"Down on the street" for MODO magazine

This morning the editorial that I shot back in October came out on MODO magazine. 

 The stylist is my partner in crime Charity Baker, hair/makeup was done by amazing Alisha L Baijounas, the model was a cool & gorgeous kiddo Diana @Elite LA.

We shot in Downtown LA against colorful graffitis on the walls. It was HOT that day so 3 dehydrated ladies wandering around looking for interesting spots to shoot.
Here are some BTSs. 

  

I always love how they layout images on MODO webtorial.

Well done, girls!! 

How far have I come?

I found some old OLD work of mine in the closet today. Nostalgic. 

I photographed these maybe 10 years ago when I was still in England. 

At that time I was:

- using a canon 35mm film camera

- not using Photoshop cos I was a crappy retoucher haha

- not shooting pro models yet

- not making living for photography

- working as a waitress

- chubbier than I am now  

So yeah I was not a high tech person at all 10 years ago.

I used to use a soft focus filter, paint patterns on a acrylic board and make a model hold it, put a colored filter on my soft box and shoot, etc.

I know all above can be done so easily on Photoshop nowadays and get great effects like in a second, but I loved hand-making things and being creative when I was younger. 

Good old times.

After a short while, I started getting paid and needed to upgrade my skills and gears so my creative process could be more effective. 

That's how I gradually stopped hand crafting things for photo shoot.

In 2013 I might go back to where I was, and create totally new images... :)  

Happy Xmas!!

Hello!

It's been 8 months since I last updated my blog!

And it's almost Xmas. Unbelievable.

Here is quick preview of what's been going on while I was gone!

This year I met so many amazing talents and I was lucky enough to be able to work with them and create new work. 

In 2013 we will be even more focused on having fun and doing what we love basically. 

It's something simple but tough to keep in mind.

I wish you all a Merry Xmas and Happy new year! 

And special thanks to my lovely hubbie G, his family, my amazing creative team, wonderful models and their agents and of course my friends & family!! :)

Lots of love xx

new work

It's been a while since I last updated.

Here are new editorials I've recently worked on.

More work can be seen on www.asamiphotography.com

2nd shooter Charity!

My favorite stylist Charity never forgets to photograph behind the scene. Here are some of her amazing work. Enjoy!

Another Sunday

Behind the scene video made by Taro from our previous shoot with Aly. Enjoy!

New work, new web

Very happy to announce that my work can be seen on the latest issue of Tinsel Tokyo magazine! Check it out!

Also my website is newly designed and I just love the simplicity!

Asami Photography Portfolio.

Thank you Ellen!!!

405 & 101

Last Friday I was invited to the shoot with new faces from LA Models at Khoa Bui studio in LA. There was a bunch of lovely people getting together enjoying their creative times. I met some great photographers, videographers, makeup artists, bookers from the agency, stylist and the models. I found the LA creatives very energetic, friendly, down to earth and basically easy to hang out with. Some said I'm just lucky to get to meet nice people only here... true or not??

Khoa and his studio crew were amazing. They worked closely like family and very generous to share everything they had with the stranger, which was me.

I was also inspired by the way they worked. Very professional, accurate and detail oriented. At the same time They knew how to enjoy themselves.

I had so much fun and didn't just want to leave the studio even after the shoot.

On my way home I was thinking back of the great day and that really helped for not falling asleep in the traffic. I was traveling on 101 & 405 towards OC at 5pm on Fri. You know what I mean if you live in So Cali..

The girls under the bridge

A few days ago I was lucky enough to work with great creatives for a spring editorial.

The models were Sofia(VISION LA) and Erica(NEXT LA) who had beautiful looks and awesome personalities. It was so easy to work with these 2 girls. And the makeup artist Angel(http://thedolledup.com/)created amazing work on the girls. Then the stylist Krystal styled them up real edgy. Kind of D&G inspired.

We drove around in Silverlake area and stopped by at a few spots then shot. We got some cool images under the bridge capturing the arches etc. I love shooting on location mixing models with the background and making stories that match the feel of the location. Since I moved to So Cal, I've never had to worry about the weather so trying to set up as many location shoots as possible. It is simply fun to shoot outdoor using natural light.

I am sharing the images here very soon!

winter wedding

Last weekend I was at my friends' wedding capturing their beautiful moments.

My main focus is fashion photography but I enjoy reportage style for change sometimes.

When you shoot documentary, there are lots of elements that you cannot control(e.g lighting, weather, how people are positioned, trash can on the back ground, etc) but it's challenging and fun to move yourself back and force to find a right angle or wait for a right moment. Also shooting a wedding is a pretty heavy exercise for a lazy fashion photographer like me! I totally respect the professional ones who do this every weekend.

My friends' wedding was happening at some beautiful country club in OC. It was raining and that added a mysterious and dramatic effect to the entire day.

The smell and sound of rain always bring me childhood memories. They remind me of the rainy season in Japan and the dark sky in England. I personally think it's important to put yourself in the certain mood before you start shooting. The mood of course depends on a kind of shoot, but on that day, the gloomy weather was perfect for me to work on the romantic and dreamy styled wedding photography.

Oh by the way for those who have never been in Southern California, it does rain here! I didn't really know that before I moved to Cali!!

The sky got clear in the afternoon, the ceremony was beautiful, the reception was crazily fun.

Congratulations guys!!

The most beautiful girl in town

A few days ago I finally got to work with this amazing model Aly from LA Models for a spring editorial at my favorite place studio OC (studiooc.com).

I've been in love with Aly's look for a long long time. She looks beautiful of course, and also delicate, mysterious, innocent, sensual and strong.

A great model has to have hundreds of expressions and they confuse you which personality is real her. I love the moment when she steps into the studio with some beautiful atmosphere around her. I cannot really describe what it is but it just fascinates me.

Aly is definitely one of those models.

And the team was my favorite girls. A super talented stylist Charity, lovely hair stylist Nycole and great makeup artist Christian. And this time we had a videographer Taro to film our behind the scene, also had Andre and Ellen to help me out.

Here are some bts pics by Charity:

I cannot wait to share the images here!!

:)