Exploring Life & Business with Hanako Ohashi and Alia Becker of Studio Joui

Today we’d like to introduce you to Studio Joui.

Hi Hanako and Alia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Studio Joui is the product of years of friendship and growing as artists, both individually and together. We met in high school in Tokyo as dancers, reunited in Los Angeles years later, and became roommates, best friends, and creative collaborators. Over time, it naturally evolved into a business partnership. With our friendship, we realized we share a lot of the same interests and a similar way of noticing the beauty in the world. We also deeply care about making people feel beautiful and using art as a form of joy, resistance, and play. With years of experience in photography, filmmaking, content creation, and marketing, we’ve collaborated on countless projects, and that energy now fuels the creative flow behind everything we put out into the world.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Working with your best friend comes with its challenges, especially when you’re also business partners. Our friendship has been a solid foundation for open communication, and both of us being empathetic helps us resolve conflicts quickly. But we still occasionally blur the lines between life and work – often something like, “I’m so sorry you’re having a rough day, do you want to talk about it? Also, can you reply to that client email?” Balancing friendship and work is ongoing, but building Studio Joui together has been incredibly rewarding, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

On the personal side, we’ve faced our own hurdles along the way. Alia’s layoff from her day job pushed her to lean into her creativity and finally pursue the work she truly loves, while Hanako built her creative career within the realities of visa limitations, learning how to run a business from the ground up and finding opportunity for growth in her challenging circumstances. It’s never easy to blend passion with career, all while keeping it financially sustainable, but we feel so proud to have come this far in our journeys as individual artists and business partners. We’re so excited for what the future holds!

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Studio Joui is a creative duo specializing in wedding photography and videography. We love capturing candid, intimate moments, and our background in filmmaking gives our work a cinematic edge. We noticed a lack of diversity and representation in wedding imagery and wanted to bring our own creative twist to the industry. Since every couple is unique, we spend a lot of time establishing the intention and vision of each wedding we capture, blending authenticity and striking visuals to reflect who our clients are as people, while letting our creative voices shine through. (Also,) Inclusivity is our utmost priority – we love working with people of color and queer couples, and want to make anyone who steps in front of our lens feel seen, safe, and beautiful.

What really sets us apart is our decades-long friendship, creative synergy, and a commitment to celebrating love in an authentic, joyful, and artful way.

Any big plans?
We’re excited and hope for more international weddings, queer weddings, and opportunities to travel and collaborate creatively. Ultimately, we want to keep pushing our art forward, taking Studio Joui wherever love and curiosity lead us next.

Pricing:

• Photography packages start at $3,000
• Videography packages start at $4,000
• We value transparency with our clients! Full pricing details are available on our website.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://studiojoui.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiojoui
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@studiojoui

Image Credits
Photo by Mimi Miyamoto