Hard to break into National Geographic's staff.

Bob wrote:
sorry what is NG? I need them....?

Abbreviation for National Geographic - it's a magazine that uses a lot
of photographs.

On Aug 11, 7:14 pm, wrote:

Bill, your letter to NG is highly commendable. I salute you sir! I
am certain I know who you are talking about and I couldn't agree
more.

Must've been Polson.

On Aug 11, 7:46 pm, Rita Ä Berkowitz ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote:

You are missing the point. It's all about simple economics. Why should
they hire anymore on-staff photographers for their limited on assignment
jobs when they can go to pbase, flicker, photo.net and other photo hosting
sites and offer the photographer $5 and a years NG subscription for truly
spectacular wildlife photos instead of some over-Photoshopped crap?

NG doesn't work that way.
Maybe in your drunken stupor you don't understand the word
"assignment?" They don't simply go out and buy nice photos.
They grant an assignment which includes not only the pics, but a story
line as well. So a prospective NG photographer should be a good writer
as well.

On Aug 12, 9:28 am, Annika1980 wrote:
On Aug 11, 7:14 pm, wrote:



Bill, your letter to NG is highly commendable. I salute you sir! I
am certain I know who you are talking about and I couldn't agree
more.

Must've been Polson.


Nope! I have proof of who it is! This witness has seen him in
action:

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/80235876/original

William Graham wrote:

Dear Mr. Graham: Thank you for your email to the National Geographic
Society.

Photography jobs on staff are very rare. National Geographic does use
freelance photographers, but to be frank, it is extremely difficult to
obtain a first assignment for the magazine. The magazine does not accept
any unsolicited submissions. The editors meet regularly to discuss
possible story ideas. If an idea is decided upon, the article is then
assigned, usually to someone with whom we've worked before or to someone
with many years of outstanding work in the field of journalism. Because
there is a large investment behind each National Geographic article, we
are conservative in choosing writers and photographers, opting for those
with well-established reputations. At this time we have many more
freelance photographers than we do assignments.

If this all sounds negative, we apologize. It is, however, a response
dictated by a rather precise goal for the style of the magazine, coupled
with the limited number of stories we are able to publish each year.

I am sorry that we could not offer more encouraging news regarding your
friend, but we appreciate your thinking of us.

A fairly considerate letter. They must get dozens of inquiries a day
from photographers.

Many NG photographers are not primarily "photographers" but experts in a
field and also proficient photographers. Most are staff and about a
quarter (IIRC) are stringer/consultant/freelance photogs.

Most have a university degree.

This includes people with degrees in sociology, anthropology, geography,
biology, history, etc.

I'm curious to know to what degree they've gone "digital". A few years
ago (around 2002/3) they had a first full feature article that was shot
digital. By now it must be most of the stories.

Cheers,
Alan


--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch.

William Graham wrote:
"Rita Ä Berkowitz" ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote in message
...
William Graham wrote:

I wrote to National Geographic asking them whether they would consider
hiring good quality wildlife photographers, and this is the response I
received....
What makes you think that NG is actually going to hire anyone for on-staff
when there are so many ways for them to get cheap images? There are lots
of
great wildlife photos in stock agencies as well as on other photo hosting
sites on the internet that can be had for pennies. Plus, NG wants real
photos not some Photoshop creations that scream painted in fakeness.

Well, here is my answer to that, and my answer to the NG answer, too.....

If you were a brick contractor, and I asked you if you needed any more
bricklayers, and you replied: We're sorry, but NG only lays 100,000 bricks
every year, and we already have 152 bricklayers, which is more than enough
to lay all those bricks, so we are not accepting any applications at this
time....Then I would understand your answer perfectly.
But, in fact, we are not talking about bricklayers here....We are
talking about artists. So, what I want you to understand is that it doesn't
really matter how many photographers you have already on your staff, or
waiting in the wings. - The fact is, I know one who is better than all those
152 (or howevermany) that you have........(some unimportant details deleted)

NG photogs are not merely "photogs" but mostly degreed experts in
various sciences and arts outside of "photography". Fact is that there
are more talented photographers than there are need for them.

If your buddy has talent that outshines the competition, then he will in
time rise as long as he applies himself. His destiny is likely not at NG.

Cheers,
Alan

--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch.

AnnikaBret wrote:

Maybe in your drunken stupor you don't understand the word
"assignment?"


But YOU, in your new Estrogen enabled fantasy world, DO?






mike

Alan Browne wrote:
William Graham wrote:

Dear Mr. Graham: Thank you for your email to the National Geographic
Society.

Photography jobs on staff are very rare. National Geographic does use
freelance photographers, but to be frank, it is extremely difficult to
obtain a first assignment for the magazine. The magazine does not accept
any unsolicited submissions. The editors meet regularly to discuss
possible story ideas. If an idea is decided upon, the article is then
assigned, usually to someone with whom we've worked before or to someone
with many years of outstanding work in the field of journalism. Because
there is a large investment behind each National Geographic article, we
are conservative in choosing writers and photographers, opting for those
with well-established reputations. At this time we have many more
freelance photographers than we do assignments.

If this all sounds negative, we apologize. It is, however, a response
dictated by a rather precise goal for the style of the magazine, coupled
with the limited number of stories we are able to publish each year.

I am sorry that we could not offer more encouraging news regarding your
friend, but we appreciate your thinking of us.

A fairly considerate letter. They must get dozens of inquiries a day
from photographers.

Many NG photographers are not primarily "photographers" but experts in a
field and also proficient photographers. Most are staff and about a
quarter (IIRC) are stringer/consultant/freelance photogs.

Most have a university degree.

This includes people with degrees in sociology, anthropology, geography,
biology, history, etc.

I'm curious to know to what degree they've gone "digital". A few years
ago (around 2002/3) they had a first full feature article that was shot
digital. By now it must be most of the stories.

Cheers,
Alan



I think it was George Lepp I heard tell the story of how he became a
photographer. It was not his first choice of careers.

While he was in college, he and some friends wanted to make a kayak trip
along the coast of Japan (I think it was Japan - back in the 60s before
Kayaking got to be a big sport) and he got the idea of making a grant
request to National Geographic for the money to finance the trip.

National Geographic not only gave him the grant, but turned around and
hired him as a free-lance photographer to document the trip for the
magazine.

Anyway, it seems like the story comes first; an armchair visit to some
interesting, out-of-the-way location, and then they look for someone to
take the photos to support the story.

Alan Browne wrote:
William Graham wrote:
"Rita Ä Berkowitz" ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote in message
...
William Graham wrote:

I wrote to National Geographic asking them whether they would consider
hiring good quality wildlife photographers, and this is the response I
received....
What makes you think that NG is actually going to hire anyone for
on-staff
when there are so many ways for them to get cheap images? There are
lots of
great wildlife photos in stock agencies as well as on other photo
hosting
sites on the internet that can be had for pennies. Plus, NG wants real
photos not some Photoshop creations that scream painted in fakeness.

Well, here is my answer to that, and my answer to the NG answer, too.....

If you were a brick contractor, and I asked you if you needed any more
bricklayers, and you replied: We're sorry, but NG only lays 100,000
bricks
every year, and we already have 152 bricklayers, which is more than
enough
to lay all those bricks, so we are not accepting any applications at this
time....Then I would understand your answer perfectly.
But, in fact, we are not talking about bricklayers here....We are
talking about artists. So, what I want you to understand is that it
doesn't
really matter how many photographers you have already on your staff, or
waiting in the wings. - The fact is, I know one who is better than all
those
152 (or howevermany) that you have........(some unimportant details
deleted)

NG photogs are not merely "photogs" but mostly degreed experts in
various sciences and arts outside of "photography". Fact is that there
are more talented photographers than there are need for them.


Many of them are career photo-journalists. They photograph news and
contract to photograph "features" whenever possible.

On Aug 12, 5:15 pm, Rita Ä Berkowitz ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote:
wrote:
Nope! I have proof of who it is! This witness has seen him in
action:

http://www.pbase.com/bret/image/80235876/original

We miss our baby Spike! Come on Bret get out there and get some more Spike
pictures.

Rita

You got that right Rita! I miss Spike! It's been so darn hot in the
south that even Spikey has taken refuge where there is air
conditioning.
Helen