When National Geographic does something, they usually get it right. In the last few months they launched FOUND, their incredible Tumblr site that showcases some of the most amazing photos from the National Geographic archives. I have been making Found an almost daily visit since March 2013 when the site first launched and I’m never disappointed with the visual treats and the look back into history through the eyes of exceptional Nat Geo photographers.
“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.”
~Dorothea Lange
When I was a child I used to get the magazine as a Christmas present from my godmother and would spend hours scouring through each edition. I was fascinated mostly with the photos and the maps which I would pin to my walls, all the while dreaming of distant lands that I never thought I would be able to visit in my wildest dreams. Today, I work as a travel photographer who has had the good fortune of having one of his photographs grace the cover of National Geographic magazine and I’m even more fascinated with National Geographic photography today than ever before. Take a look at ten good reasons why you too should be following Found:
The three Pyramids of Giza are reflected in a pool of water, September 1926.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JULES GERVAIS COURTELLEMONT, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
A male lion roars to protect his mate in Kruger National Park, South Africa, February 1943.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DICK WOLFF, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
A Geisha girl poses in her Kimono in Kyoto, June 1927.
PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANKLIN PRICE KNOTT, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Two women in Southeast Asia discuss the day’s news, May 1921.
PHOTOGRAPH BY M. BRANGER AND SONS
Loggers and the giant Mark Twain redwood cut down in California, 1892.
PHOTOGRAPH BY N.E. BECKWITH
A close-up portrait of a coal miner in Omar, West Virginia, 1938.
PHOTOGRAPH BY B. ANTHONY STEWART, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Buckets of iron ore are transported to a major steelworks in Hunedoara, Romania, November 1975.
PHOTOGRAPH BY WINFIELD PARKS, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
A replica of the Mayflower sails into New York Harbor with a welcoming fleet, November 1957.
PHOTOGRAPH BY B. ANTHONY STEWART, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Armed Bedouin Beni Sakhr chiefs await their king’s visit in Jordan, December 1964.
PHOTOGRAPH BY LUIS MARDEN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
The sailing ship Terra Nova is framed by an ice grotto in Antarctica, 1911.
PHOTOGRAPH BY HERBERT G. PONTING, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Say hello to Proof
A brand new National Geographic blog [iframe src=”http://player.theplatform.com/p/ngs/AGI4dyViyrmO/embed/select/IY1wheEWPW_z” height=”480″]
The Power of Photography
After hitting it out of the park with Found, National Geographic launched their blog PROOF just a few days ago and I suspect that I’ll have to add another regular visit to my interweb routine from now on. Take a moment to watch the above video and listen to how people talk about the power of photography. When it comes right down to it, nothing in the world can elicit an instant visceral reaction from people quite like a photograph. A photograph truly can change someone’s life… Photography has the power to change the world and it does.
“Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.”
~Edward Steichen
Thanks National Geographic, for helping to make photography so vital to humanity and for allowing us all to dream of distant lands, revisit the magic of history, and for helping us understand the world in so many ways.
The power of photography is POWERFUL!!! :D
Thanks Ken, that’s why I follow you! You’re work is a great inspiration to me and you have not given me another blog to follow.
National Geographic is responsible for so many amazing photos of its time. The new tumblr is amazing and full of inspiring photos it is amazing just how photography can change our perspective on the world around us.
Great photos!! thanks for the link Ken!!
Wonderful capture!
So fascinating to look at these incredibly awesome historic photos! Thx for sharing…
Awesome. Natural Geographic never ceases to amaze me.
How do u guys always get the best pictures….they create a need to know the stories behind them; every one of them!
Wow, these photos are amazing. I love looking at old school travel photos, it’s as if you’re stepping back in time. I will certainly be taking a look at the NG blog!
Those are some amazing shots. The quote at the beginning really nails it. Photography puts into perspective what words can not always accomplish. I learned some really interesting things about this when I visited a Cinema museum once.
Alex, Nat Geo sure has had a huge influence on so many photographers, myself included. So nice to see them share so much of their archives with us in this way.
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Shivangi, the best way to get the shots is to be out there taking photos.
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Carmen, time travel would be awesome. This is the next best thing. :)
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Glad you all enjoyed the post and I hope that you’ll keep visiting the Nat Geo Blogs
My favorite is by far the close-up portrait of a coal miner in Omar, West Virginia, 1938. Very inspiring work!
Fantastic photography all round. Great inspiration to go offline shooting again. Now :)
Stuning!!!
Colorized old pictures never fail to amaze me…!
Great selection. That Anthony Stewart portrait is fabulous.
Great selection. That Anthony Stewart portrait is fabulous