Trying to Understand

[Jeffrey Smigielski]

I am amateure photographer and am trying to learn the digital photography ins and outs. I am trying to improve technique, composition, equipment, post processing and a general understanding of just what is the right way to do things. Sometimes I find things that make my future direction unclear.

That being said I looked last night at the National Geographic Magazine website and found the "My Shot" section. According to their rules only jpegs or jpgs unedited, directly out of the camera can be submitted.

I have preferred to shoot RAW. I try to to a good job with setting white balance and exposure before taking the picture but find it very helpful to "adjust" the photo in a program like Adobe Lightroom.

Are they saying they do not want any of these post camera adjustments and is this true of every photo I see published in National Geographic magazine?

What if I crop or adjust the image before it leaves the camera? Is this acceptable?

I am just trying to understand. National Geographic has published countless amazing images over the years. Are those images all "not worked"? All the film images were processed in a darkroom were they not?

My apologies if this is a basic question but I am trying to learn the correct way to do things. The members here seem very plugged in and knowledgeable. Thanks in advance for you thoughts.

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Jeffrey The rules are specific to that section. I can assure that is not the way NG makes their images !!!

For most mayor contest you need to supply the original RAW file and are allowed a certain leeway in processing, do read the rules for how much.

[Jeffrey Smigielski]

Is there a specific location that describes how much processing is allowed. One of my goals this year is to get an image published in NG that I feel is good enough and they accept and publish. I know I have good enough photos but am being careful in proceeding.

[Dave Blinder]

One of my goals this year is to get an image published in NG that I feel is good enough and they accept and publish.

Are you looking to get something in their "My Shot" user contributed section, or are you talking about having an image appear in one of their regular stories?

I think you need something with a pretty strong "wow" factor, in general to make it into the My Shot section. I've seen an occasional shot w/ weak composition make it in there, but in that case the subject matter or action is very unusual.

As far as getting a regular submission to anywhere else in the magazine, I imagine you need very strong connections and a well-established name... maybe some luck too.

- Dave

[Desmond Chan]

I think you need something with a pretty strong "wow" factor, in general to make it into the My Shot section. I've seen an occasional shot w/ weak composition make it in there, but in that case the subject matter or action is very unusual.


If that's what Jeffrey want, I second that advice. I know a guy from another forum and he got two of his photos published in the same issue of the National Geographic's Your Shot. If you simply submit a bird-on-a-stick photo and it's not selected, I'd not be surprised. I mean, there're so many of them out there and those NG guys probably see many of them everyday :)

[Lance Peters]

Have had two images make it to the daily dozen in the past - didnt make it to your shot though.
Getting actually published in the magazine itself would be a lot harder and nearly impossible I would imagine without a article that accompanies the photos, Dave I think would also be right in his assumptions - you would need to be extremely well connected and have a unique style.
Good luck though - f you can dream it - you can achieve it!!!

[Danny J Brown]

Hey Jeffrey: To get a photo in the monthly "Your Shot" contest you have to be first get your photo in the Daily Dozen as mentioned above. The photo editor chooses which 12 go on the website each day M - F. After that they have a popular vote on the website and one of those 250 or so photos gets in the magazine. The photo editor chooses another one from those 250 for the second photo. Its basically a contest and as mentioned above, you have to have a whimsical or unique shot. Most all of the other NG photos are from NG photographers, such as Joel Sartore, who are famous and/or very well established. Hope this pulls together the previous explanations. Good luck.

[Danny J Brown]

Jeffrey: This link explains what you can and can't do to compete in NG Daily Dozen (Your Shot). Actually, they allow most everything except for cloning and stamping. It is perfectly fine to convert a RAW file, as well. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/manipulation