Riz Crescini » Kitakyushu

Happy New Year: 2012

Riz Crescini — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:54:42 +0000

明けましておめでとうございます！今年も宜しくお願いします！

Photo Shoot with Hazuki: Kitakyushu, Japan

Riz Crescini — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:10:20 +0000

My friend, Hazuki, used to live in Kitakyushu but due to her husband’s job transfer, she and her family moved up north. Hazuki and her daughter were back in town last weekend for a quick visit. Shortly before their departure, I had a chance to do a photo shoot at her request. She is a yoga instructor and has started a small business. She naturally wanted profile pictures for her blog/website and that’s where I come in. Hazuki was great to work with and I believe the images we captured that day reflect her fun and engaging personality. I am sure that future clients that visit her site will notice this right away. Happy viewing, everyone!!

We found this empty park with beautiful fall leaves and decided to do a couple "yoga" images.

Before their train departure, we found one more location and came away with beautiful portraits of Hazuki.

Here are some behind-the-scene shots of Hazuki with her cute daughter.

Photo Shoot with Shuming: Kitakyushu, Japan

Riz Crescini — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:15:14 +0000

My assistant, Shouten, and I put in some shooting practice time earlier this summer. Our model for this photo shoot is Shuming from China. Thanks, Shuming! You did a fantastic job!

Photo Shoot with Tomoko: Wakamatsu, Japan

Riz Crescini — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:10:09 +0000

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.” – Helen Keller

Swimming Session with Fuuta: Wakamatsu, Japan

Riz Crescini — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:47:40 +0000

Little Fuuta has been swimming since he was one. And, at a young age of five years, he is an impressive swimmer. This is not a kid who is forced to do this. He loves what he does! Between laps, he won’t hesitate to smile and give a good laugh. It’s been a complete privilege (I sound like an Idol judge) for me to take his pictures and to see him develop each year. Who knows? Fuuta might represent Japan one day. Here he is…Fuuta!!!

Wakamatsu, Japan: Moore Family Lifestyle Session

Riz Crescini — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:24:40 +0000

Today’s blog post features a family from Texas: the Moores!! They spent 10 days in Japan to do summer ministry at our church. Although each day’s schedule was jam-packed, we managed to squeeze in a family shoot while playing at the beach. I am so glad for the opportunity to meet them. They were such a blessing to all the people they met. There’s such a zest in the way they live their lives that people take notice. Thank you, Moores, for reaching out and sharing God’s love with us!

**Don’t forget to watch the slideshow at the end!**

With Mr. and Mrs. Itoh: wonderful hosts during their stay

"That's the Pacific!"

What a great-looking family!

Ocean waves are the cause of this fantastic rock formation which makes for a great backdrop.

A beautiful daughter!

Time for the couple shots!

Love this moment between them! What did she say to him?!?

Everyone enjoying the sunset while exploring.

Ending our time with a gorgeous sunset!

Hiking Up Mt. Sarakura: Yahatahigashi, Japan

Riz Crescini — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 22:53:47 +0000

Anne and I went on a hiking date up a mountain know for its gorgeous views of our city. The mountain (Mt. Sarakura) is not too far from our house, about a 20 minute drive. You can even see the mountain from our neighborhood. Anne and I had a great time hiking and exploring. The last time we did a hike like this together was when we lived in Kobe in the late 90′s. It was so fun that we agreed to do more hiking dates in the near future. As Anne shared yesterday, “You get exercise, photography, and each other all in one shot!” I couldn’t agree more!

Anne loves to climb!

This part makes me think of Narnia or Lord of the Rings.

My climbing buddy!

Here's our ride back!

And for lunch: Turkey kebab at a new joint in town! It was soooo good!

Play and Practice: Hibikino Campus

Riz Crescini — Fri, 27 May 2011 04:02:59 +0000

What do you do when the wife is teaching an evening class? Take your kids to their favorite park. They play and I “play” and practice my off camera flash technique. Win-win!!

What gear did I have with me? I brought with me my Canon 40D. Haven’t used the 40D in a while so I decided to give it some love that night. The only lens I brought with me was the wide-angle 16-35mm. Now, because the 40D has a crop sensor, the effective focal length range is 26-56mm. It was wide enough for what I wanted to shoot and also, no distortion even at the widest focal length. I only used one flash, the Canon 580 EXII, which I set on a Manfrotto light stand. Why didn’t I use a second flash? I normally do but hey, I’m taking care of 3 girls!! This was their time, not mine. Lastly, for off camera lighting, I happily use the Scott Robert Lim triggers. I could have used a diffuser, such as an umbrella, to create “softer” light, but again, I was there to play with my girls. The few shots I took of them was strictly bonus. When you start hearing, “Daddy, let’s play hide-n-seek! Daddy, push me on the swing! Daddy, help me climb the slide!”, then it’s time to put away the gear. Enjoy the images!

Spring Inspiration Shoot: Wakamatsu, Japan (Green Park) Part II

Riz Crescini — Fri, 20 May 2011 07:56:29 +0000

Well, as promised, here is Part II of the inspiration shoot that took place last weekend. If you missed Part I, go here.

My models were Anne Crescini and Marla Ayatsuka. One of them’s my wife To be honest with you, my shots didn’t do any justice to the beauty that these two women have. God made them both beautiful on the outside. But the beauty they have on the inside is just as attractive. The strength and character of these women are something to behold. So, forgive me that these images fall short of truly capturing who they are.

I wanted to create a little bit of drama using the sun flare and a texture.

Thank you, Jessica, for designing the bouquets and head pieces! You're the best!

Location: Wakamatsu, Japan

Hair and Makeup: Marla Ayatsuka

Floral Design: Jessica Kondo

Florist: Chimoto

Assistant: Zhengtian Pan

Models: Marla Ayatsuka and Anne Crescini

Spring Inspiration Shoot: Wakamatsu, Japan (Green Park) Part I

Riz Crescini — Wed, 18 May 2011 07:51:57 +0000

Last Saturday, we had an inspiration shoot and went out to Green Park for some fun in the sun! Jessica Kondo is a good friend and we collaborated together on this shoot. She designed the beautiful flowers (bouquets and head pieces) you will see below. Like I said before, I’m not a “flower” person but I can appreciate their beauty and Jessica did a phenomenal job. I am looking forward to doing many more collaborative shoots with Jessica. When you combine the flowers with beautiful models, then you have a winning recipe.

For our models, my wife and daughter (Anne and Mia) teamed up with another mother/daughter team (Marla and Hana). We’ve known Marla ever since we arrived in Kitakyushu eight years ago. She and her husband, Rocky, are wonderful friends. I need to do a lifestyle shoot of them just so I can show you their awesomeness! But I digress. Mia and Hana are best buds and well…they are just plain cute!! Okay, enough banter. Enjoy!

Getting ready

Putting on makeup is fun!

I don't like this part, Mommy!

Hold still, baby!

Pretty Hana

Friends

Love their expressions here!

Tea time!

I love the shadows being caused by the flower headdress!

Can we play now, Mommy?

What beautiful girls!

By the way, you don’t want to miss Part II of this inspiration shoot. Anne and Marla get their modeling on! Here’s a sneak peek: