Hoshino-san was amazing! He is professional, and you can clearly tell he knows his craft.
We knew we wanted maternity photos and gave him a basic idea of the location, but since this was all new to us, we asked him to guide us with our poses in detail. He did a great job and was patient with us the whole way through. The whole session took only about 50 minutes, yet he kept things moving smoothly and efficiently, and we received 60+ photos.
He is also very foreigner-friendly. My wife is American and doesn't speak Japanese, and he doesn't speak English, but he never showed any frustration and stayed warm and helpful throughout. He told us he has worked with many international clients, and that not speaking Japanese is no problem as long as you're comfortable giving him general direction rather than sharing very specific ideas. If language barriers worry you, we can confidently recommend him.
His editing was wonderful too. The colors are soft and natural, and our skin tones look beautiful. Even on a cloudy day, the greens and autumn leaves have a calm, elegant feel, and the whole set has a warm touch. Shinobazu Pond and the Skytree are clearly visible in the background, so the photos capture a true sense of Japan. We highly recommend him!
