Mediterranean Oasis

So yesterday was very interesting. Liz had an all day shoot for a catalog on the outskirts of Tokyo. I was allowed to travel and they even let me watch all the different shots. They were very very nice people, so I hope she gets the chance to work with them again. Unfortunately, we had to leave the apartment at 5 am, but that was the only downside to the day. We watched the sun rise over the country side of Japan on our way to the first location about an hour outside of the city. Liz and a male model, Frederico, were to act like a couple in front of a giant soccer stadium. It was pretty chilly outside, but it was still fun to watch them walk and nod and smile for the cameras. Frederico had a big bushy beard and looked to be a couple years older than me. I talked to him for awhile while Liz was getting ready for the various shots. He's originally from Italy but moved to Japan about 5 years ago. Definitely a free spirit, he often wandered around the sites, especially when we got to the beach. 

After they finished outside the stadium, we took a back road to an amazing beach oasis. This house made into a studio looked just like someone plucked up a house from a hillside in Greece and plopped in on a beach in Japan. Everything was white and I was allowed to explore the place freely. Even the toilet was cool because it was equipped with a pull handle from the ceiling. Very old school. Here are some pics of the house and the views of the ocean from it. (That's Frederico on the roof.)

An older woman lives in the house and rents it out to photographers. This was the first time I had been in somebody else's home so this was the first time that the slipper rule was enforced. Japanese culture dictates that outside footwear not be worn in the home. A giant bin of slippers rested on the inside of the door. Everybody had to switch their shoes to slippers when going inside. It was definitely chaotic because all the people kept coming and going. No one pair of slippers belonged to any one individual, so I never had the same pair on twice. Here's me in one pair of slippers. The L is for large. Shocker, I know. 

Liz also took some shots on the beach. We all clambered up this strange concrete divider and down again to access the beach. Liz had a couple outfits to change into, so they brought along a fold up changing room for her. It was adorable and ridiculous. She has the pics of it on her phone, so you'll have to ask her to show them to you when we get back. A significant amount of garbage and debris was strewn across the sand but not enough to tarnish the beautiful scene. Many shells had washed up in the waves, and part of the sand was entirely broken sea shells. Here are some pics. 

For lunch, we had traditional Japanese bento boxes. Mine had beef, pork, one fried shrimp, raw salmon, a couple cucumber slices and some white rice. Liz had a box with chicken. We both had miso soup and green tea to drink. It was delicious! All of the shoots I've been to have provided us with a typical Japanese lunch. I've persuaded Liz to try some new things and I think she's getting used to it. She may even enjoy it! I'm happy for the opportunity to practice my chopstick skills and she's getting pretty good at using them, too. Overall, this shoot has been my favorite to witness. I just couldn't believe I was in such a gorgeous house overlooking the beach. I look forward to more shoots like this, and I look forward to discovering more of Japan.