How to become a wildlife photographer for national geographic

To many photographers, getting published in National Geographic is the pinnacle of achievement. With its long history of stunning documentary photography, its ability to maintain this high standard into the present relies on taking only the finest photography produced today.

Many dream of seeing their photography immortalized in the pages of National Geographic, but especially to young, fledgling photographers, the goal can seem too great to imagine. And while a byline in Nat Geo certainly requires years of passion, hard work, and a little luck, it’s achievable for those with the drive to do it.

That being said, there’s no magic trick–no shortcut–to getting your work into Nat Geo. It requires enormous effort and perseverance. Luckily, with over 115 years of photography in National Geographic, there’s no shortage of advice from its photographers. Here’s what the most knowledgeable sources on the subject have to say about getting published in National Geographic.

National Geographic’s Advice

National Geographic themselves offers advice on the subject, actually. In their website, Nat Geo acknowledges that they’re “often asked by aspiring photojournalists for advice about entering this highly competitive field.” National Geographic doesn’t have any full-time staff photographers–all are freelancers–so you can believe that the magazine here’s from an enormous amount of interested photographers every week.The answer Nat Geo provides on their FAQ page implicitly states a number of qualifications typical of their photographers. One is a college degree; another is that while their photographers didn’t necessarily major in photography, “all took photo courses.” They also add that “freelancers usually come to us with at least five years of photojournalism experience or with specializations such as wildlife, underwater, nature, or aerial photography.” Also, if you’re still in college, you can also throw your hat into the ring for Nat Geo’s incredibly selective photography internship. Only one intern is accepted each year: the winner of the College Photographer of the Year contest administered by the University of Missouri.

Dan Westergren’s AdviceThere’s no need to speculate about the inner workings of the National Geographic editorial staff when several former staff members have talked personally about what it takes to shoot for the magazine. Dan Westergren, formerly the director of photography at National Geographic Traveler, has offered advice that can be summed up in just one word: obsession. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “Taking pictures is an enjoyable activity, but if you decide that you want that to be your job, you may find it’s not much fun anymore,” Westergren writes. “So, in order to be a successful photographer, you need to be absolutely obsessed with photography. you also need to have an inner compulsion to communicate stories you feel strongly about.”

Advice from Kent Kobersteen, Former Nat Geo Director of PhotographyKent Kobersteen, a former director of photography for National Geographic itself, and an employee for the magazine for over two decades, has also talked about the qualities and attributes most important to shooting for the magazine.He points out that every director of photography and editor-in-chief at the magazine brings to the job their own set of attributes and skills they’d like to see in the photographers they hire, but four qualities are apparent in all the photographers that the magazine publishes: intellect, passion, maturity, and drive.While these qualities might seem a bit on the esoteric side, Kobersteen also added that Nat Geo doesn’t often bring in new photographers, but when they do, he emphasized the importance of being established in the photojournalism community.“Occasionally there was an opportunity to work with photographers who were new to the magazine – but always these were photographers whose experience on other publications, and reputation in the photographic community, was well known to us,” he writes.As a final note, Kobersteen puts photographing for National Geographic into perspective. “It’s no different that if Manchester United is looking for a forward, or the Los Angeles Lakers are looking for a center. Because of the place that photography plays at the National Geographic Magazine, and because of the tremendous investment in each photographic coverage, the magazine is no different than a top sports team. What does it take? Be the best there is. It’s quite simple. The magazine can afford nothing less.” (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Final TipsAs these past directors of photography show, becoming a National Geographic photographer doesn’t happen overnight; it’s the culmination of a long, successful photography career. It’s an ambitious goal to work toward, but here are a few places to get started:Nat Geo Photo Contests: Two big recurring photo contests run by the magazine are “Your Shot,” where National Geographic editors highlight the best photos they receive in their “Daily Dozen” and the very prestigious International Photography Contest. There are also several popular contests run by its auxiliary publications, such as the National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, which publishes some of the most stunning wildlife photography around the world each year.National Geographic Expeditions Workshops: These seven-day workshops may cost as much as $4,000, but gaining invaluable insight into the magazine’s workflow, practices and techniques might be worth it.Get outside and shoot! As Westergren and Kobersteen both emphasized, skill results from hard work, practice, and all-out obsession. So travel where you never have before and hone your photographic skill as often as possible. No one ever became a National Geographic photographer sitting down!Main Photo Credit: “Framed by National Geographic” by Alexander MuellerHutton Marshall writes about photography and photoshop tips, photo industry news, and the latest technology both inside and out of photography. Although initially trained in photojournalism while working as a reporter in college, he now primarily shoots wildlife and landscape photography. He currently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia.