One way is by entering the National Geographic photo competition. The deadline is 30 Nov.2010. Click on the image below and it will take you to the National Geographic web site with the entry details.
Of course the more typical way is through hard work, pursuing great stories and always working toward getting your work published, exhibited and talked about. Entering photo competitions with top magazines like National Geographic, Smithsonian and PDN can be part of this formula.
In the past couple of days I have had several comments and requests for images of trees that people have found on my web site including this tree outside of Glenorchy, South Island, New Zealand.
I think Van Gogh said it best "...in all nature, for instance in trees, I see expression and soul..." Letter to his brother Theo, 5 November 1882
So I've decided I will use photos on the cover of this new portfolio book. Ok the truth, my rep Sara at NG Assignment asked if I was planning to use a photo. I took the hint and the results are looking better than going with my original plan of just a solid color and name on the cover. How did I go about choosing a cover photo? Well first it had to be a color and background that would not lose the printed words. Then it had to say something about my work. Capturing a moment and a striking composition in a simple composition is probably a style that repeats itself with some regularity in my photography. So I wanted to go with photos that represent those qualities. Also I wanted the front cover to relate to the back cover. Why? In my photos I like contrast; contrasting light, contrasting colors, shadow and light, white and black, etc. With the cover jacket photos I figure a water shot on the cover and a desert shot on the back cover show this idea pretty clearly. But one thing, the back cover shot is not new from the last year or two, my time criteria for photos in the book, but I figured it has hardly seen the light outside my monitor so I am trying it on the cover mock up. We'll see what Sara thinks on that. The fonts and colors mimic my web site design, that's designed by Livebooks and my designer Kellie at Dayzign Graphics. So does this cover work? Do the two photos work together? More importantly are you wondering what's inside? I am sure this idea will continue to evolve.
