An interview with Joel Sartore
Joel Sartore is a writer, teacher, and photographer. His words -and images -show his passion for photography and for the world around us.
My first job was for a newspaper. After a few years there, I met a National Geographic photographer. He liked my photos and said I should send some to the magazine. So I did. That led to a one- day job. And that led to a nine-day job, and so on.
To get into National Geographic, you have to give them something they don't have. It's not enough just to be a great photographer. You also have to, for example, be a scientist, or be able to drive under sea ice, or spend several days in a tree.
It's now more difficult o work for magazines. Technology now makes it easy to take good pictures, which means there are more photos and photographer. Also, the web is full of photos from all around the world that are free, or cost very little. These photos are often good enough to be put in books and magazines that once paid for photographers and their photos.
Advice? Well, work hard. Be passionate about every project you work on. Take lots of pictures in different situations. Looks at others' photos thoughtfully and learn from them. And be curious about life. There's something to photograph everywhere.
But be a photographer for the right reasons. If you do it for the money, you probably won't really be happy. Do you want to make the world a better place, or make people see things in a different way? If so, you'll enjoy the work much more.