Michael Yamashita

Renowned visual storyteller Michael Yamashita has worked for National Geographic magazine for 40 years, photographing a wide range of topics across six continents. As the first person of color to be a regular contributor to National Geographic, his long career has carried him from the Great Wall of China to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, and across his ancestral home country of Japan, on 35 major stories for the magazine. After graduating from Wesleyan University, while on a “roots” trip to Japan, he discovered his two passions – photography and travel. His first assignments shooting for Singapore Airlines took him all over Asia while based in Tokyo and Singapore. Since then, Yamashita has continued to focus on Asia, especially China and Japan, as his primary area of interest and expertise.Many of his stories have focused on great explorers, from Marco Polo’s travels along the Silk Road to the epic voyages of 15th-century Chinese Admiral Zheng He and the 16th-century journeys of Matsuo Basho, Japan’s most celebrated literary figure. He has published 18 books, including Marco Polo, Zheng He, The Great Wall, Shangri-La; Along the Tea Road to Lhasa, A Silk Road Journey, and In the Japanese Garden. In addition to his still photography, Yamashita has produced two award-winning feature-length documentary films based on his work retracing Marco Polo’s and Zheng He’s journeys.A charismatic communicator, Yamashita frequently speaks at global photography events and has delivered TED Talks that reflect on his career, travels, and the evolution of the field of photography. He has received many industry awards, including those from the Picture of the Year competition, The Art Directors Club of New York and the Asian American Journalists Association. Balancing global travel with grounded community involvement, Michael juggles time between homes in New York and rural New Jersey, where he maintains a studio and is a volunteer firefighter.