A pond, garden stones and waterside paths for calm, uncluttered full-length portraits
- Koishikawa Korakuen: Ponds, bridges and wooded paths with plenty of depth, and autumn leaves in season (portrait shoots need an advance application)
- Shibamata Taishakuten + approach street: Wooden shopfronts, dango shops and a temple approach for nostalgic Showa-style street portraits
How the session works
- Meet at the agreed place. We set the meeting point after the booking is confirmed, or by message on the day
- Start by walking and getting used to the camera; the photographer tells you where to stand and where to look
- Switch between framings at each location: full-length scenes, half-body, close-ups and from behind
- The session follows your package length; travel time between locations counts toward it
- After the session, photos are selected, color-graded and delivered as JPEGs through an online album
What to wear
- Stick to one or two main colors and avoid big logos and fine stripes
- Light and earthy tones suit both old streets and gardens; in front of red buildings, white, beige or dark colors stand out more
- Wear shoes you can walk in; the Asakusa and Yanaka routes involve walking
- In spring and autumn, bring a jacket for a second look
- More ideas in What to wear for a Tokyo photo shoot