Interview with Krista Rossow, Photo Editor at National Geographic Traveler

Monday July 18th, 2011

Let’s start the week with something we haven’t done in a bit, shall we? I’m happy to share with you an interview with National Geographic Traveler photo editor, Krista Rossow. Krista and I met during a Wonderful Machine portfolio review. Since then, we’ve kept in touch through her periodic photo requests. Last week she was kind enough to answer some of my questions and provide a bit of insight into the world of photo editing. We normally do five questions for an art buyer but Krista was so great, we threw in one more for good measure. Enjoy!

- Maria Luci

What makes a photo great?
As a photo editor at Traveler, for me a great photo is one that combines a sense of place with a unique moment. I’m most drawn to photos that have many layers of interest, for example children playing in the foreground, a gurgling fountain in the mid-ground, and colorful Roman buildings in the background. I think that by having all of these elements coming together in one image, it shows more than what a place looks like, but rather what it feels like.

A strong sense of place is essential for travel imagery. Photo by Yadid Levy/Argentina/Denmark

How did you get your current job?
Before I got my job at National Geographic Traveler I cobbled together a living as a freelance photographer and photo workshop assistant. I spent a year working at the Santa Fe Photo Workshops where I was a course assistant. It was nonstop work and nonstop photography, and in short, one of the best years of my life. That experience allowed me to figure out what I wanted to do with my own photography, and, although I had a background in fine art photography from college, I realized that I was drawn towards photojournalism. I was lucky enough to work with many National Geographic photographers and ended up meeting the person who hired me while I was working at a Traveler photography seminar.  Eventually there was an opening at Traveler, and I moved across the country to work at NG.

How does National Geographic Traveler source photography?
NGT assigns freelance photographers for most of our feature stories. We occasionally assign for smaller front-of-book stories, but primarily use stock images for our departments and any round-up style features.

Has finding decent photographers become easier or harder in the digital age?
I think that with digital photography, it is both easier and harder to find decent photographers because more people consider themselves photographers and are putting their work out there. On one hand, that accessibility is great because that means I might run across a shot on somebody’s website or blog that will work for my story, whereas in the past they probably wouldn’t have been able to get their images out there on the internet as easily. On the other hand, I sometimes feel deluged by photographers’ emails and websites. It is a lot to keep up with.

A crowded market can feel...overwhelming. Photo by Ball & Albanese/New York

What annoys you the most?
I’d have to say one of my biggest pet peeves is getting tons of promo cards and emails promoting content that is way off the mark! I wish photographers would dedicate more time to researching the client that they are reaching out to. If you want to shoot travel for us, then show us that you can shoot travel….and that you understand our style. I feel like a lot of photographers think that shooting travel is easy, so they don’t even bother to put examples in their portfolios or on their websites. I need to KNOW that you can perform, and although your promo with your latest corporate shoot may look really fantastic, that won’t get me to go to your website.

What’s the most satisfying part of your day?
The most satisfying part of my day is when I can get a few hours to actually sit down and edit photos! Some days are spent responding to emails, going to meetings, and putting out fires. I love it when I can really immerse myself in a story and decide how best to illustrate the piece. It is like taking a trip for a few hours! You can imagine that my travel wish list is expansive, and I’m always the person at a cocktail party who talks as if I’ve been to a place when I’ve actually only been through (fabulous) pictures.

A Stranger In Her Own City

Friday January 29th, 2010

Susan Seubert recently had opportunity to be a “stranger” in her own city, shooting a feature story on Portland, OR for National Geographic Traveller. Here’s the opener:

I say “stranger” to be tongue-in-cheek, but it’s true that travel photographers like Susan often shoot outside their home cities (a little over a year ago she shot the cover story for NGT on San Francisco). And travel photographers need to document their subject matter in a way that appeals to someone who’s not familiar with the destination. Not to mention that Susan spends part of her year in Maui.

Susan on Portland:

It was great to be able to photograph Portland because it is such a rich city on so many levels. The people who live here do so with gusto, so there’s a lot of enthusiasm about the place. I also know it well (making it easier to negotiate a tight schedule) and although I discovered a lot about Portland during the assignment, it’s always different walking around when you have to do so with purpose (I’ve photographed Portland for many other magazines, such as the recently shuttered Gourmet and The New York Times). Cities are in a constant state of change, particularly Portland, so there’s always something new or classic that’s wonderful to photograph.

I learned a lot about the bike culture of Portland.  I photographed no less than 5 different bicycling events, including the annual World Naked Bike Ride. I also rented a cargo bike one day and saw the city by bicycle and was amazed by how many bike routes and lanes there are, making it very simple to get around, even with 50 lbs of equipment!

She’s been shooting for National Geographic Traveller since 2004, and their editor-in-chief Keith Bellows just chose this image for “Traveler’s Best Photos of 2009.”

You should click on the image or link above to see the slideshow on their website, because Keith explains on the audtio track why each of the “Best” images stood out to him. He chose Susan’s shot of the Sydney, Australia swim club patrons for its whimsy and composition, making it an atypical travel shot.

Susan Seubert is a Portland based photographer with Wonderful Machine.

-Neil Binkley

Not Your Typical Holiday Lights

Tuesday December 22nd, 2009

Roger Snider defies the typical categorization of “Automotive Photographer,” though he specializes in shooting automobiles for a living. He’s one of a select group of photographers who shoots, for the most part, 18-wheeler trucks. Even his website address bears this out: www.ultrarigsoftheworld.com.

National Geographic picked up on Snider’s specialty and featured his image above for their Visions of Earth section. These two trucks are part of a cultural phenomenon in Japan described as “art truck clubs.” They’re basically tricked out 18-wheelers owned by truck drivers who need to make their rigs look like mobile pachinko machines.

Roger regularly shoots for Peterbilt, including their annual convention of Peterbilt owners who have customized their rides. Snider’s specialty mostly takes him on location to shoot things like this:

How did he get into this niche work? “I always wanted to be a trucker as a kid…after shooting the stills on the doc film Big Rig I went to a truck show in Vegas…and knew I would be shooting show trucks on location for a long time to come.

Roger Snider is a Los Angeles-based photographer with Wonderful Machine.

-Neil Binkley