Portrait and Couple Photography in Tokyo, Japan
Photography Courses
Happy to have you here!
My name is Mike and I'm a photographer based in Tokyo. I am known for fine art portrait and beauty photography, but I am experienced in nearly all types of photography. Most important, I am also an educator, and I would like to invite you to my first series of photography courses.
Stay assured that I will conduct the courses to the best of my ability and will give you skills and knowledge which would take years to obtain through online courses. You will receive not only quality education but also mentorship to develop your photography even after the course is over. I cannot carry you to success, but I will show you how to get there yourself. Above all, I'm sure that you will enjoy the rare experience of learning together in person in 2023.
Cheers!
Mike
Beginner's course
The course consists of 5 weekly meetings, 2-hours each. The first hour consists of a short lecture and discussion, and the second hour is for practicing photography together.
Place: Waseda University
Week 1: Basic rules of photography and how to break them.
The class gives you a basic understanding of the art and science behind photography and helps you see it from a comprehensive perspective. We will discuss why do we learn the theory of photography, what can we gain from following the rules of photography and from breaking them. After the discussion, we will go on a photowalk together to see each other take photos and correct possible mistakes and errors.
Week 2: The camera.
You will learn the science and technology of camera from the basics, to make you understand how all cameras work from old film cameras to your own smartphone. During the practice session, we will practice controlling light and exposure using settings in our own cameras.
Week 3: Optics, sensors, resolution
In this class, you will learn the necessary knowledge to make smart decisions while choosing camera body and lenses. You will learn the difference between photography formats, types of lenses, and the importance of perspective and distance in photography. In the practice session we will experiment with various focal lengths and formats to make you understand the theory better.
Week 4: Understanding light
This is probably the most important and underestimated kind of photography knowledge. You will learn the different types of natural and artificial light, pros and cons of each of them, as well as techniques to utilize them for various photography genres. After the lecture, we will practice using natural and/or artificial lighting, depending on time of the day.
Week 5: Theory and practice of digital retouch
In the final course, you will learn to view retouch from a digital perspective, which will certainly improve your ability to enhance the images you capture. We will discuss why do we do retouch and what types of software might help you in doing so. During the practice, I will teach you the most important photo retouch tools of Adobe Photoshop, allowing you to build your retouch skills in a short time.
Every class will be begin with a short assignment, teaching you the importance of being selective with work you create and publish.
Cost: 20,000 yen
Attendance of the first class costs 4,000 yen, after which joining the rest of the course will cost remaining 16,000 yen.
Photoshoot Mentoring
This is a two hours long mentoring session for portrait photographers. I will join your photoshoot to see, analyze, and improve your workflow and technique in creating beautiful portraits. Instead of simply giving you tips, I will make sure to understand and help you develop your artistic vision not to only take good, but also unique portraits.
Cost: 9,000 yen
You can bring your own model, or for a 9,000 yen model fee I will arrange a model to work with us.
Photography as artistic expression
The course consists of 5 weekly meetings, 2-hours each. The first hour consists of a short lecture and discussion, and the second hour is for practice.
You will be required to conduct a photography project using the knowledge from the course. During the last session, you will present up to 10 photographs created according to the selected theme. I will give you more details during the first course.
Place: Waseda University
Week 1: Learning from classics
To understand art in photography first you need to understand its place in the world of art. We will explore the relation of photography with other forms of art, and try to analyze inspiration between photographs considered as masterpieces. In the second part of the class, I will explain more about the final project and we will learn how to plan the logistics of such a project.
Week 2: Composition in photography
During the class, you will learn why composition is a necessary part of planning any photograph. We will go deep in learning types of composition in various genres of photography. During the second hour, we will discuss practical ways of changing your composition using elements like natural shapes, posing, landscape and more.
Week 3: Theory and practice of colour
In this class, we will explore the psychology and science of colour in photography. Beside learning famous cases of colour use in visual art, you will also learn how to create, match, and mix colours using various elements of the image. The second part of this class will be focused on retouching colour, colour grading, and making sure that your photography will look gorgeous on any medium or display.
Week 4: Highlights and shadows
This class will give you a deep understanding of the types of lighting used for various genres of photography. You will understand better how lights and shadows can influence the viewer's psychology and how to use physical qualities of light in your work. In the second part of the class we will experiment with creative ways to use either natural or artificial lights, and discuss again your final project.
Week 5: Fusing photography and other kinds of art. Final Presentations.
Fusing different types of art gives you almost limitless possibilities for producing creative work. In this class, we will explore works of masters in using photography as part of commercial and creative work. In the second part of the course, students will present their photography projects, comment on work of others, and receive guidance for future works.
Every class will conclude with guidance and support for students final project.
Cost: 40,000 yen
Attendance in the first class costs 8,000 yen, after which joining the rest of the course will cost you remaining 32,000 yen.
