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Super Extra Natural: Emily Shur chronicles 12 years of travel in Japan

In her ongoing series, Japan, New York photographer Emily Shur captures the colourful characters, architecture and atmosphere of a country that never ceases to amaze.

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All images courtesy of the artist. Via Creative Boom submission.

All images courtesy of the artist. Via Creative Boom submission.

Visiting the place 15 times over many years, she has taken thousands of photographs, developing a visual tribute that celebrates Japan, its people and its culture.

Now transformed into a book, Super Extra Natural!, which contains a collection of images taken in Japan between 2004 and 2016. As the introduction reads: "What began as a one-time getaway possessing no agenda beyond experiencing something new expanded into a long-term body of work that has resulted in over 15 trips to various parts of the country. However, these images are not just a documentation of place. They are explorations of an unspoken connection; a state of mind that has become its own version of a getaway."

Emily was born in New York City to an auditorium full of nursing students and grew up in Houston, Texas. True story, apparently. She attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University with a major in Photography and graduated with the Artist Award for Creative Excellence.

She has exhibited her work in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, London's National Portrait Gallery, and as part of Humble Art's 31 Women in Art Photography group show. Her images have been published in various collections including Milk and Honey: Contemporary Art in California, Photographers' Sketchbooks, and eight editions of American Photography.

Emily currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband in a 114-year-old house. Discover more at emilyshur.com.

Empty outdoor swimming pool surrounded by tall bare trees and green foliage in a Japanese park on a clear day
A wooden pathway with railings winds through a Japanese garden with manicured pine trees overlooking a still pond, with a lone figure standing on a ladder among the foliage
White swan walking across a paved urban street beneath a concrete bridge, with bicycles and a van visible in the background
Bright orange metal ladder casting a shadow on sandy beach
Colourful stacked furniture and household items wedged inside a rocky coastal cave with water visible through an opening
Manicured green hedges with undulating wave-like forms against a backdrop of rectangular stone tiles
Pink sculptural installation with intertwined loops on a paved courtyard, surrounded by cherry blossom trees and green foliage against a dark teal building
Turquoise swimming pool with lane markings beside a terracotta deck, surrounded by dense green forest and a tall white pole
Wooden chairs with geometric shapes sit in a sunlit room with tatami mat flooring and large windows overlooking a Japanese street
Green-leaved plant with drooping brown seed pods casting shadows against a clear blue sky, with other foliage visible in the background
Overhead view of a white watering can with blue Japanese characters resting among colourful flowering plants including pansies, daisies and petunias in a garden bed, with a turquoise hose attached
Misty forested mountains with layered peaks shrouded in white fog and low clouds, creating a serene landscape of varying shades of green
Person in green clothing lying on a sandy slope overlooking a turquoise bay with forested hills and scattered islands under a pale blue sky
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