Nice to meet you! I am Michael, a professional family photographer based right here in beautiful Kyoto. 🇯🇵📸
My passion is showcasing your genuine, unscripted moments through timeless photography.
What truly sets my work apart from other photographers is my focus. While many creators use Kyoto's famous landmarks as their main selling point, I prioritize capturing the raw emotions and connections you want to preserve forever. Your unique story is always the main subject of my lens, beautifully complemented—never overshadowed—by the incredible local atmosphere.
Simply put, clients choose me because I don’t just take pictures of places; I create a vibe and lock your core memories perfectly into photo frames. 🖼️❤️
Price and Booking Guide
📸 Family Portrait: Price & Booking Guide
Choose from my two signature family session types designed to lock your precious memories in time forever!
👘 1. The Double-Vibe Session: 2-Hour Package (Most Popular!)
Want to change up your outfits, explore two different neighborhoods, or capture separate morning and afternoon chapters of your day? This splits your session perfectly!
- Investment: 70,000 Yen (approx. $396 USD)
- Time & Location: 2 hours total, divided into two 1-hour blocks on the same day. For example, explore a casual morning theme, take a break, and meet back up at 2:00 PM in traditional kimonos! You can also shoot both hours together or stick to a single casual look.
- What’s Included: Up to 500 high-quality photos delivered in my signature Natural Photo Editing style.
- Group Limit: Up to 3 people maximum. Perfect for couples or a family with 1 child at no extra fee! (An additional fee applies for larger groups or families).
- Note: Transportation is fully covered within Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara cities. Entrance tickets or attraction fees are not included.
🌿 2. The Classic Portrait: 1-Hour Package
Perfect for capture-focused families looking for a seamless, beautifully paced session at their favorite spot.
- Investment: 40,000 Yen (approx. $264 USD)
- Time & Location: 1 hour continuous shooting at 1 beautiful location.
- What’s Included: Up to 250 high-quality photos delivered in my signature Natural Photo Editing style.
- Group Limit: Up to 3 people maximum. Perfect for a couple or a family with 1 child at no extra fee! (An additional fee applies for larger groups or families).
- Note: Transportation is fully covered within Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara cities. Entrance tickets or attraction fees are not included.
FAQ
🗺️ Q: How and where do we meet for the photoshoot?
We will meet directly at our designated shooting location. I will send you precise coordinates and landmark instructions so you can find me effortlessly! 📍
🕒 Q: Do you tolerate lateness for appointments?
Punctuality makes a huge difference in the outcome of your session!
When you arrive early, you aren't rushing, your stress levels stay low, and everyone is in the perfect prime mood to create magic. I completely understand that travel hiccups can happen, so I offer a 15-minute grace period.
However, because lighting conditions change quickly and schedules are tightly blocked, arriving more than 15 minutes late will result in your down payment being forfeited. If my schedule permits later that day, we can look into rescheduling your slot but downpayment still forfeited, So to guarantee your shoot, please plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes early! ⏰😊
💍 Q: Can you help me arrange a secret proposal for myself, a friend, or a family member?
Yes, absolutely! I would love to help you plan a core memory.
I have years of experience keeping proposals a total secret while capturing the raw, beautiful emotions of the moment. Drop me a message and let's start planning your top-secret operation together! 🕵️♂️✨
📸 Q: Is the 2-hour session really the best choice?
Yes, without a doubt! The 2-hour session offers the absolute best value for your investment.
Not only do you get double the final photo count (up to 500 photos!), but it also gives your family room to breathe. You can easily switch outfits (like changing into a traditional Kimono), explore two entirely different stunning neighborhoods, or split your time between a gorgeous morning chapter and a golden afternoon glow! 👘🌿
🎨 Q: How long does the editing process take?
I work quickly to get your memories into your hands! Typically, I finish editing your gallery within 1 to 2 days.
Please note that during peak travel seasons in Japan (such as the stunning Spring Sakura season, Autumn leaves, or the busy end-of-year holidays), my editing queue fills up fast. During these peak times, delivery can take a maximum of 3 to 5 days. 🌸🍂
💻 Q: How will you deliver our photos?
Your photos will be beautifully presented in a secure, password-protected private gallery on my website.
Once your collection is ready, I will send over your personal link. From there, you can easily view your story, share the gallery with family back home, and download all your high-resolution images in a single click! 🖼️✨
👘 Q: We want to rent a kimono for our family shoot! Can you arrange the rental for us?
While I don't handle the rental bookings directly, I have put together an amazing guide to help you find the perfect shop!
As your photographer, I focus strictly on capturing your beautiful family moments, so I don't manage or take responsibility for kimono shop reservations, fittings, or timing. However, to make your planning as smooth as possible, I have curated a list of my favorite foreigner-friendly local shops (some even have English-speaking staff!) right here:
👉 My Recommended Kyoto Kimono Rental Shops
https://www.michaelcalbera.jp/blog/kimono-rental/
Pro-Tips for your family fitting:
- Location is key: Please make sure to choose and book a shop location that is closest to our agreed-upon photoshoot spot.
- Give yourselves plenty of time: Getting dressed in a traditional kimono takes time, especially with children! I highly recommend scheduling your fitting appointment at least 1 to 2 hours before our photoshoot starts, depending on how far the shop is from our meeting spot. If you're unsure about travel times, just ask me!
📅 Q: How can we book your services or consult about a date for our family session?
Booking your session is simple, clear, and secure!
To consult about open dates and check my availability for your family trip, please contact me directly. Once we've picked the perfect date and time for your shoot, here is how the booking process works:
- Secure Your Date (20% Down Payment): To officially reserve your slot on my calendar, a 20% down payment is required via Stripe (Credit Card) or PayPal. Please send me your email address so I can issue your digital invoice!
- The Remaining Balance (80%): You can easily pay the remaining 80% balance in cash at the end of our photoshoot session.
- Prefer to Pay in Full Upfront? If you would rather pay the full amount using a card or PayPal before the shoot, you are more than welcome to do so! Please note that an additional 4% platform fee will be added to cover processing charges.
🎨 Q: Are all of our photos going to be edited?
Yes! Every single photo you receive will be professionally edited in my timeless Natural Style.
My camera renders colors beautifully, so this standard edit focuses on cropping, continuous exposure, and lighting adjustments to make your gallery look consistent and polished. It does not alter the authentic, true-to-life colors of your day.
- Note: If you need advanced skin retouching or object removal (such as removing background strangers or blemishes), this can be requested separately starting at $3 to $10 USD per photo, depending on difficulty.
👉 [Click here to learn more about my Natural Editing Process]
(https://www.michaelcalbera.jp/blog/editing-detail/)
🎞️ Q: I saw your gorgeous Vintage edits on Instagram! Can we add that to our package?
Absolutely! If you love a specific creative look, you can completely customize your gallery.
In addition to your standard Natural Edits, I offer 3 premium creative editing styles to give your photos an artistic, cinematic flair:
- Vintage Edit
- Black and White Edit
- Black and White Negative Edit
Pricing: Adding a creative style is 3,000 Yen (approx. $19 USD) per hour of shooting. For example, if you book a 2-hour session and want the entire gallery in Vintage style, it is an additional 6,000 Yen. You can also choose to apply a style to just a single hour of your shoot!
👉 [See examples and pricing for my Creative Editing Styles]
(https://www.michaelcalbera.jp/blog/editing-detail-copy/)
📷 Q: Can we have the unedited RAW files from our session?
To maintain the quality and artistic integrity of my brand, I do not deliver unedited or RAW files.
When you book me, you are investing in a complete, finished piece of art—which includes both the capture and my signature editing process. Thank you so much for trusting my professional vision and creative style to bring your story to life! ❤️
📬 Q: I have a few more questions! How can I reach you?
I would love to chat and help you plan your session!
The absolute best and fastest way to get a quick response is to send me a direct message on Instagram DM (@michael_calbera). Alternatively, you can fill out my formal contact form right here:
👉 [Click here to send an inquiry form]
Click here to contact me by inquiries
