Tokyo Portraits
Honest, Intimate Portraits in the Heart of Tokyo
Offering distinctive location-based portraiture, this service provides thoughtfully composed images that reveal personality and presence. Sessions take place in carefully selected environments — from bustling city streets and tranquil parks to private residences and rooms — ensuring each portrait feels personal and memorable.
The approach to your portrait can be customized to your needs, whether it’s for dating profiles, social media, professional branding, or to commemorate a personal milestone.
Limited Offer: 50% Off for First 25 Reservations
To celebrate the ten year anniversary of my moving to Japan, I'm offering a 50% discount on portraits, but only for the first 25 reservations. You can use the booking any time you like, but this promotion will sell out quickly, so make your reservation now.
Working From a Different Perspective
As a photographer, my focus is on creating authentic, personalized portraits on location. It requires more than just going somewhere interesting and asking for a smile, though.
My approach is perhaps a bit different from that of others—before any session, I take a bit of time to get to know you. It doesn’t have to take long, but it helps me craft portraits that reflect your unique personality, temperament, and needs.
While I’m naturally an introvert, my love for people and capturing their unique stories drives my approach to portrait photography. I believe that a great portrait requires finding human connection between the people on both sides of the camera.
I also understand that being photographed can be uncomfortable for many people, even if they really want the photos, so I do my best to make the experience as relaxed and enjoyable as possible.
A Flexible Approach to Location and Style
Location
The choice of location plays a significant role in shaping the mood and style of your portrait. Outdoor sessions may take place in bustling streets, quiet alleyways, or peaceful parks and gardens — with plenty of room for spontaneous discoveries along the way.
Indoor sessions offer a more intimate experience. Photographing in your home or hotel room often creates a relaxed atmosphere, often especially good for those who feel less comfortable in front of the camera. An indoor setting allows for quieter portraits that reflect a sense of comfort and ease.
Additionally, we can plan your session for any time of day, from early morning to late in the evening, depending on needs and availability.
Style
My approach emphasizes working with natural light. Rather than relying on cumbersome lighting equipment, I embrace the beauty of available light, which can enhance both the mood and spontaneity of location work. Natural light is abundant and versatile — adapting to it is an essential and rewarding part of the creative process.
While I work in both color and black-and-white, my greatest strengths lie in monochrome. Black-and-white portraits often reveal deeper textures, expressions, and emotions — elements that can sometimes be overshadowed by color. While color imagery is always available, I encourage clients to consider the unique depth and character that black-and-white can provide.
Finally, my work reflects a distinct visual style. While I’m always happy to work with your ideas and inspirations, I encourage you to review my portfolio to ensure my artistic approach aligns with your vision. Creating meaningful portraits requires collaboration — and trust in the process is key.
Tokyo Portrait Session
For Individuals and Couples-
Pre-session interview (10-15 min) to discuss your needs and desired outcomes
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Location of your choice in the Tokyo area
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2 Hour Session (Active Time)
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Includes 5 finished images with basic retouching
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Finished images delivered within 1 week of photo shoot
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Additional finished images, additional retouching, prints, and more available upon request.
Reserve your session now.
I will be in contact with you shortly to begin making our plans.
If you would prefer to pay by bank transfer in Japan (furikomi), please email me at david@davidrmunson.com for bank details.
Pricing and Service Information
Below, you can find information regarding services, pricing, and policies covering most common service types. If you have any questions or want to discuss your needs, please inquire using the form on the contact page or send an email directly to david@davidrmunson.com
Prices and policies subject to change without notice. This page last updated 2025-03-17
- Base rate: ¥20,000 plus transportation costs
- Includes up to 2 hours shooting time
- Includes 5 finished images with basic retouching
- Additional finished images: ¥1,500 per image with basic retouching
- Additional retouching: from ¥2,000 per image, price dependent on the extent of work required
- Prints: From ¥2,000, varies depending on size, type, and quantity
- Portfolio Opt-Out: ¥2,500
- Excludes use of your images in my portfolio and social media promotion (my use is only ever for promotion of my services, your image will never be used otherwise)
- Commercial usage (such as for advertising) can be negotiated, please get in touch.
Additional options largely depend on what you’re hoping to achieve, but may include:
- Portraits shot on film for a distinctive look
- Studio headshots
- Company team portraits
- Group portraits
Get in touch and we can talk about what I can do for you.
- If we have an outdoor shoot planned and there is rain in the forecast, we can shoot indoors instead or reschedule. We can also find ways of making the rainy weather work for us outside.
- If you need to reschedule, please get in touch as early as possible. Barring extreme circumstances (earthquake, typhoon, etc), bookings become finalized 48 hours in advance.
- Cancellations less than 48 hours in advance incurs a ¥10,000 cancellation fee.
- Unless otherwise arranged, services are limited to Tokyo’s 23 wards and the area stretching along the rail corridor from Yokohama to Saitama City. I am happy to travel farther, but this will incur some additional costs, given the length time required for travel.