# The National Geographic Society picked up my photo



## invisible

A few days ago I captured the aurora borealis in St. Laurent, Manitoba. After posting one of the photos on a couple forums and Flickr, I was contacted by someone from the National Geographic Society. They were asking for permission to use the image in a photo feature on the increase of northern light activity these past few days.

Initially I thought it was a joke/scam, but after a quick research of the guy's name I understood that it was legit. After a brief email exchange, they ended up using a different image from that photoshoot, shown below:







The site: Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News

My photo: Pictures: Huge Solar Storm Triggers Unusual Auroras

The other photo was picked up by the Winnipeg Sun, but nothing really can compare to being published by NatGeo.

Thanks for taking a look!


----------



## Josh66

Awesome!  Congrats!


----------



## Buckster

That's fantastic!  Congrats!


----------



## Robin Usagani

how much?


----------



## AverageJoe

Thats awesome, congrats.


----------



## Overread

Phew big congrats Invisible!!



Schwettylens said:


> how much?



It's Nat Geo = one of the few times when exposure outweighs most payment deals! Heck people go to massive lengths just to get their attention let alone get printed/published!


----------



## Don Kondra

Congrats  

It is a Big Deal but I'd be much more impressed if they paid for it, just saying. 

Cheers, Don


----------



## DennyCrane

Congratulations! Payment? Irrelevant. National Geographic? SCORE!!!


----------



## LarryD

Good for you........  It's a great shot.......:thumbup:


----------



## LaFoto

Wow, that is really something! 
But the photo sure deserves it, too. As do you! NatGeo ... ¡qué cool!


----------



## kundalini

Extremely proud for you dude.  Well deserved after all these years of seeing great images from you.  Your humility deserves a break........ do a dance man!

:thumbsup:


----------



## Stephen.C

MAN! So awesome!!!!


----------



## invisible

Thank you very much, everybody!!




Overread said:


> Schwettylens said:
> 
> 
> 
> how much?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's Nat Geo = one of the few times when exposure outweighs most payment deals! Heck people go to massive lengths just to get their attention let alone get printed/published!
Click to expand...




DennyCrane said:


> Congratulations! Payment? Irrelevant. National Geographic? SCORE!!!


You guys hit the nail right on the head. I have nothing to complain about. I would've paid to get a photo published on NatGeo! I just feel proud of the way it happened (they reached out to me!).



LaFoto said:


> Wow, that is really something!
> But the photo sure deserves it, too. As do you! NatGeo ... ¡qué cool!


¡Gracias, Corinna!



kundalini said:


> Extremely proud for you dude.  Well deserved after all these years of seeing great images from you.  Your humility deserves a break........ do a dance man!


Thanks much, man! I've been dancing naked since about 3pm, when I learned the news (I was at work at the time ).


----------



## Foxman

What a great shot. I have always wanted to see and shoot the Aurora Borealis. Congrats on getting picked up as well, thats very cool indeed!


----------



## Robin Usagani

Yeah.. you are right.. I would be happy if they did not pay me anything... I was just wondering! LOL.  They should pay you though.  That is not right.  Maybe ask if they can put your zenfolio website on there?  But putting your name should be good enough.  Maybe readers will go to your website and buy prints.  You better have those photos ready when they publish it.


----------



## Arkanjel Imaging

Super sweet!  Certainly a worthy image.

The not getting paid thing sucks.  I would think NG to be a little better than that.


----------



## MCerasoli

That is an amazing shot! Congrats on the NG pick up for sure, that's really awesome!


----------



## JamesMason

Gratz.

Paid in ZOMG !!! im in nat geo or paid in cash ?

i think id take the i got featured in nat geo tbh


----------



## bigboi3

NAT GEO!!!!!! Congratz to the FULLEST!!!


----------



## invisible

Thanks again everybody!! 



Schwettylens said:


> But putting your name should be good enough.  Maybe readers will go to your website and buy prints.  You better have those photos ready when they publish it.


I've noticed an increase in traffic to my site from Google searches of my name these last two days. I can only assume that those are people who saw the photo on NatGeo's site and were intrigued enough to want to see more. No print requests from them, though... but I sold a bunch of prints at work today thanks to this whole aurora thing 



Arkanjel Imaging said:


> The not getting paid thing sucks.  I would think NG to be a little better than that.


I think that photography becoming accessible to virtually anyone (like me) has changed the rules of the photography game. This is one of the consequences. NatGeo is at least respectful enough to ask for permission.



JamesMason said:


> Gratz.
> 
> Paid in ZOMG !!! im in nat geo or paid in cash ?
> 
> i think id take the i got featured in nat geo tbh


My choice as well


----------



## Francis E. Marchiona

hurray4u! :thumbsup:


----------



## icassell

That is a beautiful image and congratulations are well-deserved!  Would you mind posting some others from the shoot?  I love aurora photographs.  I was in Alaska last June and was upset by the 24 hours of light -- I would have loved to see some aurora.  There was a guy in the Anchorage Saturday Market who was showing off his images as I drooled on them.


----------



## Browncoat

Congrats!

The exposure in a national publication like NatGeo is worth its weight in gold.  Sometimes the free marketing is better than a few coins in your pocket.


----------



## jbmaster

I would have traded a subscription for the photo


----------



## PerfectlyFlawed

CONGRATS! once in a life time opportunity!


----------



## mishele

:thumbup::thumbup:

Congrats man!!! Amazing shot!! I hope this opens a lot of doors for ya!!


----------



## thebeatles

Congrats!  That's pretty awesome. :thumbup:


----------



## invisible

icassell said:


> That is a beautiful image and congratulations are well-deserved!  Would you mind posting some others from the shoot?  I love aurora photographs.  I was in Alaska last June and was upset by the 24 hours of light -- I would have loved to see some aurora.  There was a guy in the Anchorage Saturday Market who was showing off his images as I drooled on them.


Thanks, Ian. There's only the two images I posted (this and the other thread), plus this "outtake":







Up until we found the aurora (at about 1:00am), it hadn't really been a fruitful night of photography. We had almost lost all hope, we were tired and yawning and already heading back to the city... and only then the northern lights showed up. We snapped a few photos to make sure we had proof we saw it, then went back to Winnipeg. So... a couple of photos is all I have 




Browncoat said:


> Congrats!
> 
> The exposure in a national publication like NatGeo is worth its weight in gold.  Sometimes the free marketing is better than a few coins in your pocket.


Thanks much! Those are my thoughts exactly, not just about the marketing part but also the "I feel good about my photo, someone in frigging National Geographic liked it!" part too


----------



## icassell

I would be overjoyed to have that "outtake" in my files!  Outstanding image as well!


----------



## Jeff Colburn

Way to go. Congrats.

Have Fun,
Jeff


----------



## Derrel

Man, even your culls are decent! Way to go! Congrats on the pickup by NGS!!! Kewl!


----------



## Heck

Congrats not many people can say they got a photo in National Geographic.


----------



## Christie Photo

invisible said:


> ...nothing really can compare to being published by NatGeo.



Amen.

You can now say that you "have arrived."

Good for you.

-Pete


----------



## invisible

Derrel said:


> Man, even your culls are decent!


Hey, outtakes are not culls  Culls I don't even process, and there are plenty of them!



Christie Photo said:


> You can now say that you "have arrived."


Like I said on another forum, it's all downhill from here 

Thanks again everybody!


----------



## abraxas

Cool deal Federico- congrats!!!

FYI- Next time, and there will be a next time, magazines are usually pretty good about sending a few copies of the issue.  I always tell them they're for my Mom.

-


----------



## Shaneuk

Congratulations. 

Your photo is something to be proud of.


----------



## invisible

abraxas said:


> Cool deal Federico- congrats!!!
> 
> FYI- Next time, and there will be a next time, magazines are usually pretty good about sending a few copies of the issue.  I always tell them they're for my Mom.
> 
> -


LOL, thanks much, Walter! I'm pretty sure they just wanted to use the photo on their website, not the magazine. If they do print it, I'll make sure to use the mom trick to get a couple copies 

Thanks Shaneuk for your comment too!


----------



## anthonyl

great news, if only I could be so lucky!


----------



## sansparallax

wahoo! boy is that ever pretty!!!!


----------



## Allen

Congratulations!


----------



## vinithbraj

Truly fantastic!


----------



## invisible

Thank you, guys


----------



## Chris Fulton

Yeah, I could care less if I got dime one from NatGeo as long I was credited and could still use it in the portfolio.  That always looks good on a photography resume. Congrats by the way.


----------



## LizardKing

Wow... Speechless!
Amazing picture!

Congratulations!


----------



## cgipson1

That is awesome stuff.. congrats! Beautiful shot!


----------



## paul85224

WOW!!!!!!


----------



## tevo

Thats sick! Congratulations man!


----------



## Postman158

Wow, thats amazing! Congrats!


----------

