Six disciplines,
one architectural eye.
From the completion photograph that defines a project at handover to aerials, models, time-lapse and bound albums — each service is built on the same principle: to record architecture faithfully, in high resolution, with the integrity it deserves. All services are available across Japan.
Architectural & Completion Photography
The completion (shunkō) photograph is the definitive record of a building at the moment of handover — before use begins to alter it. Working with houses, multi-family housing and commercial architecture, I combine carefully planned lighting and precise perspective control with a close reading of daylight across the day, so that form, space, material and light are held together in a single, faithful frame.
For more on completion photography, see the completion photography page. Photography of civic and cultural buildings is covered in more detail on public & cultural architecture.
- Exterior & interior
- Perspective-corrected
- Day-to-dusk sequences
- High-resolution delivery
Drone & Aerial Photography
An aerial view situates a building within its site and city — the relationships that ground-level frames cannot show. Flights are conducted under Japanese MLIT (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) flight approval and operated to a strict safety standard, from daylight overviews to twilight and night.
- Operation under applicable MLIT flight permission
- Site & context views
- Twilight & night
- Coordinated with completion shoots
Architectural Model Photography
Physical models carry an architect's thinking in a form photographs rarely do justice to. Through controlled lighting and careful depth of field — in studio or on location — I photograph models for competitions, exhibitions, publications and academic institutions, so the idea reads as clearly as the object.
For selected work and detail, see the model photography page.
- Studio & location
- Competition & exhibition
- Academic & institutional
- Detail & overall
Time-lapse & Construction Records
Fixed-point documentation records a project from groundbreaking to completion — a continuous account of how a building comes into being. Useful for owners, contractors and public record alike, and edited into a concise time-lapse on delivery.
- Fixed-point capture
- Groundbreaking to completion
- Edited time-lapse
Album Production
Some projects deserve a physical form. From capture through editing, sequencing, printing and binding, I produce hardcover photographic albums end to end — a considered, physical record to hand to a client, or to keep as the definitive document of a completed work.
- Editing & sequencing
- Printing & binding
- Hardcover
International Submissions & Multilingual Materials
Architecture is judged, published and commissioned across borders. Beyond the photographs themselves, I prepare the material that travels with them — image selects, captions and project texts, set out in the language of the submission and exported to the specification the recipient requires. English as standard; other languages on request. This site itself is built and maintained in multiple languages (日本語 · English · 中文 · Español · Français · العربية · Deutsch · Tiếng Việt · 한국어 · Bahasa Melayu, and more). The delivery page and the proofing page open in the same language, so the URL can be passed straight to a collaborating architect or editor abroad. Both screens are set out on the proofing and delivery page. When a building reaches an audience beyond Japan, everything that can be prepared on the photography side is already in place.
- Selects for international awards & competitions
- Captions & project texts in the target language
- Export to the recipient’s specification
- Overseas assignments
Working internationally
- Fees are quoted in Japanese yen (JPY); the amount in your currency depends on the exchange rate on the day of payment.
- Airfare, accommodation and local transport are billed at actual cost, separately from the fee. All of these are confirmed in writing before the shoot.
- Japanese drone permits (MLIT) are not valid abroad. Aerial work overseas requires authorisation from the local civil aviation authority — allow several weeks, and expect it to be arranged with the client.
- Site access, building permissions and any location fees are arranged by the client.
- Copyright remains with the photographer under Japanese law; usage is licensed in writing for each project.
- International transfer fees and the date funds clear are agreed in advance.
Fees
Every project is scoped and estimated individually — by building type, scale, number of frames, location and usage. As a guide, most commissions fall within the range below. A written estimate is prepared before any work begins.
Rates shown are for commissions within Japan; assignments based overseas are quoted separately.
For an accurate estimate, please share the building type, location, intended use of the images and your preferred timing.
Frequently asked questions.
Common questions on cost, coverage, and usage when commissioning architectural photography.
Residential shoots start from ¥150,000, full-day sessions from ¥250,000, and drone aerial photography from ¥150,000. The final fee depends on scope, the number of frames, and the intended use. Please see the pricing page or request a quote.
Based in Setagaya, Tokyo, I travel throughout the Kanto region — Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama — and, on request, nationwide. I also work internationally and gladly take on assignments overseas. I welcome commissions from architecture firms, builders, and construction companies looking to outsource their architectural photography — in Japan and abroad.
Yes. For general contractors, builders, and real-estate developers, I provide fixed-point construction-progress documentation, shot from consistent angles — ideal for internal reports, client updates, and PR materials.
I regularly work with architects, design firms, and interior designers on completion (handover) photography and portfolio imagery — capturing design intent, material detail, and the quality of light with precision.
Beyond houses and multi-family residences, I photograph commercial spaces, retail interiors, offices, clinics, hospitality venues, and public architecture — covering both exteriors and interiors.
After the shoot, I deliver fully processed images — RAW processing, perspective correction, and colour grading — typically within two to three weeks. Let me know if you have a tighter deadline.
Yes. Either can be added to a building shoot or booked on its own, whether drone aerial photography or architectural-model photography.
Copyright in the photographs remains with TERAKAWA Photo Office. The shooting fee includes "primary use" by the commissioning party — the party who pays the fee — together with the building owner or architect, for their own PR, promotion, media features, and portfolio. Any use beyond this scope — by third parties other than the commissioning party, in large-scale advertising or campaigns, for sale or distribution, or across additional media, territories, or time periods — is subject to a separate licensing (secondary-use) fee, depending on the scope of use. For magazine and media features, please credit the photographer (e.g., "Photo: TERAKAWA Photo Office / Naoki Terakawa"). The full scope and fees are set out clearly at the time of contract.
Yes. As the copyright holder, I may use the photographs on my own website and portfolio, in architecture- and photography-related media, and in my own publications — some of which may be offered for sale. For projects that call for privacy or confidentiality, such as private residences or non-public work, I always confirm with you in advance, so please mention any concerns when you get in touch.
Yes. I produce your architectural photographs as bespoke hardcover albums and photo books — valued as portfolio pieces and keepsakes by architecture firms, builders, and developers, and as handover gifts for building owners. I quote according to format, page count, and quantity.
Completion — or handover — photography documents a building at the moment it is finished, with the design realized exactly as intended. Architectural photography is the broader discipline: it portrays a building not only at handover but as a work in its own right — its presence, its setting, and the way it is inhabited and published. I don’t draw a hard line between the two; every completion shoot is composed to stand as architectural photography in the fullest sense. For more, see the completion-photography page.
For exteriors and drone work, where weather shapes the final image, I plan the date around favourable conditions — clear or lightly overcast skies. If poor weather is forecast, I agree a backup date in advance and move the shoot at no extra cost. Interior and model photography, largely unaffected by the weather, can go ahead as planned even in rain.
Attendance isn’t required, but having the architect on site lets me confirm the details and design intent you most want captured, which makes for a surer result. Ahead of the day, it helps to have the space cleaned and tidied, the lighting checked and working, and — where possible — furniture and greenery styled. Depending on the brief, I’ll share a checklist and an outline of how the day will run beforehand.
Rates are quoted in Japanese yen (¥); payment is usually made by international bank transfer and can be arranged in your local currency at the prevailing exchange rate. Transfer fees are the client's responsibility. If you need another payment method, please mention it when requesting a quote.
Yes. I photograph architecture for international awards and competitions, overseas media, and proposals to clients abroad. Beyond the shoot and the selects, I can prepare captions and project texts in the language of the submission (English as standard; other languages on request), and export files to the resolution, colour space and format the recipient specifies.
Yes. TERAKAWA Photo Office is an architectural photography practice in Setagaya, Tokyo, that builds and maintains its own website and its proprietary photo-proofing and photo-delivery systems in multiple languages (Japanese, English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Arabic, German, Vietnamese, Korean, Malay and more). Because both the delivery page and the proofing page open in the same language, the URL can be passed straight to a collaborating architect, client or editor abroad. Image selects, captions and project texts are prepared in the language of the submission — English as standard, other languages on request — and exported to the resolution, colour space and file format that international awards and overseas media specify.