Skip to content
Mel half-lit between warm vertical light bars, face turned toward the camera in shadow

couple · Midtown, Manhattan · After dark · 2026

A Night at Fushimi

An anime night at Fushimi in Midtown — red gates, a wall of green, warm light in the bars — and the two of us on both sides of the lens.

Midtown, after dark

In the light bars

Mel half-lit between warm vertical light bars, face turned toward the camera in shadow

Green

The flower wall

Mel glances back through glasses, framed by leaves and warm low light
Mel laughs on a phone call, lit against a dark wall of leaves and flowers
Mel turns over her shoulder toward the camera, glasses on, the flower wall bright behind her
Mel adjusts her glasses and looks back over her shoulder in front of a wall of leaves and red flowers

Mixed light

Leaves, flowers, and whatever light the room would give us. We shot what was there.

Reverse

Turning the camera around

Derek in near silhouette against the light bars, locs and glasses catching the edge of the light

Red

The gates

Mel walks away through the red gates, ponytail down her back, jacket slung over one shoulder
Mel walks away down a long corridor of red torii gates lit from within, a jacket over her arm
Derek walks toward the camera through the red gates, looking down at his phone

Found

Something on the wall

A ceramic beckoning cat with a gold coin and red cushion on a shelf, lit warm

Glow

Back in the light

Mel leans against a red pillar beside glowing light bars, looking back at the lens
Mel stands between warm vertical light bars, half her face in shadow

Out on the street

Mel walks down a Midtown street at night, jacket over her arm, parked cars and city lights behind her

Creative note

Shot by the two of us on the same night: Derek photographed Melody, and Melody photographed Derek.

Photography (Melody)
Derek Adu
Photography (Derek)
Melody
Subject
Derek Adu
Subject
Melody
Neighborhood
Midtown

Next story

Two children sit on rainbow-painted steps holding oversized swirl lollipops, turned toward each other mid-laugh

Color Between the Bridges

A candid portrait story of childhood energy, color, friendship, and movement beneath the Manhattan Bridge.

Book a session like this