While it wasn't really on my radar when I started doing portrait photography photoshoots here in Tokyo, portraits at night has almost unconsciously turned into my special skill. As a photographer, I really enjoy being able to use all the colourful lights in Tokyo at night to light up my subjects. It's a different kind of challenge, but one that is so rewarding once pulled off correctly and is used to create outstanding portrait photographs. And my clients seem to enjoy it a lot too – these days many people specifically contact me and request a booking at night, either because they found my website or my portrait only Instagram account, where there are plenty of samples of my nighttime portraits from the streets of Tokyo.
But shooting portraits at night comes with its own set of challenges and things to be mindful about, and I thought it could be a good idea to break those down so that I have something I can refer my clients to, and that will give them a bit of a basic understanding while planning the shoot.
First of all – When to shoot. This might seem like an odd thing to start with because the night is night, right? Well, there is actually quite a bit of difference in how the lights of Tokyo looks like after sunset, for various reasons. My favorite time to shoot at is just after sunset. That's when all the lights of the city are switched on, but when there's still a bit of blue colour left in the sky. This makes for a beautiful palette, and several of the photos I like the best are taken at this time. During the winter months, the sun sets quite early in Tokyo, so in December and January, starting around 5pm or 5:30 is usually a great idea. This also comes with the added benefit of being able to shoot before most people are leaving work, leading to considerably smaller crowds in places like Shinjuku and Shibuya. While a bit of people in the background usually isn't much of a problem, it's often difficult to shoot at places like Shibuya or Shinjuku when there are too many people around – Friday nights at 7-8 pm in at Shibuya Crossing are the worst!
Secondly, where to shoot. Tokyo is really full of locations that look stunning at night. While a large percentage of my clients often want to shoot at places such as Shinjuku and Shibuya (and I absolutely don't mind that at all), here are some of my personal favorite areas for nighttime portrait photography in Tokyo:
Asakusa
The lit-up Sensoji Temple looks spectacular, and the surrounding streets are devoid of selfie-stick wielding tourists after sunset. The izakaya-lined street of Hoppy Dori also looks great at night, and so does the waterfront area. Tokyo Skytree and the infamous Golden Poo also look better after dark. If you’re not familiar with the area, I highly recommend that you visit prior to your shoot, and scout out some good locations in advance, as this district is actually bigger than one might think, and some of the best spots are somewhat hidden. While this is true for most locations, Asakusa in particular is an area that I would recommend that you have a grasp of before the shoot commences.
Nakano
This area has perhaps the most photogenic alleyways in all of Tokyo, and it's just located one mere stop from Shinjuku. The crowds are manageable, and there are tons of great places to hop in for a beer to loosen up the nerves too. In particular, I’m a big fan of the area on the north side of the station, all those small streets running in parallel with Nakano Broadway are full of awesome spots!
Koenji
Since it's located just one stop from Nakano and has quite a different visual design, these two areas go surprisingly well together. In particular, I like the street under and next to the train tracks. The many restaurants with lanterns and smoke from the Yakitori stands make for very scenic photographs! Many scenic shops around here work great as backdrops for documentary-style portraits.
Odaiba
When my clients request photos with the skyline of Tokyo in the background, Odaiba is always the first place I recommend. Its close enough from the city centre to be a viable option, and the waterfront area (which gets filled with colourful boats after sunset) looks stunning in photographs. Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo's only sandy beach, futuristic architecture and elevated trains mean that there are tons of great elements to include in the photos, and enough variety for an entire session too!
Shimokitazawa
This area is excellent for documentary-style portrait photos. The many shops selling vintage clothes and tapioca drinks are often well lit and make for great backdrops. There are also plenty of shops where I like to pop inside with my clients and get photos of them in action, browsing books or clothes, for example. It's also home to one of the most photogenic train platforms in Tokyo.
Shinjuku
The most common location for my nighttime portraits, but for a good reason. Backdrops such as Omoide Yokocho (aka piss alley), the big crossing in front of Kabukicho (with the Godzilla statue) and Golden Gai are all locations that never gets boring. All these spots also share the benefit of being located just a few minutes on foot from each other. The fact that Shinjuku also houses many game centers and other entertainment facilities that I sometime also make use of in my portrait sessions is another reason why I would consider this the perfect area for a night portrait photography session in Tokyo.
Harajuku
Another popular area and one that I think works much better after sunset than during daytime. Takeshita Dori is far less crowded at night and isn't bad for portraits. Personally though, I think Cat Street and Omotesando are better for night portraits, as the perspectives are more exciting and the artificial lights more beautiful. The entire walk between Harajuku and Shibuya is in fact full of great locations! I also know of a few quiet spots that I don't want to reveal in this blog post, but that can be used when a more peaceful and greener backdrop is desired.
Shibuya
I would be mad not to include what's perhaps the most often requested location for my photo sessions – Shibuya crossing. While this is indeed a very iconic spot, it's also one that I find somewhat difficult to capture in a good way. Sure, I often do grab a few quick portraits there, and my clients seem to love them, but the crossing is simply a bit too busy to make an excellent backdrop for nighttime pictures, and shooting there is quite stressful too. But, on those occasions when I do end up here, I also enjoy grabbing a few shots at the surrounding streets. Center Gai and the bar lined street next to the train tracks, for example. The newly built area on the opposite side of the station is attractive too -- the elevated pedestrian bridges and busy roads also make for excellent backdrops.
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