Michael Yamashita

[1] Born in 1949 in San Francisco, California, and raised in Montclair, New Jersey.

[2] He graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in Asian studies.

After joining a photo club to work on his Japanese,[3] he was inspired to pursue photography professionally.

After living and shooting throughout Asia for seven years, he returned to the US where he started working for the National Geographic in 1979, photographing in various countries.

Yamashita lives and works in Chester Township, New Jersey, with his wife and frequent collaborator, Elizabeth Bibb,[4] where he also serves as a volunteer fireman.