MEET:
Yumi, Saya and Noah
Yumi Matsuo is a New York–based photographer and creative entrepreneur whose work grew out of a deeply personal journey. A mother of two, she brings a grounded, family-first perspective to her practice, balancing her photography career with a life shaped between New York and Japan.
She was the photographer for our very first It Takes a Village shoot eight years ago, so having her back in front of the camera this time felt like a surreal, full-circle moment.
She’s the mother of Saya (4) and Noah (1), and brings the same quiet sensitivity and warmth you feel in her work into everything she does.
Follow Yumi - @yumimatsuostudio
Yumi and Kids
Yumi and Kids
Rachelle: Explain what your hand embroidered sweater says.
Yumi: Mine says mom in Japanese, and each of the kids also have their names written in Japanese. Here's Noah's right here. And Saya has one, but she refused to wear pink today so she's not in hers.
Rachelle: What's your favorite thing about being a mom?
Yumi: Oh my God, what a time to be asking me right now.
Rachelle: I love that.
Yumi: Everything- if I'm being honest, everything is magnified, so some things are really so much more stressful than I ever thought they would be. But I've also never experienced joy on this level.
Rachelle: What surprised you the most about being a mom?
Yumi: Just how things are minute by minute, and how, I honestly, don't remember my life before being a mom. It's funny, because even with you, Rachelle, I worked for you while you were going through this, and your kids were these exact same ages. And I remember, like, only seeing the fun part!
And in reality, experiencing, it's like the fun parts are even more fun than I had seen, when you experience it yourself, but also there's just a lot about it that is so overwhelming and stressful.
Rachelle: What's your survival hack?
Yumi: Get as much help as you can and don't feel ashamed about it. Live close to your parents if you can. Whenever they are on break, go on vacation if possible. And- Go to sleep. Go to sleep.
