Editorial and Travel Photographer Susan Seubert shoots Toronto for National Geographic Traveler

Greetings!  The May 2013 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine features a story about Toronto which I had the privilege of being assigned to photograph. This was my second assignment in Toronto.   During the shoot, it was thrilling to discover such an incredible amount of diversity within the various neighborhoods.  National Geographic Traveler does not have a photo gallery of this story online, so I am posting the story here as it appears in the print edition of the magazine, but I encourage you to seek out the May issue either as an iPad edition, which features more images, as well as the print edition, which is packed full of interesting articles about travel throughout the world.

The best moments from this assignment were dreamy.  Discovering Little India was gorgeous with its saree shops and roasted corn on the street.  Queen West has a plethora of shops selling unique items from around the world along with very modern art galleries.  One lovely evening, I took the ferry to Center Island and witnessed a beautiful sunset and some great views of the classic Toronto skyline.  Canada is a great country and Toronto is one example of a fantastic urban area to explore.  Please enjoy and thank you for visiting.

The opening magazine spread from the Drake Hotel

The next page, featuring photos from Kensington Market and the Center Island Ferry

Coffee, shopping in Chinatown and the marvelous Brickworks

One of my favorites – a room at the artful Gladstone Hotel and the most adorable couple who own Chandon Fashion in Little India

A glorious day outside the Drake Hotel’s cafe and the neighborhood bar, the Communist’s Daughter, where you can catch some amazing jazz

The last spread in the print magazine: Guff, a vintage furniture store in Leslieville and the Royal Ontario Museum

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Happy Birthday Grand Central Terminal!

Grand Central Terminal, New York City

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Grand Central Terminal, that iconic building where many people from all over the world have visited to marvel at the architecture, catch a train, visit the coolest bar in New York City, (the Campbell Apartment), go shopping or simply people watch.  When I was on assignment for National Geographic Traveler Magazine, I was assigned to cover this icon of New York architecture.  I learned many things about the massive complex, which included a tour of the underground tunnels designed for the purpose of evacuating presidents and other dignitaries in the case of an emergency.  The ceiling has been restored, but one small patch was left to show how much environmental pollution from the trains had damaged the original fresco.  There is still the hole in the ceiling from where a rocket was displayed back in the 1950′s when NASA miscalculated the height of the rocket by 6 inches, the zodiac on the ceiling is depicted backwards, (with speculation that this was a mistake by the artist), and the clock faces above the information desk remain the most valuable items in the main hall as they are made from the precious stone, opal.  Christie’s and Sotheby’s estimate the clock to be worth between ten and twenty million dollars. This image has stayed in my portfolio for many years because I find it to be a constant reminder of my love of New York City.

Happy Birthday Grand Central!

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National Geographic’s Greatest Photos of the American West with Susan Seubert

Sometimes a major surprise lands in my email box.  Although this post is a bit late, I wanted to share a new landmark in my photographic life.  I am included in a new book called National Geographic Greatest Photographs of the American West.  At the time this was announced to me last July, the exhibition and book were still under way.  Now the exhibition is still being shown throughout some 10 museums in the United States and I am, needless to say, thrilled to be included.  The accompanying catalog is now available for purchase from National Geographic online here.  The images for the exhibition and book were culled from some 8,00 to 10,000 pictures in the National Geographic Image Collection, according to Jim McNutt, the president and CEO of of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Although the photographs span from 1873 to the present, only 175 were chosen for the show and the catalog.  From those 175, 63 photographers were represented, including me.   Here is the list of photographers with links that allow viewers to get a more thorough glimpse at the photographers who helped shape the visual landscape of the American West through that iconic yellow rectangle of the National Geographic Society. This is a tremendous honor and I am extremely grateful and humbled to be included along side such photography luminaries as Edward Curtis, David Allen Harvey, Ansel Adams, Vincent Laforet, Frans Lanting, Robb Kendrick, Eugene Richards, Annie Griffiths, and Chris Johns just to name a few.

The press release page for the book, National Geographic Greatest Photographs of the American West

I hope that if you live in any of the places where the exhibition is showing that you will have a chance to see the installation in person.

Here is a list of participating museums.  Since the exhibit opened in late October of last year, some of the shows have already closed. However, if you see a museum in your area, please click on their site to see if it’s still showing.  Thank you for visiting!

The exhibition will open Oct. 27 at the following museums:

Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, Ga.

Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyo.

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis

Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Okla.

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City

National Geographic Museum, Washington, D.C.

National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States, Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Rockwell Museum of Western Art, Corning, N.Y.

C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Mont.

Stark Museum of Art, Orange, Texas

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The Galapagos with National Geographic Expeditions and Travel Photographer Susan Seubert

This year began with a remarkable assignment on board the National Geographic Endeavour in the Galapagos Islands.  The Galapagos are located about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador.  Being a National Geographic Photography Expert for National Geographic Expeditions is one of the highlights of my career as a photographer and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to travel to a variety of destinations with National Geographic and Lindblad.  This was my first trip to the Galapagos and I was fortunate enough to visit all of the islands where people are allowed to go ashore to hike and observe the unique landscape and wildlife that this remarkable archipelago has to offer.  Of course, the animals are the stars of the show, but these islands have a rich history, most famously tied to Charles Darwin and his theories of evolution.  The trickiest part of this journey was trying to absorb the immense amount of information that the naturalists provided both in the field and on board the ship and at the same time, concentrate on making pictures.  I’m just now beginning to edit some 20,000 images that I took during this 20 day adventure and have started to post some on my stock photography site here.  I hope to add more images regularly to my stock photography site, but for now, here are a few of my favorite moments from the expedition.  Thank you for visiting!

The National Geographic Endeavour, a ship that serves the Galapagos

A sandy beach at sunset with Galapagos sea lions on the island of San Cristobal

A newborn sea lion pup on a sandy beach on the island of San Cristobal

A colony of sea lions nap on a sandy beach on the island of Espanola

A solitary Galapagos sea lion on a sandy beach on the island of Espanola

Nazca Boobies nesting on Espanola Island in the Galapagos

A morning hike on Floreana Island, looking for wild flamingos

Marine Iguanas basking on the beach of Espanola Island

Santa Cruz Island, home to wild giant tortoises and the Charles Darwin Research Center

the fish market in Puerto Ayora on the island of Santa Cruz in the Galapagos. Brujo, a sea lion, hangs out and waits for scraps from the fishmonger

El Trapiche, a small, family run farm, sells small batch, organic coffee. Here, they are roasting the coffee beans

While snorkeling at Champion Islet we encountered some very playful sea lions who seemed to enjoy posing for the camera!

Please remember that all images on this site are copyrighted and may not be used in any form without express permission from Susan Seubert Photography.

Thank you!!!

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Susan Seubert in National Geographic Traveler’s Best Photos of 2012

Dan Westergren, the senior photo editor of National Geographic Traveler Magazine, has named his ten favorite images that were published in the magazine in 2012.  I am very proud to be included in this selection of photographs!  Last summer, I was assigned to photograph two of the ten Travelers of the Year for the magazine.  Both of the people happened to be in Honolulu, a quick, direct flight from my home town of Portland.  I shoot regularly in Hawaii because I’m based there for four months out of the year.  It was fun and challenging to try and create images that were not only interesting, but spoke to the identity of both nominees.  I blogged about the shoot in a previous post which you can read here.  Dan chose to select the image I made of Theron Humphrey while on assignment for the magazine for inclusion in the Ten Best Traveler Photos of 2012.  Thank you Dan and National Geographic Traveler for this outstanding honor!  You can see all ten pictures and Dan’s comments by clicking on the image below.

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Editorial Photographer Susan Seubert shoots Travelers of the Year for National Geographic Traveler

Earlier this year, I was sent on assignment by National Geographic Traveler Magazine to the island of Oahu.  Two out of the ten people who had been nominated for “Travelers of the Year” awards were in Hawaii – one as a visitor and another as a resident.  Travelers of the Year is NGT’s inaugural celebration of individuals who explore the world with passion and purpose.  I’m often already based in Hawaii,  but it’s such an easy flight to Honolulu from Portland that it was a natural fit.  The story is out now in the December 2012 issue of the magazine.  You can read about all ten notable travelers here.  My two subjects were very different from one another, but both were passionate about travel.

Linda Yuen is one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met.  She’s well into her 80′s and still travels regularly.  She and her husband snorkel weekly at Hanauma Bay Park, a beautiful, protected bay on Oahu that is frequented by tourists and locals alike.  Linda and her husband swim a mile out from the beach once a week, help people who are visiting to identify undersea creatures and walk up and down the big hill to get in and out of the water. I get winded just thinking about it!  It would have been ideal to shoot there, but the park has very strict hours and we would likely have to get a permit, so we had to find a different location for her portrait session.  I thought that the best photo would be of her with her snorkel mask on, in the water.  She was so brave to agree to this!  Most women I know at any age wouldn’t be at all thrilled at the idea of appearing in a major national magazine in a swimsuit, but she was game.  I had location scouted the beach in front of my hotel the night before to see if it would work with light, water depth, swell issues, (I didn’t have a water housing with me), and we agreed that Sans Souci Beach would be the perfect place for a late evening shoot.  She and her husband not only like to swim there, they also like to eat dinner at the restaurant in the hotel there.  A perfect fit!  We had about 30 minutes of glorious light.  Her sweet husband acted as my assistant and held the extra camera gear while I went in the water with Linda.  She has such a beautiful smile and her face is full of life, so it was easy to get a wonderful photo of her.

Linda Yuen, one of National Geographic Traveler Magazine’s 2012 Travelers of the year photographed in the water on the island of Oahu at sunset

Theron Humphrey is a young man who self-assigns projects that take him on adventures with a purpose.  He was nominated for a project where he interviewed people from all 50 states.  At the time we met up he was on his 50th state – Hawaii.  We photographed him in several different scenarios, but my favorite location was one he had found the previous day, in a park on a hillside overlooking downtown Oahu.  First I photographed him on a swing.  This idea worked conceptually because he’s very much a free spirit and swinging into a seemingly infinite space seemed apropos.  The second location was just down the path from the swing, up on a tree platform. Theron gingerly made his way up into the branches of the tree and I followed and stood as far back on the platform as possible, constantly reminding myself that I could easily fall backwards and break my neck!  It was worth the effort even though it’s a more serious portrait. The gaze is straight at the camera and he’s out on a tree limb with no bottom in sight.  When you follow your heart to the extent that he does for his photo-based projects, you will end up out there in the world in new and challenging environments and, quite literally, out on a limb.

Theron Humphrey, one of ten National Geographic Travelers’ “Travelers of the Year”

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Maui Photographer Susan Seubert in National Geographic Traveler Magazine

Aloha!  The November 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler is available online and a story I photographed here on Maui for the magazine is featured.  The story, which you can read here, is in the Road Trip section and investigates how the Road to Hana and beyond relates to the music of the Hawaii.  Traversing the road with the car stereo set to the local radio station, we set out to document some of the things that are the subject of local music, both traditional Hawaiian songs and more contemporary island sounds.  Our journey took us from our home here in West Maui, along the Hana Highway where we met people who farm taro in the traditional way on the Keanae Peninsula to Hana where we explored black and red sand beaches, around the back of Haleakala, through Kipahulu and Kaupo.  It’s a beautiful drive and although it’s possible to do it in one day, I recommend spending at least one night in Hana so that you can take your time, do some hiking, explore the waterfalls and enjoy the peaceful town. The photo gallery which has more photos than the printed magazine, can be seen here.

Mahalo and a hui ho!

The story about the Road to Hana in the November 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler’s online magazine. Click here to go to the photo gallery.

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Travel and Editorial Photographer Susan Seubert shoots Oregon

One of the finest pleasures in life is exploring one’s home territory through the fresh eyes of someone new to the place.  In this case, I got the call asking if I was interested in shooting a story about Oregon for the Dutch edition of National Geographic Traveler.  The editor-in-chief would be traveling from the Netherlands to Oregon to explore the bounty of the region.  It was a fantastic experience, driving around the state, showing off some of the places that I love, and exploring new places together.  The adventure paid off and this month’s issue of the Dutch edition of National Geographic Traveler, I’ve got a 12 page spread featuring the beauty of the state I call my first home, Oregon.  The feature story is below.  Currently I’m in Maui, preparing my gear to head out on assignment here on the island.  Maui is my second home, and I’m anxious to see what this next adventure offers up.

Proost and Aloha!

The opener! Roses at the Portland Rose Test Garden and sunset at minus tide in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

The view of downtown Portland, Oregon, with Mt. Hood in the distance and a vignette of the Portland Farmers’ Market.

Oregon Wine Country, the cowgirl who helps out with the Equestrian Wine tours in Dundee, Oregon, and Oregon Hood River Pears.

Thump Coffee in Bend, Oregon and the trail leading down to the boat ramp at Crater Lake.

The magnificent Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge and the historic Liberty Theater in Astoria, Oregon

Fly fishing in the Deschutes River in Central Oregon, near Bend, and the inset of the historic Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood

 

 

 

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Editorial and Commercial Photographer Susan Seubert in Maui

Aloha from the island of Maui!  I will be based here in the islands until November 30th.  Already, it’s been an extraordinary trip beginning with an encounter with an Hawaiian Monk Seal, both on land and in the water.  In the morning, tourists discovered a female monk seal hauled out on the beach here in Kaanapali.  Later, as I was stand-up paddleboarding, looking for turtles to photograph, she swam directly to the tip of my board, sorted a few hellos, then headed off for a nice ocean brunch.   It was an incredible encounter as the Hawaiian Monk Seal is one of the most critically endangered sea mammals on Earth.  It is estimated that fewer than 1500 remain.  They generally occur in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, so it’s rare to see them in areas like Kaanapali Beach, which is populated by humans.

I’m taking a little time off in order to test some underwater photo equipment for a trip to the Galapagos with National Geographic Expeditions where I’ll be the on board National Geographic Photography Expert.  I’m thrilled to be working with National Geographic Expeditions as every trip is truly an adventure!  If you’d like to join me in the Galapagos, I’ll be on two departures in January, the first beginning January 4th.  I’ll be giving tips and tricks to enhance your photography experience while we’re on the Expedition together, and demonstrate the type of work I do on assignment.  You can read more about the itinerary here.  In the mean time, if I don’t answer the phone, you can find me here:

The view from Honolua Bay on West Maui looking out over the marine preserve and the island of Molokai in the distance.  Aloha!!!

This image was taken with Lumix G2 fitted with a 20mm 1.7 pancake lens.  The RAW file was processed using Adobe’s Lightroom software.

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Editorial Photographer Susan Seubert Shoots for National Geographic Traveler

Summer is definitely on its way out as is evidenced by the fall magazines that are arriving in my mailbox.  The October 2012 issue of National Geographic Traveler landed and features a story I shot for their Road Trip section on central Washington State.  The adventure begins in Centralia then wanders over the Cascade Range, winding up with explorations through Yakima, Ellensburg and Prosser.  This is a beautiful area of the country, particularly at this time of year when the stone fruits of the Yakima Valley are ripening and everyone is getting excited for harvest.  There are some fine wines produced in this area, which also boasts the second largest hops growing area in the world.  If you decide to take this trip, I highly recommend staying at the Cherry Wood Bed, Breakfast and Barn where one can go on trail rides through the vineyards on horses that have been rescued and rehabilitated. While I was there, a pony named “Wild Bill” adopted me when I was shooting in one of the places where they keep some of the horses.  He was adorable!!!  Spend the night in a truly luxurious tee pee and take a bath under the stars in one of their outdoor tubs.  You can read the story on National Geographic Traveler’s web site here.

The opening image for, “Northwestern Exposure,” a story by Freda Moon about an adventurous road trip through Central Washington State. Photographs by yours truly.

Me on assignment, with the rescued pony, “Wild Bill.” My childhood dream of having a pony, if only for one night.

All the photos were made with Canon 5D Mark II cameras and a litany of Canon L Series lenses.  The images were processed using Adobe’s Lightroom software.

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