Portraits of Yui and Ryona in Kyoto

A chance encounter allowed for portrait-making with two very different cameras.

With two cameras around my neck and a big backpack, I probably looked sufficiently dorky to identify myself as a serious photographer. I was like the thousands of tourists descending on Kyoto taking pictures of ancient temples. But unlike most others, I was going beyond the typical smartphone snapshots.

At the Yasaka Shrine near downtown, Yui and Ryona approached and asked me to take their picture. As I often do when taking these kinds of requests, I asked if they wanted their complete body, from head to toe, in the frame. They did. Most people do, which I never understood. It’s usually much better to get a half or 3/4 frame perspective to view the person large against the intended touristy backdrop.

Unlike most tourists in kimono, Yui and Ryona are Japanese. The others are not from Japan but foreigners who live out a traditional Japanese fantasy for a few hours. The visitors from Korea and China can almost pull it off—the Western visitors, not so much. Unlike the rented Kimonos, which are very colorful and nearly garish, Yui and Ryona sported clean designs with subtle colors. 

After snapping their iPhone picture, I asked if I could make a portrait with my gear. I quickly fired off a few shots with the Leica M 246, a monochrome-only camera. I made one adjustment in the middle, noticing that I was overexposed on the pale-colored kimonos.

I explained the camera I was using was special and only shot black-and-white pictures. They appeared to be sufficiently impressed. Although it is more likely that they were being kind, like many Japanese people. I gave them my hobby card and offered to send them images if they wanted. The odds are they will never contact me; most people rarely do.

I pressed my luck and asked them if I could make one more portrait with a different camera. I busted out the Hasselblad X2D. With the wide 22mm equivalent lens, I opted for a full-length environmental portrait that included the surrounding structures. 

The Hasselblad rendered the subtle shades of the kimonos while capturing the punchy vermillion-colored buildings. I like how this picture came out with the unfortunate exception of a significant strand of hair crossing over Ryona's face. A detail I didn't notice until late at night when I processed the image.

I'm satisfied overall. The black and white portraits at 50mm are traditional while also enjoying the wide look of the Hasselblad. It's a good mix shot quickly at a Kyoto temple. A small subset of what I shot that day and during my month-long trip to Japan.