#3: Josh Galyean Photography

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Fukuoka Plus Members each have a unique and interesting story. We are focusing on Josh Galyean Photography in this edition of Business Spotlight.

Can you share the story behind the inception of your business?

I began photography when I got my first iPad 3 3,355 days ago. I fell in love with taking photos right then and there and editing through an app instantly.

One thousand ninety-six days later on a trip back home to the US from China, I purchased my first Nikon DSLR. I took photos of everything I could and learned post-processing using Lightroom.

Fast forward 30 days later and I’m asked by a friend to shoot his wedding in Shanghai. Another 150 days later and I’m asked to be the main photographer for a number one best-selling street photography book on Amazon entitled Faces We Love Shanghai.

Since then, I’ve tried my hand at product photography, real estate, and videos, but my passion is as a people-based photographer.

I love capturing natural moments using natural lighting.

After moving to Japan 1,559 days ago I came with the goal of starting my business, with a British school photo company I was working for as supplementary income.

Then COVID came and I lost all those jobs. English teaching became my main income but my passion for photography never dwindled.

One hundred eighty days ago, I quit my job and began working from home while trying to build my client list. Now I do engagement sessions, pre-wedding photos, and lots of family sessions.

How did you choose the business name?

I used to have an email address as the second greatest man. I was raised Christian and viewed Jesus as the number one guy and as a joke, myself as a close second.

I left the religion 1,254 days ago but took the name and went with it. I’m not the best photographer there ever was, but I am a close second to whoever your favorite photographer is!

Who is your target audience and what do you offer them?

I’m still learning Japanese at an incredibly slow pace, so for now my main clients are tourists and expats looking for mainly unposed lifestyle and holiday photos. Working as a teacher for around 4,899 days taught me to be great with kids.

I love working with families and bringing out genuine smiles from children. When kids are happy, parents are happy too.

I’d love to work with locals who want a family photo shoot, lifestyle photos, and more.

Google Translate is a handy app, but what’s more, is gestures and my attempt to communicate with broken Japanese. These bring genuine smiles as well no matter the age.

What are the biggest challenges your business is facing?

The biggest challenge is the weather. Being an outdoor photographer most of the time (I do love indoor event photography as well) rain is just not cool for happy couple or family shoots. I try to be flexible with my time and give the clients a few choices of times and dates in case the weather isn’t great.

Japan offers some amazing backdrops for photos, which is why I love outdoor shoots. But that also means crowds at the more touristy places. Mornings work best, but of course, who would pass up a good beach shoot during the sunset? Finding locations accessible to all can be challenging too.

What is your business’ outlook for the future?

My goal is to photograph every man, woman, child, and non-binary individual there is in Fukuoka.

I hope that word-of-mouth takes off because damn, my photos are gorgeous! They’re not the best you’ve ever seen, but they are definitely a close second!