Professional Gothic Photoshoot in Japan

Working with a professional lolita fashion photographer in Japan!

On my third visit to Japan in autumn 2024, I had finally had the courage and brains to pack and wear lolita fashion. Previously, I had only worn ouji or casual goth outfits; I never attempted to bring a full lolita coord because packing a petticoat and head accessories would be too cumbersome. Since this was a birthday trip, I splurged a bit and hired a local photographer rented a nice studio, and wore a nice outfit out for the day.

Visiting a photo studio in Tokyo has been a goal I’ve had for awhile. Photo studios are often used by cosplayers in Japan since cosplay is generally discouraged in public spaces. The set designs within the studios can be very unique and intricate! Studios usually have multiple rooms, each with a different theme. Studio rental prices in Japan are very affordable compared to costs in America. The studio aesthetic options are also much more varied in Japan than the options in America.

For this trip we were only in Tokyo for 3 days which is not big window of time at all, so I took a chance and contacted a Japanese photographer.

The lolita photographer

Another goal of mine is to overcome my shyness and work with many other photographers. Usually I self shoot because I am so shy, but it is really eye opening to see how other photographers’ creative processes.

I reached out to WONA-san, one of my Twitter mutuals, for a gothic lolita photoshoot. I had been following him for a significant amount of time and I really admired his photography style. WONA often photographs Japanese lolitas around Tokyo and has even worked with brands such as Royal Princess Alice and Apleberute.

He was very flexible with scheduling and helped recommend some studios around Tokyo. My number one choice ended up not being available during my visit since we were only in the Tokyo area for 3 days. We ended up at the Palais des Sorcieres photo studio about an hour by train from Harajuku.

Palais des Sorcieres Photo Studio

The Palais des Sorcieres is a dark and elegant gothic themed photo studio in Kanagawa located near the border of Machida and Sagamihara. What caught my eye about this studio was the elegant and dark atmosphere. The Palais de Sorcieres’s concept is “dark and nostalgic world based on the concept of a witch’s palace in medieval Europe.” Honestly perfect for gothic lolitas.

The studio is inside of an apartment and it’s pretty impressive what they did with the space! Props include chandeliers, candles, faux book pages, gold wall decor, and Victorian style chairs. The floor and walls are dark with very minimal natural light coming through a window on the right side wall. I recommend using artificial light; there is options to rent lights from the studio if you don’t already own some. There is also a single person vanity with a mirror for makeup touchups if needed.

Bookings are done by e-mail in Japanese. Since the studio is unmanned, instructions to get inside and house rules are sent via LINE.

For all of October, the studio runs a Halloween promotion where you can change the lights of the background. We didn’t really utilize that feature since it was too colorful for gothic lolita. But it is there as an option.

The price for my visit was 17,000 yen for 3 hours in October 2024. The price has been updated since then, so check the website for the most up to date rates.

Gothic Photoshoot Experience

We met up with WONA at Fuchinobe Station early in the morning then took a taxi to the studio. The studio is not too far from the station. It’s a 12 minute walk or a 4 minute car ride. I was already fully dressed in my outfit, so we got straight to the photos. The longest part of set up was turning on the millions of electronic candles.

First step inside was really breathtaking! It’s kind of amazing how much they fit inside a 500 square ft. one room Japanese apartment.

You can create quite a different number of atmospheres depending on which area you use.

My Japanese proficiency is very beginner level, so I had a lot of help to make this photoshoot happen. For one, Sarah helped me make contact with WONA-san. She also became a handy photo assistant on the day of the shoot. Two, thank you to WONA-san for handling the studio reservation and for the amazing photos!

The photos turned out amazing, don’t you think?

3 hours passed by quickly! I managed get one last outfit pic before we had to leave.

After the shoot we had a quick lunch where I got to select photos that I liked to be edited. I was super impressed with how all the photos came out and how fast he was at editing! He delivered the photos earlier than estimated. WONA-san was a pleasure to work with. Hopefully next time I will be better at speaking Japanese!

If you ever need a lolita photographer in Japan, I highly recommend him!

Follow WONA

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Follow Palais des Sorcieres

• Website
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