Serene Contemporary Japanese Style Guesthouse with Lap Pool and Redwood Deck

You really cannot beat the afternoon light here. There’s just no comparison. This is why I keep coming back.

Bidan was communicative at first but on the day of the shoot I was underwhelmed. We had booked the space from 4-6 which she agreed upon but then asked us if we could try to wrap up earlier, around 5:30. I told her we'd do our best to accomodate if she could refund us for the difference in time since I'd already been charged. She agreed. When we got to the space, there was no one to greet me (the booker/photographer) or let me in, so we just went through the side gate assuming we were in the right place. One of our models was already there so I'm not sure if someone let her in or not, we briefly saw a man on the side of the house but he didn't speak to us. The listing makes it seem like the guest house is included in your rental but it was locked and dark when we got there and we did not have access to it. Our models had to change clothes in the backyard using towels as modesty drapes, which was very unfortunate. We were counting on using the guest house as a 'home base' for our belongings and to change into swimsuits etc. But since there was no host that greeted us or anything and no instructions given via email beforehand we just made do. The space is not as nice or clean as it looks in the photos. The deck is VERY worn down/weathered and many boards in different areas of it are sagging/loose, we tripped several times walking around on it from uneven boards. One of my models is a woodworker by trade and he was really concerned because one part of the deck was sagging dangerously when we walked on it. The patio furniture is worn down and the umbrella is blue, not gray/beige like the photos, chair cushions were dirty and covered in cobwebs. Not sure when the listing photos were taken but they seem to be from a much newer, shinier, brighter era. The pool itself had a pair of blue goggles on the bottom and inflatable floaties in it when we arrived (and a dirty used bandaid on the edge of the pool! Yuck) as well as lots of fallen leaves and tree bits in the bottom and a huge PVC platform that was meant to help you get into the pool I guess but it was in the middle on the bottom? Big eye sore that showed in pics so we had to get in to move it before we could continue shooting. The shade was nice but it made for inconsistent lighting in the afternoon when we were shooting. Also, BRING BUG SPRAY. Ants, mosquitos everywhere. One model had bites all over her legs from about 20 minutes of sitting by the pool. We did get some nice shots but we hurried to try and meet the deadline Bidan had requested as a courtesy to her. I texted her to let her know that we wrapped at 5:15 and were leaving her property, since I never saw her. She replied saying that she wasn't there but thanked us for leaving early, and said she could refund me the 30 minutes since that was what she'd requested. After waiting over an hour for the refund I sent her a request on Venmo for the $25 since she said she didn't know how to issue refunds via Peerspace. She declined the request and then sent me $20 instead saying that she was deducting the Peerspace fees from my refund. Not really sure how that's ethical since we left early at her request and I was charged fees by the platform as well when I booked... but okay. Seems like sort of a petty line to draw when we were very respectful of her space and were under no obligation to leave early. Got some decent pics but would not book again and would not recommend to other photographers.

The space was lovely! I was able to get all my creative shots!

Beautiful guest house. The place was clean and the pool was pretty with a cute swing. the owners were very friendly with a cute lil dog

I loved this space it was comfortable and really beautiful vibes I'd recommend

Bidan was wonderful with communication and her space is gorgeous! Keep in mind you may have to pickup toys, boogie boards, pool equipment, etc before you start setting up. We had to lift a PVC platform out of the pool (which was quite the large eye-sore) because Bidan said it was too heavy for her. Keep that in mind - maybe clarify beforehand with her if you care about the look of the pool (or bring a strong person with you in case you need to take it out). FYI the umbrella is actually bright blue (not gray) and the beach lounge chair cushions are different than advertised (a blue striped fabric not gray). Bidan was very nice and overall the experience was great! My guests loved it.. the space has lots of shade, great lighting, and gorgeous landscaping. Thanks so much for hosting us!!

Always love shooting here. This space does not disappoint no matter how many looks you need to achieve.

the space was great!