Results tagged “National Geographic Explorer”

We had such a great time on the National Geographic Explorer as we sailed through the islands of the Indian Ocean. I had lots of fun with the people who worked on the ship. They were all great and two of my favorites were Mike Greenfelder and Dennis Cornejo, so that's who I wanted to interview. Mike was the Lindblad Photo Specialist on this trip and Dennis was the Undersea Specialist.
 
First, here's my interview with Mike Greenfelder:
 
Q: How old were you when you first started taking pictures?
A: I began in high school, but I didn't get really serious until I was 27.
 
Q: How did you get interested in photography?
A: I got really interested in underwater photography when I worked on Catalina Island and wanted to try to photograph the kelp forest there.
 
Q: What are you most interested in taking pictures of and why?
A: Wildlife in action interests me most since for me it's a challenge capturing something running, jumping, flying or swimming.
 
Q: Do you have any favorite photo tips?
A: You need to learn your camera and what all the buttons do and then practice, practice, practice. There are pictures to be taken anywhere, at home, at school, in your backyard.
 
Q: How did you get to be such a good photographer?
A: Practicing and being in great places and spending the time to take the photos.  For example, if you want to get great pictures of whales, you can't just take a one-day whale watch, you need to spend days and days with the whales.
 
Q: Did you go to school to become a photographer?
A: I didn't go to any special school for photography. I learned from my friends and from experimenting on my own.

We just spent two weeks on a Lindblad/National Geographic trip aboard the National Geographic Explorer. We were exploring "the fabled islands of the Indian Ocean." One of the things that made this trip so great was the staff. There were naturalists and specialists who knew everything about birds, plants, the ocean, and the islands we were visiting. There were also photo experts on the ship who helped us really learn how to use our cameras. There was even a National Geographic photographer on board, Michael Melford. Since I learned a lot from Michael and Guy Esparon, one of the naturalists who grew up in the Seychelles, I decided that for this blog I would interview them so that you could learn from them too.
 
So, here's my interview with Michael Melford, National Geographic Photographer:
 
Q: What is it like to work for National Geographic?
A: It's the best and worst job because I get to travel the world and share and photograph these wonderful things, but then the bad part is that I have children at home and I miss them.
 
Q: Is this your first time on a National Geographic boat?
A: No, I've also been to Baja, Galapagos, the Arctic, Antarctica, and Alaska.   
 
Q: What do you like most about photography?
A: My favorite part about photography is sharing all the beautiful things I see with millions of people.
 
Q: How long have you been a photographer?
A: 32 years
 
Q: What is the most fabulous place you've been?
A: I really can't answer that because every place is so different.
 
Q: What advice would you give to kids who want to be photographers?
A: My advice for everyone is to find what you love to do and find out how to do it.
 
Q: Do you have any photo tips for kids?
A: Yes, try and notice things with your eyes that you've never seen before and look at the world differently.