Japan Photography Workshops
I offer a variety of photography workshops tailored to suit all levels of experience from the complete beginner to working professionals. Workshops are held in Kyoto, Japan. Below are the 3 main categories of workshops I offer:
Planning a trip to Japan and would like to improve your photography?
Join me in Kyoto for an intensive single or multi-day photography workshop focused on composition, exposure techniques and more.
Develop your understanding of the dark arts under the red light
Create handmade prints in the darkroom from your own film negatives using the traditional method of silver gelatin printing.
Can't make it to Japan? Learn remotely with my Online Workshops
I offer skill specific online workshops such as 'Exposing film by eye' and 'Composition & Framing'.
Testimonials
Simone 🇮🇹
“It was fun working with Renato, and get guided through the chaos of Kyoto to cool spots. His fully analog process is 🔥”
Kohki 🇯🇵
“The workshops with Renato were undoubtedly the most productive and enjoyable hours I’ve had in photography. The street photography workshop was perfect for experiencing Renato’s perspective side-by-side and working on exposing by eye. The darkroom workshop helped me to bring out the most detail out of my negatives and achieve the best result possible.”
Arvian 🇺🇸
“I took a workshop with Renato during my trip to Kyoto and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of black-and-white film photography. I gained so much just from the initial briefing session - his approach to exposure and development helped me build a clearer mental model for planning my shots.
Renato doesn’t just explain how to meter and shoot film; he dives into the why behind each decision. For instance, I had heard you should meter for the shadows when shooting film, but now I truly understand the reasoning behind it. During our photo walk, I challenged myself to visualize exposures before taking each shot. I only wish I had signed up for the two-day workshop to get the full picture of the entire developing and printing process."
Klio 🇧🇪
“My time in the darkroom with Renato was extremely educational, and I learned so much!”
William 🇺🇸
“I traveled to Japan from the US as a tourist. Before my trip, I arranged a workshop with Renato in Kyoto. The workshop was an invaluable experience for my development as an artist, and helped me improve key photography skills. Renato focused on helping me refine my artistic vision and practice through a portfolio review and real-time feedback during the workshop. We focused primarily on composition and producing a consistent body of work. I look forward to another workshop during my next trip to Japan.”
Preston 🇺🇸
“Renato’s film photography workshop was an incredibly informative and hands-on experience. He provided a strong foundation in film photography, covering everything from camera mechanics and lenses to composition and exposure techniques. I particularly appreciated learning how to shoot without a light meter using methods like the Sunny 16 rule. The workshop was packed with valuable insights, so I highly recommend bringing a notebook to capture everything. If you’re serious about film photography, this workshop is a must!”
Ali 🇶🇦
"I took the two-day photography and darkroom workshop with Renato in Kyoto, and it was an incredibly valuable experience. He taught me how to meter by eye and be more intentional with framing before taking each shot, while also sharing personal insights into his approach to shooting. Working alongside him in Kyoto helped me slow down and observe more carefully. In the darkroom, I learned firsthand how to develop film and make prints, and saw how he uses different techniques to achieve the perfect print. Renato is generous with his knowledge and thoughtful in his feedback. I’d highly recommend the workshop to anyone serious about black-and-white film photography.”
Aaron 🇺🇸
“The experience was a guided tour of the winding paths, temples, and back streets of Tokyo. As Renato knew the neighborhood, he was able to find interesting locations, speak to previous experiences walking these same streets, and even pulled up references to photos he shared via his Instagram account. This created an atmosphere of discovery, learning, and quickly the anxiety of shooting without a light meter faded away.
My focus shifted from worrying about what the camera was telling me, to trusting my intuition, and seeking the right opportunity for a compelling photo. By the end of the first day, I felt in tune with my photography.”