It took me two years to plan our 2017 trip to Japan in September. I wanted it to be perfect and in the end, we did have a fantastic time but it was over all too soon. I realised before we left for Japan that it was really important for me to take lots of photos and capture my time in Tokyo because we probably wouldn’t be returning to my favourite city for five or six years. The problem is I’m not a confident photographer and my husband Roy would rather not take any photos at all. He likes to completely immerse himself in the experience when we travel so that left us with a conundrum – how could we capture those great memories in Japan and return home with photos we’d be proud to use for work, on social media, or to frame and hang on the wall in our living room?
The answer was quite simple, really! I’ve been a big fan of Nathalie April Photography for a long time and I love the way she uses electric light so I contacted Nathalie in September 2016, a year before our trip, and I was so pleased when Nathalie (pictured below) replied almost straight away and agreed to meet us for a photo shoot in Tokyo.
I have to admit I’m really pleased with all the photos and I was so impressed with Nathalie’s professionalism and easy-going nature which made the whole experience really enjoyable.
I explained to Nathalie my husband Roy only wanted to be in a few photos taken with me as a couple and the rest of the photos would be of me for our home and for my social media pages. I also needed photos for publications that require a high-res photo of me when they publish my Japan-related articles. Nathalie was more than happy to do this and she kept her word when she met us in Shibuya at dusk on 22 September in front of Starbucks with a warm smile and several cameras ready to start shooting.
It was a balmy evening so we all enjoyed a quick iced coffee at Starbucks before Nathalie led us to five different locations in Shibuya where she took reams of photos for the next hour and a half; giving me advice at the same time on how to stand, smile and look comfortable in front of the camera in a way that made me feel totally at ease.
If you’re visiting as a tourist or celebrating a special occasion like an engagement or wedding or if you live in Tokyo and you want some wonderful photos to capture your time in this amazing city you have to get in touch with Nathalie. You can choose one or two locations for the photo shoot and I promise you it’s well worth the time and the investment because you’ll have some incredible photographs to take home with you.
You can see in the photos above how relaxed I felt during the photo shoot in Shibuya. Below are some more stunning photos from Nathalie April’s portfolio for you to enjoy. I think you’ll agree with me, Nathalie is an extremely talented photographer and I can assure you she’s one of the nicest people you’ll meet in Japan.
