Russell Tanoue Photographer

Thank you Russell for your heart of Gold and all the energy you put towards Project Shine Hawaii!S - is for his Sincere and genuine careH - is for his Happiness that radiatesI - is for his Impeccable images he takesN - is for the Neverending complimentsE - is for his Excellent guidanceEver since Russell founded Project Shine Hawaii, his mission resonated with me because he truly cares about those who experienced bullying, domestic violence, illness, and trauma. For anyone feeling loss, grief, or depression, it's a dark place and all you want is a sparkle of hope.THAT my friend is exactly what Russell and his glam team offers :)How fitting that Russell called it "Shine" because after a photo shoot with him, that's exactly how you feel. It doesn't have to be pictures for a modeling portfolio or a beauty pageant, the experience alone changes your energy to a bright glow :)It is easy to schedule an appointment. All you have to bring is the outfit and accessories. His glam team does their magic and then the fun begins!For anyone who gets nervous being in front of a camera, don't even worry about it. Russell has lively conversation and offers precise instructions for angles, turns, poses, and such. Before you know it, times up :)Depending on the package you schedule with Russell, he will have the proofs back to you in a reasonable time. In my first shoot with Russell, I received printed proofs and a disc of all the pictures. Now that's showing my age, going way back to 2006!That experience was magical, from beginning to end. I brought two outfits and till this day, I ask myself who is that LOL it was so much fun that I gifted the experience to family, friends, and even a coworker. They all said they had an amazing experience and loved what Russell did for them :)For #ThrowbackThursday, here's the magic that Russell did, before I left Honolulu pre pandemic.Thank you again Russell, you've helped me more than you know.

Russell is THE BEST! As soon as I walked in I felt so welcomed & comfortable. Don't make the same mistake I did & do your own hair & makeup... LOL. My hair was not it that's day. OR IF YOU DO, bring touch up makeup & your styling tools... cause girl I didn't. But Russell thankfully had some powder & hairspray to save the day! I'm not the most confident when getting my photo taken but Russell did his best to dance around, make conversation & put a smile on my face!Seriously if you're looking for great photos, by an amazing person, plus a nice talk & connection... RUSSELL IS YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER! Thanks again Russell!!! Keep on dancing & doing your thing! :)

Realtors sometimes take photos once every 40 years....lol! Seriously it happens. Enter Russell Tanouye -photographer of models, Miss Hawaiis, celebrities and you!I was offered the opportunity to get a new headshot for my real estate business and jumped at the chance to get my hair, make up and photos done professionally. Russell sometimes changes locations, so we met at a suite in the Prince Hotel, Waikiki. Chantzen the makeup guru greeted me at the door and off we went to get my face done. A family was there getting their portraits done before me in the other room while Chantzen did her magic on me.Getting your make up done is so much fun. I picked up a few tips on technique and discovered a couple new brands I plan to buy.After makeup, my hair was spruced up and we discussed what I should wear....Then it was my turn...good dance music playing in the background, lots of lights and Russell snapping away with his camera. 84 headshots! When I got the pictures a few days later I laughed and asked myself, "Who is that?!" I looked like one of the famous people Russell routinely photographs. And if you're not famous, you'll feel like you are.Fun...professional...you'll feel like a star and walk away with great photos.

I love my photos from Russell Tanoue. He and his team were so kind and helpful and encouraging and generous.

We were referred to Russell Tanoue of RTFOTO.com by my daughter's model & talent agency, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the results of our photo shoot. From the moment we walked in the door, Russell's positive energy was contagious, and his mantra of "choose joy" was evident in everything he did. He made my child feel at ease and comfortable in front of the camera, which resulted in some truly stunning photos that captured her personality perfectly. Mahalo to Russell and his team! #ChooseJoy @RTFOTOUSA @russelltanoue

Wow, Wow, wow! What a fantastic experience we had with Russell. He was highly recommended by a friend, and to be honest, I was a bit nervous since my daughter has never taken professional pictures. But as soon as we walked in, we were welcomed by the hair and makeup lady who seemed so excited to welcome and work with my 8-year-old (not many people like to work with kids). And as soon as Russell walked in with excitement and radiant energy, you quickly felt great and confident. It was picture time, and Russell went above and beyond. He was dancing, singing, make jokes to get my daughter to laugh and capture that authentic, beautiful smile. You can quickly see that he is an expert in his field because each poses and the direction he gave my daughter was so explicit that she knew exactly what to do--resulting in the most amazing photos I have ever seen. We got her proofs, and I can see my daughter's personality and the energy of the shoot transmitted in the pictures. I highly recommend Russell! He is AMAZING and works great with kids.

Wow, I couldn't be happier with my first shoot with Russell Tanoue! Industry professional friends of mine had referred me to him for headshots in Hawaii. Russell worked his magic on me and I am so grateful that I got to shoot with him and so excited to be updating my acting profiles with his photos of me! It's easy to see why many admire and respect him for what he does because he is an amazing photographer and he has a beautiful soul that radiates from the inside out. Having coming from a model background and working with countless photographers, I could tell right away that he knew what he was doing and how lucky I was to be have found him. Thank you so much Russell! I'm looking forward to shooting with you again soon and years to come!

Russell and his make up artist were warm, welcoming and so down to earth. They made me feel comfortable from the start and are true professionals. Russell's make up artist transformed my hair and makeup in maybe 30min and once in the studio Russell's positive energy and attention to detail produced photos I couldn't believe were me! The turn around time to get the photos was also quick with thoughtfully edited proofs and I got to pick my top favorites to submit to my employer. It was such a smooth process! Thank you Russell and your make up artist for a genuine five star experience!

Russell is a bundle of talent, creativity and photography expertise. My spirit came alive with his joyful presence behind the camera. What should have been an awkward experience of forced smiles; turned out to be quite the opposite. I had fun, my smiles came naturally, and I will be back! Thank you Russell for your positive vibes. What a gift you are!

Russell is amazing! Loved the results when I got my proofs. I've checked out Russell's work for years and been meaning to book for a photo shoot. I was intimidated to book because he works with a lot of models and celebrities, so I felt like I would be wasting his precious time. I took a chance and they were very accommodating towards my schedule. He and his makeup artist Chanzen are very welcoming and made me feel comfortable during the shoot. Thank you Russell