Photo Shoots (Portraits and Creative)
Eleven spaces, each an independent scene
About Photo Shoots (Portraits and Creative)
A photo shoot is a use of our 80.11 m² antique Manor in Odaiba for portraits, creative work, commemorative pictures and images for publication. Photographs are taken with your own camera or smartphone, while your butler arranges the light and the small pieces. If you wish, the butler appears as white-gloved hands, opening doors and carrying tea to add their movements to the frame.
Each change of pose and background captures a different story
Choosing a background means deciding the impression of a person or a work through colour, depth and the outlines of the furnishings. The rose-decked Dining Room, the Study with its leather desk and typewriter, the Lounge, the Bedroom, the Wardrobe lined with morning coats, and the Gallery with its double doors and longcase clock follow one another within the 80.11 m² Manor.
We begin with a tour of the Manor and ask about the colours of your clothes and the mood you wish to capture. Your butler narrows the candidate backgrounds, draws the chairs and arranges the roses and books. So that the subject and the photographer do not cross paths, the next space is prepared in advance.
In the Dining Room, besides the frontal composition across the table, an entrance through the double doors, a hand resting beside a candelabrum or the moment of rising from a chair each make a picture. In the Study, a letter or the typewriter on the desk gives the hands a story; in the Lounge, a seated figure on the sofa can be photographed from close by.
Scenes for photography
What the Manor and your butler prepare
- Before the shoot, a tour of the Manor with your butler to check the colours of your clothes, the direction of the subject and the layering of furnishings in the background.
- Using the Manor's lights, continuous lighting and a softbox to find a brightness in which neither the face nor the gold of the furnishings is lost.
- Your butler checks your attire, carries chairs and books, and tidies the bags and passages outside the frame.
- For one person, we first confirm where the camera stands and where you stand; for two, we change the angle of the chairs between facing and side-by-side scenes.
- In a three-hour shoot, rather than shooting from the moment of arrival, we divide the time into preparation and set-up, the main shoot, changes of background, and packing up and reviewing the images.
What to bring
- Please bring your own camera, smartphone, charger, spare batteries and memory cards.
- Selecting and editing the images is done by you.
- Large backdrops, props and floor-standing equipment should not be brought in on the day's judgement alone; please send photographs and dimensions when booking.
Decide the subject: the person, the work, the costume or the butler's hands
Portraits
A portrait is a photograph in which the expression and dress of a person take the lead.
Read more
Creative shoots
A creative shoot builds background and props around the world an artist, maker or model wishes to express.
Read more
Shoots in costume
Wearing a full morning coat, the shoot begins before the mirror in the Wardrobe.
Read more
White-gloved hands
Pouring tea, setting down porcelain, opening a door. With white-gloved hands in the frame, the subject is seen as a guest received within the Manor.
Read more
A checklist of light, power and backgrounds available in the Manor
| Continuous lighting | Continuous lights with adjustable colour and brightness. Your butler helps to place them while watching the face, the clothes and the colours of the furnishings. |
|---|---|
| Softbox | A softbox is available to wrap soft light around a face or the surface of a product. |
| The Manor's lights | The chandeliers of the Dining Room and Lounge, standard lamps and candelabra can be brought into the frame to keep the Manor's atmosphere. |
| Equipment you wish to bring | For strobes, tripods, reflectors and the like, please tell us the type, dimensions, number and power requirements in advance. We check the distance from furnishings and passages and advise whether and where they may be set up. |
| Backgrounds | Walls with gold patterning, wine-red curtains, the French oak double doors. We check the combination with the colours of your clothes first. |
From arrival to checking your files, your butler supports each change of scene
Arrival
Your butler bows at the door to receive you and shows you where to place equipment and costumes. We tour the Manor and confirm the pictures you wish to take and the furnishings you wish to use.
Preparation
You change into the costumes you have brought and set out props and equipment. If you wear a full morning coat, your butler adjusts the collar, cuffs and hem before the mirror.
Shooting
Test shots in the first space check the brightness of face, clothes and background. Your butler handles chairs, roses, books and silver, and enters the frame as white-gloved hands if required.
Changing the scene
Before moving to the next background, we clear the passage and reposition the equipment. From the Dining Room to the Study, from seated to standing: we agree an order in which compositions do not overlap.
Checking your files
As the photographs are taken with your own camera or smartphone, the files remain in your hands on the spot.
If unsure of the composition, choose by the colour of the background and the butler's movements
| Space | Suited to | What your butler arranges |
|---|---|---|
| Dining Room | Full-length standing figures, seated portraits, group pictures | Arranges the chairs and the table setting, and handles the candelabra and porcelain safely. |
| Study | Hands writing a letter, reading, a dignified half-length portrait | Positions the books and typewriter on the desk and draws the chair. |
| Lounge | Conversation on the sofa, holding a rose, softer expressions | Considers the seating and the angle of the rose, and adds the gesture of carrying tea. |
| Double doors and Gallery | The moment of entering, walking, full-length figures with depth | Appears as the hand opening the door and keeps the passage safe. |
| Wardrobe | Finishing touches to dress, choosing a hat or coat | Adjusts the costume before the mirror and hands you the next accessory. |
| Bedroom | Quiet pictures around the chair and bed | Explains which furnishings may be touched and returns them to place after the shoot. |
The furnishings are handled by your butler. If there is anything you wish moved, or large props you wish to bring, please send photographs and dimensions when booking.
- Photography in every space of the Manor (up to 6 people)
- Lighting equipment, power and Wi-Fi
- One butler in attendance to assist with the shoot
- Photography with your own camera or smartphone
- Extension ¥16,800 per hour
QCan you arrange a photographer?
Photographs are taken with your own camera or smartphone, or by a photographer in your party. Your butler arranges the background and small pieces and, if you wish, takes a commemorative picture of everyone together. The files remain on your own device.
QHow many people can take part?
Up to six. Please tell us the number including not only the subjects but the photographer and any companions. From the fifth person, ¥5,800 (tax included) is added per person.
QCan food and drink appear in the photographs?
You may bring your own food and drink. If you wish to use the Manor's silver or porcelain, please tell us the details in advance. We do not serve meals.
QIs commercial photography possible?
Yes. Please tell us when booking where the images will appear, the products to be photographed and how much of the Manor will be in frame. For projects in which the Manor's design or a butler's face appears clearly, we confirm the intended use beforehand.
QMay I bring costumes and props?
Yes. For large props, floor-standing items and anything requiring power, please send photographs and dimensions when booking. Once brought in, your butler checks the distance from passages and furnishings.
QMay I be photographed in butler's attire?
A full morning coat may be worn by prior arrangement. Sizes and types are limited, so please tell us your height and clothing size before booking. Other sizes may also be discussed.
About using The Studio
- The manor is never let unattended. A butler is present for every booking, and keys are not handed over
- You are welcome to bring your own food and drink. We do not provide meals
- Please use the antique furnishings under the butler's guidance. The armour, hall clock, porcelain and silver are handled by the butler
- Please consult us in advance about loud sound or the use of naked flames
- Prices shown include tax
About the attire
- Sizes and styles are limited. Before booking, please tell us your height and usual clothing size
- Please ask about sizes other than those listed
You may also wish to read
The light is arranged by your butler.
Tell us the purpose of the shoot, the number of people, the scenes you have in mind and your preferred date. Your butler will confirm availability and suggest a plan.