About this tour
When Tom from our BugBitten team pitched up to Benjamin Lee's Tokyo apartment for a two-hour photography session, we found ourselves in a proper creative sanctuary. Lee's a heavyweight in the photography world — five decades of shooting everyone from Irving Penn to international cultural icons — and his walls are lined with monumental prints and rare art books to prove it. It's an intimate setup: you're learning in his space, getting real-time feedback on your own work, and doing a hands-on portrait shoot with a professional backdrop. You walk out with digital images from your iPhone session and a tangible sense of how a master sees light and composition.
Highlights
- Private apartment setting surrounded by iconic photography and rare art collections
- Personalised feedback on your own photography from a fifty-year veteran
- Hands-on portrait session with professional backdrop and lighting
- Digital images from your iPhone session included in the experience
- Lunch provided — a chance to chat with Lee between shoots
- Walking distance from public transport; low barrier to access
What to expect
You'll head to Lee's apartment in a quiet Tokyo neighbourhood and immediately clock the calibre of work on display — this isn't a generic studio. Lee doesn't lecture at you; he works through examples from his archive, then turns attention to your camera roll or your own attempts. Expect him to ask questions about what you were trying to capture, then show you how he'd approach the same subject. The portrait session is the practical heart of it: you'll use his backdrop setup, and he'll direct you through a few rounds, adjusting light and composition as you shoot. The pace is unhurried — two hours is enough to breathe without feeling rushed.
Tom found the real value in the critique. It's not just "nice shot"; Lee explains why a frame works or doesn't, grounded in decades of editorial and fine-art work. The lunch break is genuine downtime, not a sales pitch. By the end, you've got usable images and a sense of how a seasoned eye constructs a photograph.
What travellers say
- Rare access to a photographer with genuine international pedigree
- Intimate apartment studio; feels like a mentorship, not a class
- Real critique tied to your own work and immediate goals
- Lunch included; unhurried pace across two hours
- Public transport nearby; easy logistical fit into a Tokyo day
- Two hours is a snapshot; not a deep-dive workshop experience
- Apartment setting limits accessibility and isn't suited to families
- Peak booking times may mean long waits to secure a date
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This is for anyone serious about improving their photography, whether you're a hobbyist or a working shooter. Lee's experience means you're getting wisdom that usually takes years to accumulate. The apartment setting feels exclusive without being pretentious, and the inclusion of lunch makes it feel like a proper session, not a quick workshop.
Two hours is tight if you're hoping for an in-depth masterclass — it's a taster. You'll need a smartphone or camera with you; Lee focuses on your own gear. The space is an apartment, so it's not wheelchair-accessible and isn't kid-friendly beyond infants on a lap. Weather doesn't matter since it's indoors, but the location is in a residential area, so it's quieter and a bit of a walk from major stations.
Bring your phone or camera. Lunch is included. Groups are kept small (likely solo or pairs). Book well ahead — this fills quickly.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.