Tokyo Photography Masterclass - Private Photography Lesson

I had Karl over two days in both day and night tours. He is a remarkable teacher and learned so much on techniques and framing. This is much more than just location scouting. Also having a private tour is critical in these busy locations and you’re far more efficient. I am planning to use Aperture next year in Paris.

If you're looking for a photography guide who combines genuine expertise with real passion for teaching, look no further than Karl. I booked the Tokyo Night Photography Tour on September 8, 2026, and it exceeded every expectation. Karl was the consummate professional from start to finish. We spent three incredible hours photographing Senso-Ji Temple, and what struck me most was how he approached the shoot — not as a single stop, but as a series of opportunities. He guided me through multiple perspectives and vantage points around the temple, each one revealing a completely different mood and composition. I walked away with a portfolio of shots I never would have found on my own. What really set Karl apart was his generosity with both equipment and knowledge. He came prepared with a full range of photography gear, and rather than pointing me in a direction, he took the time to actually teach me how to use my camera and each piece of equipment properly. His explanations were clear, patient, and tailored to my skill level, and I left the tour feeling like my photography abilities had genuinely leveled up. This wasn't just a sightseeing tour with a camera — it was a hands-on masterclass in night photography, led by someone who clearly loves what he does. If Karl is your guide, you're in excellent hands. Highly, highly recommend.

Wow! What fun we had! Karl was great! Even though the rain was challenging, we had a wonderful time, capturing the images of Tokyo at night. Our guide was the best instructor have ever had; and we have done a number of photo workshops. He was patient, clear, fun, and made the entire evening, a of our visit. Well done!

This was an incredible experience. I’m a hobbyist photographer with a mirrorless camera mainly focused on candid family and friends photography and nature photography over the past 6 years, and street photography in Tokyo seemed like the ideal spot to expand my skills. Karl, my tour guide, really help me establish solid foundations in street photography that I can carry to other locations. Karl was able to set a good pace on the tour while acknowledging the sheer amount of jet lag I was experiencing. The tour also went beyond the photography and taught about the cultural and historical aspects of Tokyo. All in all, I highly recommend no matter what level of photography you’ve mastered.

Karl was amazing!! Very knowledgeable and very helpful! I could not recommend him more highly!

Tim is awesome! I couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Our review of the triangle at the beginning was great and at the end I was much more comfortable shooting in full manual mode.

Tim was an amazing teacher and we had a fantatic day. My husband had been gifted a camera from a dear friend who passed away and knew nothing of photography. Tim was so thoughtfull in his instruction and teaching, super patient , he was not only a great teacher but made the day fun and memorable.

Karl was my excellent photo tour host - what an extraordinary way to be introduced to this strange city.

I met Karl at the designated meeting place and gave me a brief overview of what we were going to try and achieve during the evening. He was very knowledgeable about the city and I felt as though the night would be of great benefit to me. He was not in a hurry to finish the evening together even although it ran overtime. I would highly recommend this guide if you looking to improve your photography skills. Just the sites made the evening a wonderful experience.

This was an excellent Master Class with Karl. While exploring the Shibuya area of Tokyo, he guided me through a series of lessons on night composition, using local venues as instructional points. This included emphasis on highlights in favor of shadows, avoiding extraneous objects in the scene, vertical angles, use of reflections and mirrors, symmetry, long exposure, ghosting and appropriate settings for AWB, shutter speed, f/stop and ISO in order to maintain consistency across each lesson's scenes. I used a Canon R6 Mark II with a 24-105mm lens, but any camera or iPhone would work, because the lessons weren't about the equipment, but rather about the art of photographic composition. Karl's demeanor was professional but friendly. And he provided interesting historical notes during our class, given his 16 years living in Japan and experience as a professional photographer and instructor. Highly recommend! A+

I had a fantastic time with Tim in both Shibuya and Shinjuku as he helped me to get a better handle on and response from my camera. His encouragement to both work with a prime lens and in manual mode (suggested, not insisted) opened up a new world of 'intensional' photography. Tim encouraged me to try new ideas and techniques and open to my own ideas of what I wanted to achieve. Both of these areas of Tokyo are spectacular at night and Tim helped me get the most from being there, including some great ideas I wouldn't have thought of myself. His knowledge of the city and ideas for unique photo opportunities for a first time visitor added so much to the experience. I had so much fun I have maintained this focus (pardon the pun) in my photography since leaving Japan and retain a prime lens on my camera (set to manual mode) looking for local opportunities. Having a great experience with a one/one photo tour in Paris, I was very happy to receive this tour as a gift and even happier afterward. I am keen to return to Japan with my camera and will book another Aperture tour when i do. Thanks Tim.

Time guided us over the technical aspects of street photography and the relevant settings to capture unique pictures. In addition, he guided us through pictoresque and hidden sites for cool photos, which we would not have found otherwise. Altogether, we had a great time and would strongly recommend the tour and Tim especially!

We took the extended tour covering day and evening. Our guide, Karl, was very good. His knowledge of photography and techniques helped a lot and we both learnt a lot. He took us to places around Tokyo we would not have found ourselves where we were able to get some really good street photography photos. He was also good enjoyable company and we certainly enjoyed our afternoon and evening with him. We would highly recommend Aperture Tours.

Excellent experience. I got great guidance from a pro with deep knowledge of the local scene and culture. That is invaluable when deciding what is culturally acceptable when doing street photography. Besides that, Max is a great guy with an awesome sense for what makes a good picture and who is willing to wait to get the shot done correctly.

I thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from Karl on this expertly conducted photo masterclass. What a great way to see Tokyo through the lens!

I had a great time with Tim walking around Shibuya and Shinjuku during blue hour and night time. He has been shooting in Tokyo for many years so he has a keen eye on places and the light that makes them come alive. His advice in lenses to use and camera settings was spot on. I got a lot of great captures with his guidance.

This was a marvelous experience. Karl is a master instructor. Patient, clear, informative, thoughtful. He went above and beyond. Karl moved easily between me and my mirrorless Sony and the iPhones used by my wife and our friend. The shots we got are amazing. Evenbetter was the learning that we'll be able to use for all our upcoming travel. As a result of this tour, we immediately booked a second tour for a later date in Kyoto. Also important - the office staff at Aperture was very easy to work with. Very responsive. Answered all our pre-tour questions quickly and clearly.

Information provided prior to the tour was very thorough, concise and easily accessible. I was sent a questionnaire about my equipment,skill and objectives so that the tour could be personalised where possible. Tim was easy to talk to, professional and showed me some interesting places to take photos in Tokyo.

The experience was very good and we discovered hidden places .Street photographic is always a challenge and Tim was very helpful and he gave us some very good tips.

Having a private photography lesson with Karl (Aperture Tours) was the perfect way for me to begin my two weeks in Japan. I am an experienced street photographer and Karl quickly calibrated to my interest and style, as we did unique long exposures of Shibuya crossing, and explored early nightlife on many interesting side streets, talking with local young people out on the town. I was fresh off my flight from NYC, jet-lagged and yet Karl kept me going with one interesting shot after another.

I planned my first Japan visit on a short notice and knew I wanted to get some photos back with me, I know my way around the camera but had never tried streetphotography so I hired Tim Buckingham to guide me. We did two 3 hour tours (6 hour tour was fully booked so we split it for two days) Tim was very quick to assess my level and adjusted his guidance acordingly, I learned a lot in the few hours we had and benefitted a lot from his tips on the remainder of my visit. I highly reccomend anyone to book a guide for the first time in a new place and Tim I would reccomend to photographers of any level.

This was a fantastic night photography tour with Karl. Karl is very friendly and so helpful! Karl showed us so many places we would never have found!! He also introduced me to several different styles of photography that I hadn’t tried before. Karl also gave my husband some smartphone photography tips. I highly recommend Karl and this tour. His knowledge of photography, the history of Shibuya and his warm manner made for a great night! Thank you so much! 😊

I had an evening lesson with Karl. I had a fun time learning how to capture blur motion in Tokyo. It was a great learning experience plus a mini tour of Shibuya and Shinjuku. Plus I now have some photos I will want to display on the wall. Thank you!

Awesome session with Karl on a wet night in Tokyo. With Karl’s expert guidance we captured some interesting images around Shinbuya. This is our second Aperture Tour and I can highly recommend them.

We had a fabulous night and learned a lot. Our teacher, Karl, has loads of experience, shares his knowledge effectively, and is friendly. Our photography skills have improved dramatically as a result of our tour with him, and we saw some interesting places in Tokyo we would not have seen without him, as well as learned about Japanese culture. We received a survey in advance so the tour could be customized to us and our time was dialed in and efficient. This is a great way to spend time at night in Tokyo, taking in the scene differently than one usually does when simply going out at night or going from point a to point b for a set purpose. We are heading home with some really unique street photos too! My only regret is not doing this sooner in my trip!!

Tim was our guide and did a great job making our evening a fantastic experience! He guided us to perfect spots and helped with suggested camera settings and techniques. There is nothing like an experienced local photographer to help make the most out your shooting evening! The communication on meeting point, and day of event confirmation was just right. We moved a pace comfortable to us, not just our guide. We highly recommend this tour!

Careful with this company. They’re using AI rather than human artists to write their social media posts. For a company that exists to support artists in creativity and expression this choice devalues human engagement and skills. Further, their practice of removing comments from their platforms sparks concerns regarding their transparency, openness, and business ethics. The tour we took in Tokyo in February was fun as a walk around and provided us a chance to see locales we otherwise might have missed, but it fell short in providing any technical growth. Be ready to proceed independently using the knowledge you have. You’re going out with a guide to take pictures who will also be taking pictures. There was little in the way of constructive feedback or technical suggestions. We leveraged our existing skills and knowledge rather than growing them which led to a disappointing overall experience.

Tim was amazing, great teacher, super patient. It was a fantastic learning experience. I strongly recommend it, he adapted his route to my wants and needs. I was only surprised that the break we took to eat was on the time allowed for the tour, but it didn’t affect the fun I had that day. Thanks Tim for everything!

This tour was awesome. My pro was Tim and he helped me understand and achieve some specific styles of shots. His ability to explain the when, how and why of my settings in manual mode, combined with following his teaching immediately after, helped immensely. He knew lots of great places to really capture Tokyo at night. I highly recommend this tour to anyone at any level, you won’t be disappointed. **didn’t upload photos due to trip advisors policy that basically allows them ownership of the photos.

Ivan is a fantastic guide. Patient, knowledgeable , and a great sense of humor. Prior to this tour I had very little experience with photography, but thanks to Ivan, I am far more confident with my camera and how to compose an image. We through several locations and all were amazing to photograph. I highly recommend this tour especially for someone new to photography.

My tour was with Ivan, who is a super-talented photographer local photographer. We walked through several parts of Tokyo. He educated me on dynamic street photography and boosted my confidence as a photographer and a comedian. I learned a lot and would do it again.

My tour with Ivan was an amazing experience. He is an expert in the craft and helped me get the most out of my vacation in Japan. Ivan has an encyclopedic knowledge of the most opportune places to stand (and at what times) to get the best photographs. He also is a master at capturing movement. Moreover, he helped me to embrace a part of the city that I would have never ventured solo. Don’t go to Tokyo without booking a tour with Ivan.

Had a night tour of Tokyo with Tim on 7th May 2023. It was a rainy and rather miserable day which was fantastic for shooting. I only had my iPhone 14 Pro Max and they accomdated. I must seem like quite clueless when it comes to photography but Tim never made me feel dumb and was more than happy to guide me through the basics. I mean, even though I've read up on terms and whatnot, they did not sink in till the hands on session. Tim patiently explained optical and digital zoom, aspect ratio and the different camera options on the iphone and how they can affect the outcome. It was really eye-opening for someone who is just used to point and shoot with zero thought. I suppose if I had to narrow down the biggest takeaway of the night, it would be the beauty of 16:9 and being daring enough to take photos from different angles, to put yourself out there - nobody is going to get offended as long as you do you quietly without being obnoxious. Throughout the session, he was very encouraging and that certainly helped. I mean, some of my photos looked bad to me but he was able to point out the good in them. That really kept me going and as the night wore on, I got more comfortable with shooting. I had an issue with my iPhone not charging and requested that he bring along a power bank (just in case) which he did not make a big deal of. I really appreciated that. We started in Shibuya (where he showed me some great spots) and ended off in Shinjuku in the Kabukicho and Golden Gai area. I had a wonderful time on the tour and would certainly do it again at the next opportunity.

On March 20, 2023 we had a three- hour walking tour with Ivan from this company. It was excellent, better than expected. He was friendly, quite knowledgeable, and took us to many nighttime scenes for great travel images. He has a Route that he brings folks on… showing lights and alleys and places we would never have seen. He had tips on long exposures, panning, showing motion, and all that. He was willing to adjust the subjects and techniques to the visitor’s skill and enthusiasm level… and had great stories about life in Tokyo. This was the PERFECT photographic experience for first-timers to Tokyo. We have images we never would have gotten. Thanks, Ivan.

I really enjoyed my night photo tour with Ivan. As I was not as familiar with night photography, Ivan made sure my settings were correct for the various scenes and always made sure I got a good shot at each location. I learned so much. Ivan kept us going at a good pace and we were able to hit many photo sites without feeling rushed. Would highly recommend if you have the chance. Also, the booking process was very easy (esp since I was a bit last minute - thank you!) and I appreciate the clear communication of where to meet and what to bring. Thank you Ivan and Aperture!

This tour was really wonderful. I met with Giovanni and we discussed what kinds of photos I was looking to take, then went over a few functions of my camera. We headed to shibuya to catch the neon lines and busy crossing, and caught so much more by the time we finished shooting at the temple. My photography was further refined by Giovanni’s guidance on aperture, iso, shutter speed settings and we consulted at each photo on what would be best for what I was looking to achieve. I’m so pleased with the photos, which will be beautiful memories for a lifetime, but also the way Giovanni explained each step sets me up for being able to think on my own in the future. Loved it 10/10 would do again (and have! In paris!) Bravo, aperture and Giovanni