Born 1945 in Katagami City, Akita Prefecture, Nakamura began self-taught underwater photography at the age of 19 at Cape Manazuru in Kanagawa Prefecture.
After working for a photography production company, he became a freelance photographer at the age of 31.
In 1977 he made his first dive into Tokyo Bay. He was impressed by the robust life of the sludge-filled sea. Since then, he has made fixed-point observation of Tokyo Bay his life's work.
He used his experience in the field of news reporting to convey the fascination of the sea and the activities of people around through newspapers, television, radio, lectures, and various other media.
His many books and photo collections include “All Tokyo Bay" and "Underwater Face Exposition" (Joho Center Publishing), "27,000 Hours Under the Sea" (Kodansha), "Harukanaru Gurukun" (Nikkei National Geographic, Inc.), “Journey to the Sea" and "The Eternal Sea" (Clevis).
1988 13th Ihei Kimura Photography Award
2007 Ken Domon Award, The Photographic Society of Japan 2007 Award