You can't help but fall in love with Akiko, a bit shy, often smiling, and bowing Japanese-style when you pay her a compliment. I received many emails from former clients who recommended her highly. They raved about her work and described the "precious moments she captured with her keen eye." "She kept track of the photos we needed, paid close attention to our desire, and created a sensitive personal record of our wedding." " We were very surprised when we saw some of our pictures; we could not imagine when she took them without us noticing her."

Akiko just had received her degree in photo-journalism from S.F. State University and was working for a Japanese magazine when a friend asked her to photograph his wedding. This work with all its creative possibilities intrigued her so much that she saw it as her real calling." The personal relationship with bride and groom is so much more gratifying than taking pictures of famous people, who you never see again," she told me.

I must admit that I had picked her because of her familiarity with Japanese heritage and customs; however, when I saw her portfolios, I realized, it became a secondary consideration. Her work is so outstanding that I consider her among the best in the photography profession. Her pictures of touching moments between bride and groom, children playing, interesting group shots, the use of color, black and white, and depth of field show Akiko's artistic gift. Yet there is a freshness in her work that you don't see often and which, in combination with her natural sweetness, make her a rare find.