Flowers and portraits shot with the X-Pro3.

I'm Hinami Kimura.

I recently had a photoshoot with Mao Asahina (@maokra__), so along with those photos, I'd like to write about how, while snapshots are great, portraits are really wonderful too.

This is my third time meeting Mao.
We first met last summer.

I believe it was around July or August, and it was truly hot.
Back then, we shot along the Setagaya Line, heading from Sangen-jaya to Shimotakaido, but this time we took the reverse route, shooting while heading from Shimotakaido to Sangen-jaya.

We shot in mid-April.
It was just the time when the Lady Banks' roses were blooming beautifully, and without the summer-like heat, we were able to shoot in the pleasant, spring-like air.

Actually, I think I have a strong image of being a snapshot photographer now, but when I first started photography, I began with portraits.

From there, I gradually got hooked on snapshots, so I'm often surprised when people say, "You shoot portraits?" but in fact, I still love them very much.

However, rather than "the" portrait, I might be leaning more towards snapshot portraits these days.

Including the atmosphere and scenery of the city while making the person the main subject.
I feel like that has become my style.

As with snapshots, I am very conscious of light and shadow in portraits as well.

Especially in portraits, the impression of the face and the appearance of the skin change significantly depending on the angle of the light, so I shoot while thinking about "which angle makes that person look more impressive."

But unlike snapshots, the subject is a "person," so I can't just wait in the same spot forever.

Flowers and scenery won't complain if I stay for hours, but portraits have to be shot within a limited time, so there is definitely a bit of tension there.

That said, this shoot was quite casual.
I was walking and talking with Mao-chan the whole time, and whenever we found a spot that looked good, I'd ask her to stand there for a bit—that was the kind of vibe we had while shooting.

This time, I was walking around wanting to shoot "Lady Banks' roses and Mao-chan."

Lady Banks' roses have small individual flowers, but because they bloom in clusters, it's easy for sunlight to filter through the gaps.

So, I adjusted our positions so that the light would intentionally hit her, and I shot while incorporating the roses into the foreground and background blur.

It had been a while since I'd done a proper portrait shoot, but it was really fun.

However, since I mainly post snapshots on Instagram, I worry about branding, like "Will it feel out of place if I suddenly post photos of people?"... I'm probably overthinking it, though.

I posted photos of Mao-chan yesterday, and I did notice that the engagement is quite different compared to my snapshots.

But it would be a waste to let the photos I took just sit as data, so I would be happy if you all who read my note could continue to see them little by little.

Actually, I do have an account for portraits, but if I have to post there in addition to X, Instagram, and Threads, I won't be able to keep up. Three platforms is probably my limit!!!!

So, I hope to continue without putting too much pressure on myself, with the mindset of "posting when I want to post."

Also, I was talking with a friend yesterday about how it would be fun to have not just snapshot-style photo walks, but also events and workshops focused on portraits.

I hope to organize something like that someday, so I would be happy if you could look forward to it.

So, thank you very much for reading until the end!!

Kimura Hinami