Kyoto Portrait Shoot with Sora | Leica SL2s + SL 50mm F2 APO

This is an outdoor portrait shoot in Kyoto with photographer Daran and Japan-based photographer Stanley. Away from the bustling tourist spots, we wandered beautiful places only locals know — both carrying only Leica, with quiet smiles of satisfaction hidden in the photos.

By Daran Wu

Kyoto in May — it had rained just the day before, yet the sun unexpectedly came out. The Japanese air seems to carry a scent — hmm~, I think it's the "smell" of light: the photos show a clarity different from shooting in Taiwan, always so translucent, with a uniquely natural tone.

I love shooting in Japan — familiar culture mixed with the thrill of exploration. Stanley, Sora, and I strolled slowly along the path, shooting whatever caught our eyes, chasing light with Leica in hand — as if returning to the simplicity and purity of when we first started photography.

Share this story