So, there I was 8.30am this morning, in downtown Azabu Juban, a sunny cosmopolitan corner of Tokyo, Japan. I knew it was cosmopolitan as the local coffee shop had outdoor seats and tables. Out in the mean city at a mean time to shoot a friendly editorial portrait assignment, sort of a business portrait without the tie and jacket.

I go up to the office, 8th floor, and the building has a distinctly Soviet-era style going on. Nice cream walls, perhaps they were white once. In the 1970′s. The door is definitely Soviet era, heavy and metal. Today’s friendly subject had very kindly warned me not to “expect too much” from the office. I appreciate the honesty and certainly it didn’t raise my expectations much, especially here in Japan where most offices are nicotine beige in colour and decidedly old-fashioned. I braced myself for disappointment.

Anyway I go into the office, more of an apartment serving as an office. Nice guy, nice company, nice place, nice computers, nice ironing board. Myself and my trusty assistant for the day have a quick look round. It took 2 nano seconds to look round, but two minutes to figure out where to put up the background paper, the stands, the lights stand. Would the light stand and the background paper even fit within the room? The same room ? Well, perhaps we can move that cupboard, move the ironing board, maybe dismantle the computer (honestly Sir, we’ll put it all back when we’re finished, you’ll never know we’ve been here) and move the desk to another room. Oh wait, this is the other room. OK, I’ll just shoot across the table.

So we set up the stands, the paper. The paper- a lovely neutral grey, 1.75metres in width- a classic of it’s genre. So we set it up. There is a momentary skip of a heart beat as we wonder if it is too wide for the room. But no, it goes up, with inches to spare at either side. We unroll the paper, ah grey, lovely. We set up the stand for the light, it’s not so much off to one side, more almost in front of the background, if not the subject. It’s gonna be tight, but hey, keeps it fun.

And now where to stand to shoot from. Well, back a bit, back a bit, wait, open the balcony door, back a bit, skirt round the bag of garbage on the balcony, past the bits of polystyrene, the metal rods. Ah, this is fine, I’ll stand here, out on the balcony, (would you like me to wear the plastic slippers ?), and shoot through the open door into the dark cave room. Nice, al fresco shooting, it’s definitely feeling like a cosmopolitan assignment today. I feel like I’m in Cannes. And whilst I’m out here, can we just tie the curtains open please? They’re ever so slightly obscuring my view.

Ok, let’s shoot. Wait, where’s the subject ? Sir, oh Sir, could you join us please ? Ah, you’re behind the background paper. Sorry Sir. If we roll up the background paper could you limbo underneath the pole? Thanks Sir. That’s better. No Sir, no, I’m over here, out here, on the balcony, if you could just look this way thanks, we’ll be finished in a moment, I appreciate you’re busy.