A JAPANESE photographer who took one of the last pictures of John Lennon with Yoko Ono had died at the age of 83.

       Kishin Shinoyama spent five days with the couple in 1980 and took the iconic photograph of the music legend months before Lennon's passing.

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       Yoko Ono and photographer Kishin Shinoyama pose with the iconic photograph Credit: Getty

       It was one of the last photographs of Lennon before his assassination in 1980.

       Shinoyama later revealed it was his idea that the couple kiss for the shot.

       The photograph would later be used on the cover of the couple's album, Double Fantasy.

       "I think it was their happiest moment," he said.

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       "I was fortunate to have been there and I feel privileged to have captured the moment."

       According to Japan News, the celebrated photographer suddenly fell ill around midday on Thursday and was rushed to the hospital, where he later died.

       Born in 1940 in Tokyo, he studied photography at Nihon University.

       He was married to a Japanese singer Saori Minami and took majority of the photographs for her album covers prior to the marriage.

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       He energetically took pictures of actresses and pop idols, calling the photos “gekisha”, meaning "hard shots".

       Many of those photos graced the covers and the centerfolds of magazines.

       Shinoyama was also known for his artistic nude photography of women.

       His collections of star actresses Rie Miyazawa and Kanako Higuchi caused a social phenomenon with the former selling 1.65 million copies.

       Shinoyama said he was good at "disappearing" whilst taking pictures which is why his models didn't mind his presence.

       But the renowned artist was tangled up in controversy after his nude photoshoot in a Tokyo cemetery resulted in accusations of public indecency and blasphemy.

       The photographer was found guilty and paid the fine, but did not argue, saying: "I have been taking nude photos outdoors since the 1960s.

       "But (whether the act is considered an offense or not) is determined by the mood of the time. It cannot be helped," reported Japan Times.

       Outside of celebrity photos, Shinoyama also took photographs of ordinary people and notable architecture and cityscapes.

       "I have just taken photos of what I found to be interesting," he said in an interview in 2016.

       He was also famous for a unique shooting method, dubbed "shinorama", in which multiple connected cameras released shutters at the same time.

       A solo exhibition of his work has attracted more than one million visitors since 2012.

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