Welcome to Kyoto. I'm Stuart Gibson; Scotsman, photographer, fine malt whisky-lover and founder of Classic Kyoto Photography. I arrived in Kyoto in early 2003 to work for three years before heading back to Scotland. Despite having never owned a camera or shown much interest in taking pictures I soon found myself in an electronics store looking for a used camera, and before I knew it I was devoting every spare moment to photography. Kyoto had gotten its hooks into me, as had making photographs, and I've been dedicated to this city and to photography ever since.
Kyoto is an absolute joy to explore and photograph. For 20 years now it has been my home and my muse. It is a city that demands to be explored but with 1200 years of history it doesn't easily give up its secrets.
Its countless magical places have inspired me to return to spots with my camera again and again, year after year, day and night, in different seasons and in different light. Kyoto is so rich and multi-layered that I continue to make new discoveries. For visitors to the city limited by tight schedules, it can be difficult to do anything more than scratch the surface.
It is my long experience of shooting around Kyoto that make my tours so special. They take the stress and guesswork out of exploring the city: you'll be sure to see—and photograph— the best of what Kyoto has to offer and what other visitors seldom have a chance to experience. We go at your pace; you are free to relax and spend as much time at each location as you please. If you are like me, you want more than just holiday snaps —you want images that really capture the essence of a time and place, and that's precisely what you'll have the chance to do. With the peace-of-mind of being with an experienced photographer who knows the area you are sure to get images to be proud of.
I look forward to sharing with you the places that have inspired me, and ensuring that you take home images that will do justice to your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Kyoto.
