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National Geographic's
Michael Yamashita
Journeys Along the Silk Road
A Farland Chang docuseries
NOW STREAMING WORLDWIDE
ABOUT US
Michael Yamashita
With over 1.8 million followers on Instagram, photographer Michael Yamashita is known as one of photography’s top influencers.
He has shot for the National Geographic for forty (40) years, combining his dual passions of travel and photography.
An Asian Studies major at Wesleyan University and fluent in Japanese, Yamashita has followed his roots to become a Far East expert.
In addition to his work throughout Asia, which has included intensive concentrations in China, Japan, Korea and India,
his assignments have taken him to six continents.
Yamashita’s particular specialty has been in retracing the paths of famous travelers like Marco Polo
and the Chinese explorer/admiral Zheng He, along their historic routes, capturing in the 21st century
images that could easily have been seen in ancient times. His current focus has been documenting China’s new Silk Road initiative,
Belt Road Initiative (BRI), which ranges across the countries along the original Silk Road of Marco Polo’s day.
Known for sharing his expertise and adventures as a teacher and lecturer, Yamashita has appeared as a TedX Speaker at his alma mater, Wesleyan University, and is a sought-after lecturer and instructor at photo workshops, universities and conferences across the globe.
He has won a host of industry awards, including those from the prestigious Pictures of the Year competition, Photo District News,
the New York Art Directors Club, and the Asian American Journalists Association. His most recent exhibits include installations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and Tokyo, as well as in Pisa, Italy, Frankfurt, Germany, The Carter Center in Atlanta, Los Angeles County Museum and the National Gallery in Washington DC.
Along with two documentary feature films, both inspired by his extensive coverage of Marco Polo and Zheng He,
Yamashita has produced 16 books, on topics as diverse as Japanese gardens to Shangri-la.
When not traveling, he can be found with his family at his home and studio in rural New Jersey, where he is an active volunteer fireman.
Farland Chang
Farland Chang is an Emmy award-winning storyteller whose passion is to bridge East and West.
For nearly 30 years, he has been covering stories across the US and Asia for news organizations, including NBC & CNN. During Farland's time in Hong Kong as anchor & correspondent, his CNN colleague and business partner, Suberna Shringla, made the introduction to National Geographic's master photographer, Michael Yamashita. A friendship was born between two fellow storytellers, two Asian Americans, and two ambassadors between east & west. The rest is history.
Michael Yamashita's iconic photos for Nat Geo over four decades, his acclaimed books about his journeys along the Silk Road, and his sweeping body of work over decades have made him one of Nat Geo's legendary ambassadors. One of the elite photojournalists who fulfill Nat Geo's motto to "illuminate and protect the wonder of our world."
And as a fan of Michael's and one who grew up with Nat Geo, Farland is honored to join the cause of opening a window to the world: whether it's about capturing timeless beauty and preserving our planet to fostering peace among people and appreciation between cultures.
Farland set out to turn vision into reality: producing a documentary series to celebrate Michael's timeless stories
and unforgettable adventures. On the road and behind the scenes with one of the world's greatest photojournalists.
A deep dive into the art of the photographer. And a profound look into how this Nat Geo master sees the world
through his mind's eye. With so much of Michael's work to share, Farland's vision of just one documentary evolved
into a series of nine episodes. This would become Farland's obsession. A passion project. And a labor of love.
One he could pursue while wearing his other hat as an educator.
While in post production to wrap up the series, Farland continues teaching audiences around the world.
He is currently a visiting scholar at Nanjing University (NJU) after serving as professor
of journalism & communication at Shantou University. Farland has also lectured at Cornell, UCLA, USC,
Hong Kong University (HKU) & Zhejiang University (ZJU).
Farland earned his bachelor's in Government at Cornell, his master's in journalism at Columbia
and his post-graduate certificate in radio, film and TV from the University of Bristol,
where he studied as a Rotary Scholar and Paul Harris Fellow.