Culture
Shrines
Tradition
Photographer and EYExplore guide shooting reflections during a temple photo tour in TokyoWhat’s the Story?
Find tranquility amidst the more hidden shrines and temples of the city. Focus on the details to tell the story of man and nature coming together in the form of Shinto. Slow down and embrace the Zen-like atmosphere of Tokyo’s less traveled shrines and temples.
What We’ll Shoot
Take a different approach to shooting—focus on the details. On this workshop we will learn to zone in on the small things that together will convey the narrative of the shrines and temples which we will explore. Learn about composition techniques that emphasize the minutiae and capture the true feeling of the place.
Where We’ll Explore
We meet in Akasaka in front of Hie Shrine. We will explore its environs—a calm and tranquil refuge amidst the bustling city. From there, we head to Shin-Ochanomizu and explore a Confucian shrine called Yushima-Seido, its black lacquered wood a stark contrast to the vivid Shinto shrines. Finally, we end up at Kanda-Myojin, a colorful Shinto shrine known for its flamboyant architecture.
Joli_Papillon –
Great photo tour even in the rain! The Temples of Tokyo photo tour was great! Lukasz was so helpful. The rain did not deter us and Lukasz was creative in the shots that we were able to get despite the rain. He is very knowledgeable about Tokyo and the temples that we visited. His level of knowledge is deep regarding Japanese culture. I learned more about the temples and culture from Lukasz that I did from any other tour guide I had during my time in Japan. Although I am an experienced photographer, I learned a lot technically from Lukasz. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with him and got some amazing shots! I highly recommend EyExplore Adventures in Tokyo.
X7549TBmichaell –
Charles was incredibly helpful during our tour and we learnt a lot from this experience. Don’t confuse the stone Torii gates for the white ones (where the meeting point is), we did this and nearly missed our photo tour, as we were the only people on the tour EYExplore were accommodating, we were able to resume the tour, despite being late.
If temples are on your list of things to do in Tokyo, consider booking this, you’ll see great temples, and you’ll learn a thing or two to improve your photography.
luvgoodthingsinlife –
Charles was very helpful in giving me hints with photography. We took the train and walked to sites of interests – not too touristy which was good. He wasn’t pushy, wasn’t very teacher like and very patient and informative. I did enjoy the day with Charles. I enjoyed the Hie temple best as I love photographing cute Japanese kids in traditional clothes. Will do this again if I go back to Tokyo. Perhaps a night one this time. Thank you EYExplore.
scottravel32 –
I was fortunate enough to do 3 workshops (Tokyo Metropolis, Tempes of Tokyo and Tokyo by Night) back to back in one exhausting but fantastic day. Both Charles and Lukasz were extremely knowledgable and patient, making sure that I understood what I was doing and got the perfect shot. Lukasz even knew more about my camera than I did, showing me features I had no idea were there.
Thanks to Charles and Lukasz, I was able to apply what I learned on my first day to the rest of my trip to Tokyo and came away not only with incredible shots from the workshops, but also much better images from the rest of my trip than I would have managed without their teaching. Will 100% book again if I’m ever back in Japan.
kristabelle77 –
Took a group tour with Charles that ended up being just the two of us! Charles was amazing and taught me how to better use my new camera. He was so helpful and it was great getting to spend the afternoon with him. I got some amazing pics and I can defiantly say that I am a better photographer after taking a class with Charles. Such a great experience. Would definitely do this again! Best wishes and Thank you to Charles from Krista, Seattle USA.
902geertv –
On my trip to Tokyo I choose to do the photo-tour “Temples of Tokyo”. I learnt a lot and had also a lot of nice photos and had a lot of fun together with Charles.
Nick E –
I did two tours with this company. I had the same guide “Charles” both times. He did an excellent job guiding me and helping me learn how to get interesting shots of both the Tokyo night-scape and several interesting temples in Tokyo (that were not nearly as crowded with tourists as Sensoji). One recommendation I would like to make to anyone thinking about going to Tokyo for photography tours is to avoid the late June-July timeframe. This is because it is during Tokyo’s rainy season and is very humid and cloudy. But even with cloudy skies thanks to Charles I got some good photos.
Ian123456781 –
We have been on a number of great photo tours with Lucasz. They are alway very enjoyable for photographers as well as other family members who have been just handed a camera. This one had lots of cool new ideas for capturing great images while visiting some of the beautiful Tokyo temples.
northwick –
In Japan for the first time, I decided to get some help with great sights and how best to capture them. Stephane at eyexplore led the session and it was fantastic. He is French, speaks good English, is calm, patient and a very good teacher. I had a 2.5hr session and visited three shrines, learning a great assortment of strategies for taking my work up a level to creative art rather than just nice snaps. He also took shots so that we could see how his strategies worked. At the end of the session , I had learnt a number of different ways to approach my travel photography and was completely motivated to keep using them. He also is very knowledgeable about different cameras and was able to give me lots of help with my new camera. I would definitely book a session with him again when I am next in Tokyo.
Sudeshna B –
I went for two tours- Tokyo by Night and Temples of Tokyo. Lukasz is a good teacher. He took care to teach and give feedback to all participants. He would look at our photos and then show us how, by making small changes, we could get a far better composition. Apart from telling us the camera settings, he didn’t go into technical explanations, unless someone wanted to know. I learnt quite a lot in a few hours and also saw parts of Tokyo and Japanese life that, as a tourist, I would probably never have seen. The group tours are good for beginners. I enjoy photography, so overall I had fun.
Adrian –
What a wonderful way to see a new city. Lucas was an informative and engaging guide. Showing us how to take great shots with equipment ranging from mobile phones to exotic SLRs. While providing insights on Tokyo and the various sights we saw. I turned up for the temples tour with just my phone and that was fine.
Sharon –
Stephane is a great photographer. I had learned a lot in a couple of hours. We went to the most beautiful shrines and temples and captured some amazing shots. Stephane also gave me some great recommendations for used lenses store. He was a wealth of information about Tokyo.
Elaine C –
My daughter and I participated on two of the Tokyo photographic workshops . They were both excellent and we have now some wonderful photographs of our holiday. The workshop photographs are great but we also received some good tips and advice to improve our overall photographic skills, so we now have some wonderful memories of Japan.
merlinaadamsmx –
Excellent guide, very professional photographer that not only show you the places, also help you, if you have doubts about your camera use. I highly recomned al the Eyexplore Tokyo tours, this was my second trip to Tokyo and I did the tours again.
Evon Y –
We joined the Temples of Tokyo and Tokyo by Night guided by Lucas and Stephane respectively. Both are capable on teaching quick-to-pick techniques and great ideas on taking photos from interesting perspectives. The temple tour was well planned with Japanese traditional wedding ceremony in progress for wonderful photos. They never missed any opportunities teaching us to explore creative perspectives from posters, escalators, Metro stations, etc., while travelled between locations. Guided by Stephane, Tokyo by Night was a memorable session covering Shinjuku and Ikebukuro as we explored alleys with Japanese traditional Ramen and Teriyaki restaurants. Taking street snap shots was challenging yet exciting as we have to observe, be quick and communicate at the same time. All in all, we explore, learn and involved at the same time with these photo sessions.
marieequebec –
Booked two private tours with Stéphane who also speaks french. One was on temples/shrines and the other on street photography. Both were great. Made amazing photos. Learned on our personnal camera and général techniques. A must do in Tokyo for sure.
Melinda G –
What wonderful adventures with Eyexplore! I visited and photographed temples and shrines with Stephane and did night photography with Lukasz. Stephane is truly an artist and his enthusiasm in telling a story with a camera is infectious. We moved decisively through our temple venues with Stephane providing plenty of time at spots for instruction and play. We tried to match our lenses so that we could compare our compositions & settings and I could learn to work at a given focal length to capture images as he did. He addressed all my questions easily and really challenged my thinking on what images to capture and how to take a stereotypical shot and make it unique. We played with multiple exposures as well (a first for me!). As we moved between venues on the subway, we reviewed images to discuss strengths and improvements. We covered lots of territory—on foot and in theory! Lukasz led our small night photography group. He is masterful at group instruction and balancing time amongst the students to help us all get “the shots” we wanted and to improve our skills. We worked with our tripods and also hand-held and moved through a few locations. Despite the crowds, we had brief moments of group discussion and photo comparison; it’s always educational to see others’ perspectives! I really had fun with our technique at the Shibuyu crossing; I won’t spoil the surprise but it was a fun way to capture a unique perspective. I am a seasoned photographer but learned new techniques and concepts from both instructors. They were both generous with time and information. I was amazed at their abilities to navigate my camera menus easily if necessary (e.g. to find multiple exposure settings). Plus, it’s just fun to be out in an amazing city with a group of photographers. Making the reservation was easy and Lukasz was really responsive with my last minute planning! I highly recommend a tour (or 2) with EYExplore!