Tea in the First Sense
Yuriko Nakao
Backpacked around the world with a camera as a student. Was inspired by late Japanese nature photographer Michio Hoshino. This led her to go solo camping in Alaska to take photographs in the vast wilderness. These experiences inspired Yuriko to become a photographer.
Yuriko joined Reuters news agency as a new graduate in 2001. In 2002, she was assigned to the photo department. As a staff photographer, Yuriko covered various news events. These included: international conferences, sports, nature, entertainment, portraits, documentary, natural disasters etc. In 2013 she became an independent photographer. Since then she has worked with international news agencies, newspapers, magazines, governments, embassies, companies. Her most recent assignment includes a monthly series in a Japanese magazine, “Digital Camera Magazine” themed as “Land of Gods,” which included sacred places such as in Bali, Japan, Lapland, Mongolia, Morocco, Scotland and Sri Lanka (Adam’s Peak).
Making pictures at the MJF center, Dilmah’s charity foundation, Yuriko described as being the most “difficult” photo opportunity she has experienced so far. She could not stop herself from crying while making photographs. Being in a field of unconditional love was simply overwhelming. Furthermore, she had experienced a feeling of complete bliss since it was an opportunity she had always longed for – which was to photograph human service activities that may also allow herself to serve through photography in assisting people’s lives for a brighter future.
- Moved to Europe in May, 2017. Currently resides in The Netherlands.
- Official Fujifilm’s X-photographer
(https://fujifilm-x.com/global/photographers/yuriko-nakao/). - 2016 Sienna International Photography Awards (SIPA) Nature photo Finalist