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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Photojournalist Susan Seubert in the New York Times: Georgia O’Keeffe’s Hawaii

Earlier in October of this year, I was assigned a story by the New York Times to cover a piece that was both art history and travel.  What an adventure!  My husband and I live in Maui for four months a year, so it’s always great to have an excuse to head out and explore.  I didn’t know that Georgia O’Keeffe had spent time in the islands.  I was familiar with only one landscape painting of a waterfall surrounded by green cliffs by the artist, but I learned through the story that this painting was made by O’Keeffe after a visit to the lush Iao Valley on the island of Maui.  It was so much fun to try and see that area, an area that I’ve been familiar with for quite some time, through the eyes of Ms. O’Keeffe.  Although there was no missive to try and emulate what O’Keeffe painted, to try and see what she saw was a wonderful visual exercise.  When I started puzzling together the time of year she was there, it made sense that she may not have been as taken in if she had been there in the dry, early autumn as we were at the time of the assignment.  The waterfalls on Maui are fed by rainwater and currently the entire county of Maui is in a drought.  However, another more obscure painting of two papaya trees in the Iao Valley was equally daunting to emulate as she had superimposed the unmistakable shape of the tree on backdrop of that lush valley.  However, the majority of her time on the island was spent in the lush area of Hana.  The story is on the New York Times’ web site here, but I can summarize our experience of following in the footsteps of this great painter.  She had been commissioned by the Dole Pineapple Company in 1939 to produce two paintings promoting the pineapple company and was invited to Oahu to visit the plantation.  She was disgusted by the fact that Dole wouldn’t allow her to stay on a working plantation because it was considered, “unseemly for a woman.”  She immediately bailed on the project.  Kudos to Georgia!  Instead, after traveling around the territory of Hawaii, she ended up in Hana on the island of Maui where she created most of her paintings during this period.  These stories are well documented not only through letters to her husband, Alfred Stieglitz, but also by her unlikely Hana guide, a 12 year old named Patricia Jennings, who was the daughter of the plantation manager where O’Keeffe stayed in Hana.  Patricia is still alive and living on the Big Island of Hawaii.  The author, Tony Perrottet, interviewed Patricia and was able to put together a living guide to Georgia’s time in Hana and the places where Ms. O’Keeffee painted.  Those places are still intact and very visible to anyone willing to seek them out.  This type of approach to travel is wonderful – not only does one get to stand and see precisely the same thing that Georgia did, the writer incorporated other destinations including where to stay, what to eat and other useful travel tips.  For me, it was a treasure hunt.  Having visited Hana many times, I’ve never considered it through the eyes of one of the most important American painters.  Ever since my parents took me as a teenager to see an O’Keeffe exhibit at the Chicago Art Institute back in the ’80′s, I’ve long admired her work.  This story was also a first for me in another way: there were far more photos published in the printed newspaper than there were online.  These days, as a contributing photographer for many magazines, most of the visual content ends up not in print but online or in an iPad version, there’s still a thrill in seeing a large photograph running across two pages of the New York Times.  Please read the article here.  I’ve also put together a portfolio of the outtakes online here for your enjoyment.  Aloha and mahalo for visiting!

Georgia O’Keeffe’s Hawaii in the New York Times’ Travel Section

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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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Multimedia Photographer Susan Seubert in Smithsonian

The current, (May 2012), issue of Smithsonian Magazine features an online multimedia piece about the meaning behind hula and I had a great time shooting the video and audio that comprise the bulk of the piece.  I had been assigned to illustrate a story written by Oahu resident and well known author Paul Theroux entitled, “Paul Theroux’s Quest to Define Hawaii.”  It was a pleasure to spend an afternoon with Paul, an extremely interesting and generous man. He’s always got a tale to tell and is engaging in conversation. I feel quite lucky to have now worked on two of his stories.  His story can be read here, the photo gallery can be seen here, and you can hear his thoughts, along with Kumu Hula Hinaleimoana Wong Kalu in the multimedia piece here.

One of the images made for the story, “Paul Theroux’s Quest to Define Hawaii” of the Waianae Mountains on the island of Oahu, Hawaii

All of the still images and video were made with Canon 5D Mark II bodies, Canon L series lenses and the audio was captured with a wireless Sennheiser mic system and the Zoom H4n hand-held audio recorder.  The stills were processed in Adobe Lightroom and Smithsonian’s in-house video editors compiled the raw material into the finished piece.  Go team Smithsonian!

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Multimedia Photographer Susan Seubert featured on Wonderfulmachine’s Blog

Last fall, I shot a feature story and multimedia piece for Smithsonian Magazine.  I landed the cover. (Yippee!!!) Smithsonian’s editing team took the raw footage and audio, and produced a very nice video to accompany the article as it appears online and on their iPad application.  Since I’m a Wonderfulmachine photographer, they decided to write a nice blog post about the job here.  I’m grateful to have Maria Luci on my team of supporters to help spread the word that I am capable of working in the field under challenging circumstances and produce great results.  This feels like shameless horn-tooting, but I feel that the only way to showcase my abilities is to get the word out through modern channels.   Thanks for your time!

The Sliding Sands trail, as seen from near the top of Haleakala below the visitor's center

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Landscape photographer Susan Seubert on the cover of Smithsonian Magazine

It is with great pleasure to announce the best holiday gift ever : the cover story for Smithsonian’s December 2011 issue.  In early October, I was assigned by the magazine to cover a story about the crater of Haleakala, located on the island of Maui.  Also available online is a multimedia piece which was edited in Washington D.C. at the magazine’s headquarters.  I provided the raw video and audio and the good people at Smithsonian put together a video featuring the park’s superintendent, Sarah Creachbaum. There is also a slideshow online of some more photos here.

This adventure into the volcano was a test of both my technical and physical capabilities.  My assistant and I covered approximately thirty miles of rough terrain, dealing with gusty winds, yellowjackets and the occasional passing rain shower.  We spent three days and two nights shooting as much of the landscape and volunteer work as possible.  We also shot video and collected audio as we simultaneously tried to shoot stills and keep up with the volunteer group, who had allowed us to tag along and stay with them in two of the three cabins located within the crater.

The eastern flank of this erosional depression is a cloud forest, essentially the top of Hana, an area famous for its rainforests and waterfalls.  If time had allowed, we would have hiked farther into the Kaupo Gap, a lush area filled with native Ohia trees and the chirping of native birds such as the I’iwi and the Apapane.  We saw plenty of Nene, the Native Hawaiian Goose, mostly around the cabins.  Although it’s illegal to feed them, they clearly understand that humans are a source of food, as they would brazenly approach anyone eating a snack.  At the end of the three day hike, we faced climbing out of the volcano up the Halemau’u trail that has an elevation gain of just over 1,000 feet in under 3 miles.  That was a difficult task as we were pretty exhausted by that point, having covered so much ground in such a short period of time.  The most challenging part of photographing was attempting to visually describe the vast landscape.  This was indeed an assignment of a lifetime.  I encourage anyone, who is ambulatory enough, to take the shorter 11 mile hike down the Keonehe’ehe’e, (Sliding Sands), trail.  It’s physically challenging, but to partake in this landscape is to witness the earth at its most primal.  A hui ho!

The Keonehe'ehe'e (Sliding Sands) trail, as seen from near the top of Haleakala, below the visitor's center, featured on the cover of the December 2011 issue of Smithsonian

Pele's Paintpot, located within the crater of Haleakala, features several different colors of lava rock. Off in the distance, in the far left-hand corner of the image on the crater rim, you can barely make out the Visitor's Center.

All the images and video were shot with Canon 5D Mark II Cameras, the Canon 24-105 F4L IS USM lens, the Canon 70-200mmL IS USM lens, (plus various others), all the images were processed using Adobe’s Lightroom software.  The audio was captured using a Zoom H4n Handy Recorder with an Audiotechnica condenser mic covered with a dead-cat windscreen.

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Editorial Photographer Susan Seubert back on the road

Greetings!  Thanksgiving is upon us and the holiday season is beginning.  I have much to be thankful for: a wonderful family, great clients, amazing assignments and the gift of spending several months a year in Maui.  Our time in the islands is over for the time being and tomorrow we head back to the mainland.  I will be heading to New Orleans, Napa and Baja over the next two months so stay tuned for more adventure stories.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all.  Aloha!

photo inside the crater of Haleakala, photo © Jupiter Nielsen

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