From a young age, Susan Seubert knew she wanted to be a photographer. Drawn to the images in the magazines at her grandmother’s house, she set her sights on one day working for National Geographic. Now, Susan has over 30 years of experience with both editorial and commercial clients. Based in Portland, Oregon and Maui, Hawaii, Susan is a lifestyle and travel photographer, which sometimes includes the adventure of wildlife photography.
Susan achieved her dream of working for the publication in 2004 when she became a photographer with the National Geographic Society. Since then, she has photographed over thirty feature stories for NatGeo’s Traveler Magazine.
I remember that it took seven years of sending handmade promo cards to everyone on the masthead before they finally called in my portfolio.
When her portfolio was returned, Susan was disappointed by the letter that came with it. Although it was kind and thoughtful, it was much like the ones she received in the past. After a few months, however, they called her for a feature story about Canada.
That began a very good, long relationship with them. National Geographic is the most recognized brand on the planet for travel/nature/human interest projects, so it always feels great to work on assignments for them.
Susan’s work for their Expedition Program began in 2009 – two years after its start – with her first assignment on the Columbia River.
Since then, I’ve traveled to over 25 destinations serving as the “National Geographic Photography Expert.”
Whether of a European city or wildlife in the polar regions, Susan’s images are often used on NatGeo Expedition’s Instagram account, to reveal the marvels of each destination.
Susan’s work with the program recently brought her to Antarctica. After many long airplane rides and a couple of days by ship, they reached the peninsula (the northernmost part of the Antarctic continent).
It is often very cold, windy and wet, so it is important to be waterproof at all times. It is challenging to handle cameras with bare hands in the middle of a blizzard. However, when we get good weather with mild temperatures and no wind, it’s dreamy.
There was a lot of charismatic megafauna in the water and the penguins were endlessly fascinating. The trips vary by itinerary, so sometimes I’m spending five to six days on the peninsula, and other trips can be as long as almost four weeks.
When interviewed by Dave Katz, the Video Chronicler on the ship, Susan shared that she is captivated by all things travel, and that quality images “are made up of three elements: color, light, and moment.”
Susan’s work in NatGeo’s Sea Cloud Caribbean Brochure is a better representation of her main specialty: Lifestyle photography. Although she photographs wildlife from time to time, she sets out to document everything a destination has to offer. Her primary goal is to “tell stories about culture and landscape” often encompassing different types of photography, driven by human interest.
My specialty is being able to tease great pictures out of challenging subjects, delivering high quality, editorial images on time and on budget.
While speaking about her work photography in a 2018 TEDx Talk, Susan shared her general philosophy to photography: “The true power of images, lies in their ability to emote.”
When it comes to pre-production – no matter the subject or location – Susan works closely with editors to identify their needs and to understand their expectations. She also seeks out other related subjects to add depth to the story. Pre-production is often more time consuming than the photoshoot itself. She prefers to present the client with more content than requested, providing them with more options for the layout.
To quote one of the editors I’ve worked with for many years, “Susan has done wonderful work for National Geographic Traveler, and always, she is an absolute pro, getting under the surface to find the spirit of a destination. She is also a delight to work with and is organized and makes all her deadlines. An editor’s dream.”
Every experience is different from the next, even if I am visiting the same location multiple times. One of the most important things I’ve learned is to never take any opportunity for granted – if there is something interesting, always shoot it! Take video as well as stills as sometimes the wildlife is best with audio and video. My mantra is shoot now, ask questions later and with wildlife that is a truism.
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