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| Michael K. Yamaoka, photographing in New York City |
MICHAEL K. YAMAOKA was born in Japan,
and studied at Waseda University in Tokyo. He was the first Japanese student to receive a photography degree from Art Center
College of Design in California, and came to New York in the late sixties to begin his career as a commercial photographer.
He was on Staff at BBD&O before opening his own studio, where his client list included Campbell's Soup, AT&T,
General Electric, Burger King, Pepsico, Dean Witter, Book-of-the-Month Club, Pillsbury, Schaeffer Beer, FAO Schwartz, Time-Life,
Sheraton Hotels, Toshiba, Pentax and many others. After closing his studio in the mid-eighties, Michael became a consultant
acting as a liaison between Japanese and American companies in a variety of fields. Then, after a personal tragedy, the
death of his son, Kenneth Kagetaka, in an automobile accident in 1997, he decided to concentrate on his personal photography,
to publish a book, Odyssey, in memory of his son, and to establish a scholarship in
his name (see below). He has since exhibited in one-man shows in New York, Tokyo, Kyoto, and in many cities in Germany, to
great critical acclaim, and also at the German Consulate in New York in 2007. In 2008, he was honored when I.M. Pei requested
one of his photographs for his personal collection.
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These
photographs, and the images in my book and poster are shots I took over many years, while going about my everyday routines—moments
of time captured by my camera that will never be repeated—glimpses of a world of serenity. No matter what I was shooting,
I always wanted to capture it with sensitivity, and to frame the subject to satisfy my sense of design. These images are a
synthesis of my inner eye and the real world—a crystallization of light and vision. Through them, I hope to give pleasure
to the many people who love looking at photography. —MICHAEL K. YAMAOKA
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