Welcome, and thank you for visiting MyL Photography.
My name is Maki, and I specialize in newborn and family photography that captures the quiet beauty and fleeting magic of life’s earliest moments.

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I was born and raised in Osaka, Japan, but spent my high school and professional years in the United States, living on my own in a time before the internet connected us so easily. In those years of distance and solitude, photographs of my family and friends became my lifeline—my constant reminder that I was never truly alone.

Even as I began my career in the corporate world—far from anything creative—I always found myself surrounded by images of love: family photos on coworkers' desks, beautifully framed portraits in clients’ homes, tiny school photos tucked into wallets, and lockets that held cherished faces close to the heart. These quiet, visual moments of connection stayed with me.

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Photography didn’t come into my life through passion at first, but rather through necessity—required in my role at an international finance firm. I believed smartphone snapshots were “good enough,” until I struggled to capture my own child’s natural expression. It was then that I attended a beginner’s photography class, where the instructor's ability to draw out the most genuine moments from their subjects moved me deeply. That was the turning point.

From there, I began photographing my own family and fell in love with the craft. I trained with renowned photographers through workshops both in Japan and abroad, steadily refining my skills and artistic voice.

Then, a life-altering moment arrived: I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, I’m now in remission—but that experience changed me. It brought crystal clarity to what truly matters: what I want to create, what I want to leave behind, and for whom.

 

I did not have maternity or newborn photos taken with my own children, and it’s something I deeply regret. Because what we want to hold onto isn’t just a face—it’s the emotion, the presence, the memory of a moment we can never recreate.

 

Photography, I believe, is more than a picture. It’s a feeling, a connection, a legacy.

Since my recovery, I’ve become passionate about quality and wellness, incorporating organic materials and gentle, premium touches into every session. My goal is not only to create beautiful images, but to ensure that each photograph I deliver has the power to comfort, uplift, and stand the test of time.

If even one image can become someone’s quiet source of strength someday, then I’ve done my work.

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I look forward to creating something meaningful with you.

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Maki

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