BIO & REVIEWS

I began my professional photography career in London, UK, specialising in dance photography before expanding into professional headshots, fashion, product photography, and video work. You can view more of my work at irvenlewisphotography.

My interest in photography started at the age of 12, when I spent most of my time photographing friends and exploring street photography. Coming full circle and now working in Japan feels especially meaningful. With its neon-lit streets, everyday life, and historic temples, Japan offers an endlessly inspiring environment for photography.

Teaching photography in Japan is something I find very special. I guide people through locations I know best, sharing places I’ve explored and photographed over many years. Seeing someone grow—from not knowing how to use their camera to confidently shooting in full manual mode—is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

Over the past few years, I have worked as a photography teacher across multiple platforms where you can also booked me for a tour, including Aperture Tours, GetYourGuide,  Airbnb, and Viator helping people build confidence and practical skills with their cameras.

Aperture Tours

Aperture Tours and our photo guide Irven were amazing. From the outset I found booking easy and the team highly responsive. The meeting point was convenient and easy to find. Irven asked if we could start early. We did the extended tour and had day and night sites. We saw and had access to vantage points we never would found on our own. Irven asked if we shot manual and history was created. He even spent extra time with us. Now for the amazing part. Irven had looked at my Instagram feed and knew what we liked to shoot. He accommodated me and my son’s interests and spent time teaching us street and motion blur and leading lines and night photography with long exposure and tripods. Amazing. We walked away from the tour with skills and knowledge we did not have before. Irven commented how this was not like work for him but more of a combined passion for teaching and photography. Importantly for me my son who I was traveling with caught the fever for photography! There is no question I will use Aperture Tours again on my next trip if they service my destination! A highlight and worth the day trip to Osaka.
I had a really informative and fun time with Irven. He offered a lot of useful tips and showed me a lot of cool places around Osaka. Some of my favorite photos from this trip came from this experience. I took all my photos on my iPhone, but all the techniques and suggestions he'll make still apply if that's what you're using.
Great tour by Irven!! Can not recommend it enough. If you want to learn photography and the hidden city spots for street photography, this tour is for you! I was sick my first day but Aperture was able to accommodate for me later on. We spent several hours out in Osaka and around the city for an unforgettable experience. Will definitely be booking with Irven again when I’m back in Japan.
We went on a Night Photography Tour with Irven Lewis in Kyoto and it was fantastic! Irven is very friendly and so knowledgeable with not only photography but with Kyoto. He took us to amazing locations to get those perfect shots! I have a new camera I am not used to and he was so patient and very understanding!! Thank you so much you are amazing!
A wonderful evening to photograph Kyotos amazing sites with Irwin! Such an awesome guide who provided many great tips and tricks to enhance my pictures! Would highly recommend
Public review · 5 Irven has the best photography skills and to learn from scratch is amazing. get to see osaka through the lens and bring me to places to have the best view. will recommend.
Public review · 5 Irven is a great host that showed us some interesting locations around Dotonbori that we definitely wouldn’t have found alone. We learned how to shoot manual , and he was very flexible to show us different subject matters and go at our own pace.
Public review · 5 this is just what I was looking for. not only did I get to explore hidden paths throughout Osaka, but my photography skills drastically improved with each shot. the Host knew how to get the best shot with his own camera, but then showed me how to get the best shot with my own camera. I now feel much more confident to take my camera out of the auto setting and shoot manually. especially at night!
Public review · 5 My wife and I had a great time with the photo shoot. We both learned a lot and Irven did a wonderful job showing us around the city and helped us get some amazing shots.
Public review · 5 Fun experience! My husband and I enjoyed the photo-taking, we were able to get some unique photos, and see some great locations around the city!
Fabulous evening of shooting with an excellent guide, Irven who took me to some great locations. Being a novice at street photography it really helped to be guided in where to shoot and what subjects would make great photos. Irven matched the pace of the tour with my skill level. Word of warning.. there is so much to cover and there's potentially lots of walking. In summary, great tour, fabulous guide. Highly recommend.
Whenever you're up for a workshop in Osaka or Kyoto, Irven’s your go-to! Super informative and knows all the best spots to explore!
Public review · 5 this is just what I was looking for. not only did I get to explore hidden paths throughout Osaka, but my photography skills drastically improved with each shot. the Host knew how to get the best shot with his own camera, but then showed me how to get the best shot with my own camera. I now feel much more confident to take my camera out of the auto setting and shoot manually. especially at night!
Public review · 5 My wife and I had a great time with the photo shoot. We both learned a lot and Irven did a wonderful job showing us around the city and helped us get some amazing shots.
Public review · 5 Fun experience! My husband and I enjoyed the photo-taking, we were able to get some unique photos, and see some great locations around the city!