Photographs made slowly, with care.
Prints and packages
About the studio
Crimson Compass Studio opened in 2017 in a rented room with one window and a secondhand reflector. Susan Harrington had spent the previous six years assisting at a larger portrait studio and decided, after one particularly overbooked Saturday, that she wanted to work differently. The name came from a compass she kept on her desk as a reminder to stay oriented toward the work she actually wanted to do, not the work that was easiest to fill a calendar with.
The studio has moved once since then, into a ground-floor space with north-facing windows and a small courtyard that gets used for outdoor portraits in the warmer months. The approach has stayed the same: one session at a time, natural light where possible, and a pace that lets people relax before the camera comes out. Susan does all the shooting and editing herself. There is no second shooter on staff, which means the calendar is limited, but it also means the work is consistent.
Tue-Sat 9:00-17:00, closed Sun-Mon
Tue-Sat 9:00-17:00, closed Sun-Mon
2-6-11 Takaramachi, Katsushika Ward, Tokyo 124-0005
News & Announcements
- 012026-08-09
Photographing outdoor events in summer: light and logistics
Summer outdoor events are the most common type of event booking at the studio, and they come with…
- 022026-07-28
How natural light shapes a portrait session
Most people who come in for a portrait session have had at least one experience with a flash-heavy…
- 032026-07-20
35mm versus medium format film: a practical comparison
The question of which film format to use comes up regularly when clients add a roll to their…
What clients say
“Susan took our family portraits last September. The children were restless and she just waited them out. The pictures are the best we have ever had.
Rachel Okonkwo · Family session, 2025
“I have had headshots done three times in the last decade and this was the first time I did not dread the results. Very calm, very unhurried.
Tom Ashby · Portrait session, 2025
A few words from clients. Every project is different, and so are outcomes.
The person behind
Susan Harrington spent six years as a second shooter for a portrait and editorial studio before opening Crimson Compass in 2017. Before that she worked in a darkroom at a regional newspaper, processing film on deadline and learning to read light quickly. She shoots mostly with natural and available light, and keeps a small collection of vintage prime lenses she has repaired herself over the years. On quiet mornings she develops her own black-and-white film at the studio. Her cat, Miso, is usually somewhere on the premises.
hello@crimson-compass-studio.comTell us what you are looking for
Fill in the form and Susan will reply within two working days with availability and any questions she has before suggesting a session type.