Undoubtedly, “a photograph is worth a thousand words.” And in some cases, it’s worth much more than that. Photographs can help prove (or dispute) history or document fleeting moments and deteriorating places for future generations. Photographer Michael Yamashita is doing all of these things with his work. He’s helped retrace historical journeys and taken photographs of sites that have now been destroyed by war and natural disasters.

Yamashita has photographed for National Geographic since 1979. His work has taken him all over the world, but Yamashita found his artistic passion in Asia. Covering this region extensively, he also found a second home in China. Yamashita has published 11 books of photography. Many of these works focus on China. Two of them, Marco Polo and Zheng He, were also developed into documentary films; chronicling Yamashita’s travels as he follows in the footsteps of these famous explorers. 

In this week’s Full Frame Close Up, Michael Yamashita shares the Asia he has discovered through the lens of his camera.