From London to Tokyo: My Journey to Photography

Hello, and welcome!

If you’ve found your way here, chances are you’re dreaming about visiting Japan and possibly having your time here captured through the lens. Before you step in front of my lens, however, I thought it might be nice for me to step out from behind it for a moment and introduce myself.

This isn’t just a story about me: it’s also about why I believe photography matters, and how my own journey shapes the way I want to capture yours. From London’s music halls to Tokyo’s backstreets and skylines, every step has led me here: helping couples create memories that feel honest, timeless, and uniquely theirs.

My Journey

I never set out to become a photographer. In fact, if you’d asked me years ago in London what I wanted to do with my life, I would have said that I wanted to be a trumpet player. And for a while, I was! Music was my first creative love, and after graduating from music school, I attempted to make a career out of it, gigging around London in orchestras, brass ensembles and musicals, as well as conducting and teaching. Ultimately, I wanted to perform in concert halls, churches and cathedrals, filling the auditorium with my warm yet bright, silky, resonant trumpet sound.

But life doesn’t always follow the script we imagine. As the late great Steve Jobs once said: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking back.” Never a truer word spoken! After experiencing a few twists and turns in my life (including a very inconvenient ear injury), I found myself stepping away from music and boarding a plane to Japan. What was meant to be a temporary trip to “figure things out” ended up changing everything.

In Tokyo, I discovered both my wife and photography. My wife helped me understand the country, the culture, and the people. And photography was, at first, just a way to explore; to capture the backstreets, the temples, and the daily rhythm of the city. Slowly, though, I realized I wasn’t just taking pictures. I was preserving moments, feelings, little slices of life that would otherwise slip away. That same spark I once felt through music - the chance to create something meaningful - was right there in front of me again, only this time, through a camera instead of a trumpet.

Why Photography Matters to Me

For me, photography isn’t about the perfect pose or the most dramatic backdrop. It’s about connection. It’s about the look you give each other when you think no one’s watching, the laughter that sneaks in between shots, the quiet stillness of holding hands in a city that never stops moving.

Every couple I work with brings a new story, a new rhythm, and I see my role as more than just pressing a shutter. I want to create images that take you back, not just to how you looked, but to how you felt in that exact moment. Just like the music you listen to, the photographs you keep have the power to stir memory and emotion long after the day itself has passed.

This truth has become even more real for me recently, after a beloved family member was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Photography has proven to be a way to keep her memories alive and ground her in reality. Long after the moments themselves have faded, the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of her life live on through the pages of the photo albums we keep by the sofa in the living room.

What This Means for You

So what does all of this mean when you book a session with me? It means you’re not just getting someone to point a camera and tell you where to stand. You’re getting someone who talks a lot (expect jokes, commentary, and a bit of history about the places we wander through). You’re getting someone who loves to try new things, who thrives on laughter, and who cares deeply about making you feel comfortable.

I’ve lived in Tokyo for over 20 years now, and this city has been good to me. I know its hidden corners and grand landmarks, its quiet shrines and neon-lit alleys, and I am still discovering more! My goal is to share that Tokyo with you, not as a tourist postcard, but as a backdrop to your own story.

Invitation

So, that’s me in a nutshell: a Londoner-turned-Tokyoite, a musician-turned-photographer, and above all, someone who believes in the magic of capturing connection in its many forms.

If my story resonates with you, I’d love the chance to tell yours through photography. Take a look through my portfolio, and if you feel that spark, let’s start planning a session that feels true to you.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about photos. It’s about creating memories and connections that you’ll carry long after you’ve left Tokyo — something to look back on and say, “Yes, that was us, and that was our story.”