I cannot recommend Mihaeko and Elias with more confidence and enthusiasm.
I first met Mihaeko in her solo practice when I interviewed her to photograph our wedding. Her portfolio was still quite new, but stood out among reams of others for its attention to detail and overall artistry. She handled our often-anxious flux of shifting schedules, rain plans, and make-shift spaces with creativity, care and ingenuity. I was completely oblivious to a number of challenges that arose throughout the multi-day event, and Mihaeko in every case found ways to discreetly overcome them toward achieving our expressed desires.
In her proposed warm-up shoot some months in advance, Mihaeko gave us the opportunity to discover what worked and didn’t work for us in terms of our comfort in front of the camera. We were able to discuss the resulting photos with her and propose the kinds of images we were most drawn to. At no point did Mihaeko push her own agenda. She listened thoughtfully, asked questions to help us flush out the feedback to ensure she fully understood where we were coming from, and she applied that feedback extremely conscientiously in the end result. Her good humor and gentle manner made it easy to offer this feedback.
In a twist that's limited by word count here, Mihaeko even heroically hand-crafted my exquisite dress!
Since then, we have become good friends. Elias joining the picture is truly like fireworks. His gentle jubilance is an ideal balance to Mihaeko's quiet exactness, both of them bringing forth an eye for artistry and a long practice of careful craftsmanship. Watching them discuss anything from the placement of a table to the quality of light within a frame is to witness two sensitive, independent people draw their qualities into a uniquely strong collaborative vision. They are simply a delight to be around, and their combinations of skills and qualities leave no stone un-considered.
As a team, I give them truly my highest recommendation possible.