A random flourish of hardy plants caps a broken tree trunk submerged in Panda Lake in Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve.

"It's because I'm the most boring man," he says, smiling.

"When I'm shooting pictures, I don't say anything. The subject soon gets tired of me and goes about their work and talks. I don't want to engage subjects. I want them to be natural in front of my camera. I need to be just an observer."

An image that shows this approach's power is of six Tibetans, each in different postures of chak tsal, the traditional and pious prostrations made while traveling to Lhasa - a journey traditionally required of Tibetans. Those in the photos are kneeling, raising their arms and kowtowing, showing the entire process of ritual prostration.

Yamashita captured the photo by walking backward along a muddy road - continuously snapping - for half an hour." I don't tell subjects what to do," he says.

He advises photographers not to check their screens right after they shoot. Otherwise, they might miss the "decisive moment", he says.

"It's not important what you shot. What you get into your camera is given," he says.

"Your job is to watch and catch the next action."