Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Serious
seriously silly, that is
New (to me) friends Eric and Gigi, seen the other day in “Unexpectedly Snowy Photoshoot at the Joshokoji Temple”, wanted to pick up a kimono before returning to San Francisco, and I got to tag along.
A friend brought them to a small shop in central Kyoto named W'Atelier ENYA (縁家) ...
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/100 sec, f/2.2, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
W'Atelier ENYA (縁家)
First was Gigi's turn, and she quickly zeroed in on one to try...
I don't know why kimono need to be so complex, but even most Japanese don't know how to put one on themselves.
Gigi tried various kimono....
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Helping Hand(s)
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 3200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Bolts
the variety of stuff they had was amazing for such a small location
Gigi's first instinct was apparently correct, because she had to return to the original green one to try again...
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Surprisingly Well
how a black western turtleneck goes with a traditional Japanese kimono
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/500 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Photo Op
Gigi peeks out of the front of the store while Eric captures her image in medium-format glory
Nikon D4 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 6400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Inspecting the Results
She decided to buy that one, so got fitted for all the various accouterments a kimono requires, starting with an under-robe kind of thing that requires its own myriad of knots to complete...
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 — 1/100 sec, f/1.4, ISO 320 — map & image data — nearby photos
In Capable Hands
as opposed to Gigi's incapable hands
(but knowing her even as little as I do, I suspect they won't remain incapable for long)
Nikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1/160 sec, f/1.4, ISO 720 — map & image data — nearby photos
Picture Perfect
posing for Eric
Then it was Eric's turn. Kimono for men are a much more simple affair, and he had one picked out and put on before I knew it.
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.8, ISO 2500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Harsh
the fluorescent light just above him made for very harsh light
I believe it was his first time in a kimono, but a combination of confidence and being Asian made it look natural on him. Whenever I wear a kimono I feel like a tall white guy playing dress-up. Lipstick on a pig, and all that, you know.
Anyway, I had Eric move to the better light where Gigi had been posing. It's tough to get a real picture of Eric because he's always hamming it up if you point the camera at him. I suspect deep underlying insecurities (even worse than mine, if that's possible), which is probably why, like me, he's a photographer and not a model. 
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.8, ISO 2800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lost in Thought
or at least pretending to be
He couldn't even pretend to hold a serious pose for more than a moment...
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2000 — map & image data — nearby photos
Real Eric
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Eric, Pretend You're a Tough-Guy Samurai”
I wanted to get a picture of the two together, but stupidly didn't think about the light and put them back under the harsh fluorescent. The initial result was almost unusably blown out, but because I shoot raw, I can often recover from exposure mistakes, and eke something out:
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 2200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Gigi and Eric
Eric is wearing a hat that I'd jokingly given him to wear (see the opening shot). It's made partially of kimono fabric, and seems to be targeted at a 20-something demographic, but he wore it with gusto and frankly I was surprised how good it looked on him.
Of course, with the camera on him he couldn't pretend to be serious for long, so as the photographer I needed to direct him. Having seen the fantastic Peter Hurley headshot video several times, I know the concepts, but I'm really bad at remembering and executing.
Still, I get lucky sometimes. I think I said “Come on, guys, at least pretend you love each other”...
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 4500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Apparently No Pretending Necessary