Guest Post Friday: What National Geographic Taught Me by Lola Akinmade

Welcome to the very first Guest Post Friday. Today Lola Akinmade is posting about attending a National Geographic Traveler seminar.

Lola Akinmade is a GIS consultant, photojournalist and travel writer who has contributed to Vagabondish, Transitions Abroad, Matador Travel, and Brave New Traveler. She can be reached at http://www.lolaakinmade.com.


What National Geographic Taught Me
by Lola Akinmade.

On a nippy Sunday morning, we rushed downtown to M street, following the line of Saabs, Jeeps, VW beetles, and the occasional BMW in our little '99 Dodge Neon. We were thirty minutes early yet a couple minutes late judging by the enthusiastic crowd that had filled the registration hall. We were attending one of many seminars put on by National Geographic Traveler in Washington, DC. This seminar was exploring travel photography – how photos tell stories born from a passion for travel.

With over 25 years of experience as a photographer and 45 stories for National Geographic Magazine (NGM) and Traveler (NGT) combined, Jim Richardson opened up with a mouthwatering breakfast of travel photographs and landscapes from around the globe – castles in Wales, panoramic vistas from Southwest America, unbelievable colors and rich cultures from South East Asia, and many more decadent pictures.

Joining Jim was Catherine Karnow, whose core photographic strength was being able to relate across cultures through travel portraits. Catherine boasted 15 years experience with 25 stories for both NGM and NGT. She shared colorful portraits and details from Jaipur, Vietnam, and Miami.

I wanted the meat of it all. I wanted to know what National Geographic really looked for in pictures and how I could stand out from the crowd. There were close to 400 of us in that auditorium. We were discouraged from bringing portfolios and cameras. I brought a few bookmarks which also happened to be my business card.

“What makes a picture good enough for NG is an interesting picture, not a technically perfect picture”, Jim explained to us. “With travel photography, being able to relate to people and giving them a sense of what it's like to really be there is the most important factor.”

We began to notice the common thread shared by those pictures. The vibrancy, the depth of color, and the framing of subjects began to come into light.

By using wide-angle lens, each of the travel photographs pulled us in and right into the middle of the action. Almost all of the National Geographic photographers use some form of a wide-angle lens.

Color and textures were such important elements in all the pictures we saw. “That’s why I usually shoot around dawn or dusk”, Catherine shared. “They provide the best natural lighting that set the mood and colors of your pictures”. For indoor situations, a certain ambience that warm lighting provides is unbeatable.

For the next couple of hours, Jim and Catherine shared tips from simple techniques to the common rules of photography to breaking all those rules for the right shot. “If a subject isn’t contributing to your scene, it’s distracting so take it out. Clean up the clutter!” highlighted Jim.

Questions ranged from the importance of model release forms to the best backup gear, but the one question that resonated was asked by a lady who’d recently been to Mauritius. As travel photographers we assume the role of geckos on the wall, blending into the background and observing. “What if you find yourself in a situation where you’re clearly the foreigner garnering all the attention?” she asked.

I drew on my own personal experience. By introducing myself to someone either verbally or through gestures, they’ve invited me into their world even though mine was drastically different both culturally and physically. Just smiling and emitting a positive energy went a long way. Catherine echoed this fact. “Sometimes I feel like it’s my duty to entertain people and keep the momentum going”, Catherine answered. “I need to adapt to each individual situation and feel the vibe.” In reference to the lady’s situation, she had to just wait till the commotion had died down and then she could move more stealthily through the culture.

By seminar’s end around 4pm, we were treated to more photographic desserts from Dubrovnik, Sardinia, Vietnam, and the Silk Road. In true National Geographic style, they left us wanting more.

When I got home, I weeded through a couple of my favorite shots. Based on what I’d learned, were they NG worthy? I replayed Jim’s words in my head. “A good photo is one which is interesting. A good photo takes you there. Not one which is technically perfect!”

The biggest lesson I learned from National Geographic that day was the power of intuition.

I have to keep on trusting my instincts.

(this was first published at http://matadortravel.com/travel-blog/united-states/geotraveler/what-national-geographic-taught-me)

Don't forget - if you have something to say about writing, submit to Guest Post Friday

Weekly Top 5 Blog Posts for Writers...

1. Freelance Blogging for Side Income: My Top 10 Tips

2. Famous travel writers I don’t like

3. Making Fake Deadlines Real: Completing Projects with Self-Assigned Deadlines

4. Interview with Linda Formichelli

5. How to Avoid Procrastination as a Freelancer

Plus Two:

Travel broadens the mind, not your bank balance (Life as a Travel Writer)

Pros and Cons of Niche Blogging

Interview with a Travel Writer...Kent E St. John.

Today we talk with Kent E St. John, Senior Travel Editor and part owner of GoNOMAD.com. Kent also writes a travel column in the Lincoln Eagle in New York's Dutchess County and has had travel articles published in the Hartford Courant, Valley Advocate, Preview Magazine , and Transitions Abroad. His travel narratives have been published in Travelers’ Tales Ireland, Pilgrimage and the Best of Travelers’ Tales.

As well as writing about travel, Kent also talks travel for the Around the World Radio (which broadcasts on ten stations in California and on thirty throughout Australia) and is a frequent guest on the Travel Planners Radio show that is on several stations throughout the Midwest.

And of course, like the rest of us, Kent maintains a blog - Be My Guest - that looks at life as a travel writer. Be My Guest was chosen as one of the 100 best travel blogs by Frommer's Budget Travel magazine.

Hi Kent and thanks for stopping by Write to Travel for a chat.

1. Did you always want to be a writer? How did you get started in writing?

I was a voracious reader long before writing ever came into my world; it was traveling that changed things. I owned a tour company in Scottsdale AZ and once the airlines put a cap on my commissions I knew it was time to find a new avenue into places I wanted to see. I sold the agency and bought some books on travel writing. I sent my first query to Transitions Abroad and they took it. I sent a second and third… until finally they offered me a title of contributing editor; I no longer booked others’ tickets, I booked mine.

2. What do you consider your first "break" as a travel writer?

By studying the markets I was aware of who just might take a piece, very important for a beginner. I also think that a vast background of jobs helped liked bartending in New York, and owning a restaurant a wee bit later. I wasn’t into a career being the end all—odd jobs build a base. Hell, I flunked out of college ‘cause I was too busy to attend class. Again, I truly believe that reading is the best teacher.

3. What advice would you give to someone who wants to break into writing?

Be aware of what you love. For me it was always traveling. Owning a restaurant myself I never got away. I did do well though and built up some dollars. The money wasn’t what I really craved, however. I longed for new places to see. It was a paradox; I had money but no time. If at all possible stash some cash before leaping full time into travel writing.

4. What do you see as the future for travel writers in the printed media and online ?

That is a great question because I was one of the first original writers for GoNOMAD.com and actually I am the only one left of the six originals. I was told by some publications that it interfered with print so I needed to make a choice. I did. Many told me I made the wrong one, online. Today I get numerous emails from people I met in print years ago who now want to get some kind of online presence, and they were big in print. I follow the theory that an existence in all kinds of media is key. I am online, in print, and I also do travel radio. In order to make a living you must be flexible, but I enjoy all of them. I think that when I was published in several Travelers Tales books it was the most satisfying experience. I like narrative yet the market is so small. Today I own a wee bit of GoNOMAD.com and work with Max Hartshorne. I met him when he worked for Transitions Abroad. People like Max are changing the online travel writing world.

5. Which travel writers and/or travel books have influenced you?

My god, Bill Bryson and Tim Cahill have made me laugh when I have been in hell and it wasn’t just lost bags. When I first haunted bookstores there wasn’t even a travel section. People like Jon Bowmaster fear nothing and he lives nearby my small town, just a short way down the road. Have a beer with Tim Leffel, Jen Leo, David Farley or Johnny Jet and you can feel that excitement we all share—what’s next? Yet we are all different.

6. As a writer and traveler, what are the biggest challenges you face on the road ?

I am beginning to be known as an older guy, but I can still beat the young ones up a mountain even with a cig break wearing just Tevas. I am not as intense as some new writers; I am just doing what I love, what has been put on my plate. Eventually I may have to beg for a Travco trip. It goes back to love what you do.

7. Finally, what is your favorite place and why ?

Home here in the Hudson Valley, NY is my favorite spot yet I never write about it. I have always wanted a barn and space I now have both. I have cats and wide plank floors and pictures of my adventures. I walk a rail trail and look at the Catskill Mts. I am married to an AP English teacher who always reminds me that there is so much to read. Life is great. Even though every two weeks or so I itch for cramped seats on a plane, I now know where home is.

Travel Articles that Caught My Eye...

This months Oscars have put Hollywood center stage, so it’s not surprising to find a few movie related travel articles around. Movie location travel is already big business, so articles such as Set jetting 2008 - fabulous film locations and 10 great places to check into movie-hotel history often appear.

Another news item - Fidel Castro stepping down - will also create travel article fodder. Traveling in a post-Fidel Castro Cuba is probably the first of many articles about Cuba in the coming months.

And of course, finding out about new places to visit is always a winner. Saudi Arabia is one such place, with the this article Closed Kingdom Cracks a Door Open.

(photo credit)

Travel Blog of the Week...Primitive Culture.

Here’s the sidebar description of Primitive Culture…

The global photographic journal of an amateur ethnographer, detailing explorations from rugged Equatorial jungles, to the alleys of Istanbul, to the quiet seaside towns of South Africa. In fully illustrated essays, Primitive Culture chronicles street-food, coffee culture, wildlife viewing, and urban life. Currently centered in Bangkok, covering local markets, coffeeshops, and Thai style and design.

If that doesn’t make you want to head right over there and visit, you are obviously not a ‘travel blog connoisseur’.

Primitive Culture delivers exactly what it promises. In some posts, a photograph takes the place of words. In others, words are added to photographs, providing a multidimensional image of a place and its culture.

Applying for a Paid Blogging Job...

There’s a great discussion going on over at Freelance Writing Jobs. It focuses on applying for blogging jobs. There are two points of view. The first is that of an employer, the second that of a writer.

The employer, James from Tippyleaf.com, recently posted this ad…

I sell tea at Tippyleaf.com and I need someone to write the blog. Someone with an informal, personal style that makes the blog fun to read and communicates a real love for tea (so you need to love tea – otherwise it shows). The job pays US$400 per month, for which I would like 8 posts each month, each of 250-500 words (the word count is not paramount). Topics would include tea types, tea areas of the world, tea in culture, tea paraphernalia such as biscuits etc. I can give you ideas, and you will also come up with your own. We already have a blog but it is too dry – I don’t enjoy reading it, so why would anyone else. You need to be comfortable using Wordpress and working from home. Email tippy@tippyleaf.com

Not surprisingly, he was inundated with applications (okay, I admit it, I was one of them - I love tea and thought it would be an interesting subject to write about).

Anyway, James wrote an interesting post - Things to Consider Before Applying for a Gig - yesterday offering feedback on the process. He describes what he liked about the applicants, what he didn’t like, and why he rejected applicants. Anyone considering apply for a paid blogging job should have a read. But don’t just read the post, read the almost 50 comments as well. You’ll learn a lot.

Today, blogger Jennifer Chait responded with a post of her own - My Blog Client Wish List - in which she reminds clients that it’s a two way street. Clients have needs but so do writers. It’s just a question of getting the two to balance.

Check it out.

Guest Post Fridays...

I thought it was time to try something new, so have decided to make Friday the ‘Guest Post’ Day here at Write to Travel.

Are you interested ?

What I’m looking for is guest posts about all aspects of writing, book reviews, conference, workshop, and course reviews, etc, etc, etc. It can be something newly written or re-cycled from your own blog or writing portfolio.

What you get out of it - another location in which to air your views, your expertise, and your writing. All guest posts will get a byline and links back to their sites.

I’ll also work on setting up section on the sidebar where guest bloggers are featured for the month following their post.

What do you think?

You can send in guest post submission to kiwiwriter@xtra.co.nz