National Geographic photo editor David Griffin’s inspiring talk at TED about how photography connects us to our world.
Hi-res versions available on the TED website.
If you missed the video of James Nachtwey’s 2007 TED Prize acceptance, check it out here. Simply amazing.
If you’re trying to fill the entertainment void created by the writer’s strike and lame reality TV, I recommend checking out "At Close Range with National Geographic." The one-hour documentary gives us a look into the personal and professional life of National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. It’s a must watch for photo geeks and National Geographic fans who want to better understand the dedication it takes to capture some of the worlds best images.
I took the short drive to Waco today for a lecture by photojournalist Steve McCurry. If you don’t know him by name, I can almost guarantee you have seen his work. His most famous photo is ‘Afghan Girl,’ and is probably the most recognizable National Geographic cover ever. McCurry has been taking photos for more than 30 years and has traveled to countries all over the world. He said that he has been to India about 80 times and returned from Afghanistan just last week.
He talked about how he got started as a photojournalist and gave us the background behind some of his work during a slide show (with actual slides, not the PowerPoint kind).
The lecture was a great way to kickoff McCurry’s exhibit at the Art Center Waco. I’m so used to only seeing photos on computer screens, I’m always blown away at the quality of large gallery prints. McCurry’s work is amazing and the gallery did a good job of showing it off. If you want to see the exhibit, it runs until March 30th, 2008.
The video of James Nachtwey’s acceptance of the 2007 TED Prize is now online. You can download it is several formats, including 480p high resolution from the TedTalks website. As expected, it contains some very graphic images.