Choosing the Year’s Best Pictures: 2013 Photo Contest | National Geographic

when I’m looking at pictures I’m looking

when I’m looking at pictures I’m looking for like a little piece of that

for like a little piece of that

for like a little piece of that photographer in the pictures that makes

photographer in the pictures that makes

photographer in the pictures that makes me connect to the reason why they’re

me connect to the reason why they’re

me connect to the reason why they’re showing this to me I’m not really

showing this to me I’m not really

showing this to me I’m not really interested in a pretty picture for a

interested in a pretty picture for a

interested in a pretty picture for a pretty picture sake

pretty picture sake

pretty picture sake I think of photographs is kind of like

I think of photographs is kind of like

I think of photographs is kind of like visual roadmaps and I’m always

visual roadmaps and I’m always

visual roadmaps and I’m always interested to see how has the

interested to see how has the

interested to see how has the photographer’s eye or their house their

photographer’s eye or their house their

photographer’s eye or their house their mind designed the image in such a way

mind designed the image in such a way

mind designed the image in such a way that my eye flows through it I guess it

that my eye flows through it I guess it

that my eye flows through it I guess it goes directly from my eyes to my stomach

goes directly from my eyes to my stomach

goes directly from my eyes to my stomach and so I don’t look for anything except

and so I don’t look for anything except

and so I don’t look for anything except I wait to feel something I would say

I wait to feel something I would say

I wait to feel something I would say look anything okay I got my winner

look anything okay I got my winner

look anything okay I got my winner really for me this was really

really for me this was really

really for me this was really interesting because susan has so much

interesting because susan has so much

interesting because susan has so much experience and Ed does to that

experience and Ed does to that

experience and Ed does to that geographic and susan has seen pictures

geographic and susan has seen pictures

geographic and susan has seen pictures from like of all kinds of landscapes and

from like of all kinds of landscapes and

from like of all kinds of landscapes and nature situations and I’ve never seen

you know just take the equipment put it

you know just take the equipment put it down there anything see this is where

down there anything see this is where

down there anything see this is where your expertise and experience in this or

your expertise and experience in this or

your expertise and experience in this or more than mine cuz I’m like okay well

more than mine cuz I’m like okay well

more than mine cuz I’m like okay well balance it that way yeah but you know it

balance it that way yeah but you know it

balance it that way yeah but you know it is just like I’ve seen this picture done

is just like I’ve seen this picture done

is just like I’ve seen this picture done a lot but I’ve seen it done better and

a lot but I’ve seen it done better and

a lot but I’ve seen it done better and it’s also been at Geographic for a long

it’s also been at Geographic for a long

it’s also been at Geographic for a long time so he has years of knowledge of

time so he has years of knowledge of

time so he has years of knowledge of seeing what’s been done as well

I think that’s beautiful too that’s

I think that’s beautiful too that’s pretty extraordinary scene takes album

pretty extraordinary scene takes album

pretty extraordinary scene takes album cover from 1970s there are times where I

cover from 1970s there are times where I

cover from 1970s there are times where I have an opinion about something and it’s

have an opinion about something and it’s

have an opinion about something and it’s I’m unswayed ball but then there are

I’m unswayed ball but then there are

I’m unswayed ball but then there are other times where I might have a feeling

other times where I might have a feeling

other times where I might have a feeling or an opinion about a picture but i’m

or an opinion about a picture but i’m

or an opinion about a picture but i’m easily swayed by one or the other judges

easily swayed by one or the other judges

easily swayed by one or the other judges like this I don’t think it was amazingly

like this I don’t think it was amazingly

like this I don’t think it was amazingly well shot but it’s a beautiful moment

well shot but it’s a beautiful moment

well shot but it’s a beautiful moment that moment but see or spleen but it

that moment but see or spleen but it

that moment but see or spleen but it doesn’t show the tail the tail grips the

doesn’t show the tail the tail grips the

doesn’t show the tail the tail grips the girl but it is that’s the thing I didn’t

girl but it is that’s the thing I didn’t

girl but it is that’s the thing I didn’t even understand what yeah I think it’s a

even understand what yeah I think it’s a

even understand what yeah I think it’s a neat nature thing you know I got I got a

neat nature thing you know I got I got a

neat nature thing you know I got I got a lot from both Stephanie in it stephanie

lot from both Stephanie in it stephanie

lot from both Stephanie in it stephanie has a has a very upbeat positive look

has a has a very upbeat positive look

has a has a very upbeat positive look outlook on life and she’s covered some

outlook on life and she’s covered some

outlook on life and she’s covered some really tough things but she has a really

really tough things but she has a really

really tough things but she has a really hopeful you know I hope with you of

hopeful you know I hope with you of

hopeful you know I hope with you of humanity she’s very kind and

humanity she’s very kind and

humanity she’s very kind and non-judgmental and the opposite

non-judgmental and the opposite

non-judgmental and the opposite completely judgmental yes this is my

completely judgmental yes this is my

completely judgmental yes this is my favorite do you guys don’t think that’s

favorite do you guys don’t think that’s

favorite do you guys don’t think that’s beautiful

beautiful

beautiful oh it’s beautiful oh so you don’t think

oh it’s beautiful oh so you don’t think

oh it’s beautiful oh so you don’t think you should be in the next round it

you should be in the next round it

you should be in the next round it shouldn’t be in the top no I said yes

shouldn’t be in the top no I said yes

shouldn’t be in the top no I said yes sir Edie

sir Edie

sir Edie it has a very magnanimous kind of

it has a very magnanimous kind of

it has a very magnanimous kind of personality very open and inclusive and

personality very open and inclusive and

personality very open and inclusive and patient very patient so he’ll look at an

patient very patient so he’ll look at an

patient very patient so he’ll look at an image for a lot longer than I will

image for a lot longer than I will

image for a lot longer than I will like I’ll describe for qualified

like I’ll describe for qualified

like I’ll describe for qualified immediately and he’ll wait and yeah but

immediately and he’ll wait and yeah but

immediately and he’ll wait and yeah but in terms of just wow wow it’s perfect

in terms of just wow wow it’s perfect

in terms of just wow wow it’s perfect it’s beautiful feels in the background

it’s beautiful feels in the background

it’s beautiful feels in the background the lines but even the lines in the

the lines but even the lines in the

the lines but even the lines in the window everything is you’re there for a

window everything is you’re there for a

window everything is you’re there for a purpose the lines on the shirt the

purpose the lines on the shirt the

purpose the lines on the shirt the license window whosoever will be

license window whosoever will be

license window whosoever will be jealousy and take this picture I think

jealousy and take this picture I think

jealousy and take this picture I think you’re really looking for like a

you’re really looking for like a

you’re really looking for like a specific way of seeing and really

specific way of seeing and really

specific way of seeing and really everything in that frame being

everything in that frame being

everything in that frame being intentional one picture in particular

intentional one picture in particular

intentional one picture in particular that we are looking at was of

that we are looking at was of

that we are looking at was of night scene of a man shooting a

night scene of a man shooting a

night scene of a man shooting a basketball hoop on the right side of the

basketball hoop on the right side of the

basketball hoop on the right side of the frame on the left side of the frame is a

frame on the left side of the frame is a

frame on the left side of the frame is a highway with streaks of light and that

highway with streaks of light and that

highway with streaks of light and that picture made it a couple of rounds in

picture made it a couple of rounds in

picture made it a couple of rounds in but in the end did not make it and I

but in the end did not make it and I

but in the end did not make it and I think one of the reasons is and this is

think one of the reasons is and this is

think one of the reasons is and this is emblematic or symptomatic of the

emblematic or symptomatic of the

emblematic or symptomatic of the pictures that didn’t rise to the top

pictures that didn’t rise to the top

pictures that didn’t rise to the top is that there might be one or two

is that there might be one or two

is that there might be one or two elements in it that are really cool or

elements in it that are really cool or

elements in it that are really cool or that are that are evocative but is but

that are that are evocative but is but

that are that are evocative but is but there’s always something missing there’s

there’s always something missing there’s

there’s always something missing there’s so many almost so I guess it’s a degree

so many almost so I guess it’s a degree

so many almost so I guess it’s a degree of almost everything isn’t almost it’s

of almost everything isn’t almost it’s

of almost everything isn’t almost it’s just how maximun almost is it you get

just how maximun almost is it you get

just how maximun almost is it you get near a nearer and nearer but you almost

near a nearer and nearer but you almost

near a nearer and nearer but you almost never make it aesthetics are important

never make it aesthetics are important

never make it aesthetics are important to seduce the viewer but not actually

to seduce the viewer but not actually

to seduce the viewer but not actually the meat of it to connect and I think

the meat of it to connect and I think

the meat of it to connect and I think that in what the photograph is of and

that in what the photograph is of and

that in what the photograph is of and how it’s done and that personal vision

how it’s done and that personal vision

how it’s done and that personal vision are all the things that you’re actually

are all the things that you’re actually

are all the things that you’re actually bringing them in to connect to great

bringing them in to connect to great

bringing them in to connect to great still photography possesses this ability

still photography possesses this ability

still photography possesses this ability to make us stop and to make us think and

to make us stop and to make us think and

to make us stop and to make us think and to make us question to make us look oh

to make us question to make us look oh

to make us question to make us look oh yeah I could certainly go to the Polar

yeah I could certainly go to the Polar

yeah I could certainly go to the Polar Bear it’s easy to make a good picture to

Bear it’s easy to make a good picture to

Bear it’s easy to make a good picture to make a great picture requires this

make a great picture requires this

make a great picture requires this combination of qualities that are so

combination of qualities that are so

combination of qualities that are so inherently unique to the medium of still

inherently unique to the medium of still

inherently unique to the medium of still photography