The Story of Life in Photographs- Frans Lanting

In this stunning slideshow, celebrated nature photographer Frans Lanting presents The LIFE Project, a poetic collection of photographs that tell the story of our planet, from its eruptive beginnings to its present diversity. Soundtrack by Philip Glass.

Frans Lanting

Nature photographer

Frans Lanting is one of the greatest nature photographers of our time. His work has been featured in National Geographic, Audubon and Time, as well as numerous award-winning books. Lanting's recent exhibition, The LIFE Project, offers a lyrical interpretation of the history of life on Earth

From National Geographic Your Shot Blog

Behind the Edit: The Power of a Smile

Marie McGrory is an assistant photo editor for Your Shot and the curator of the Power of a Smile story.

As you might assume, this edit was a joy— sifting through smiles and happy scenes for a month came with many laughs and wonderful moments at work. The end, as with most things in life, is the hardest part. Getting the edit down to the last 60 or so and having to start saying goodbye to some of the smiles I learned to love over the month is not an easy thing to do.  As an editor you must decide what works best for the story, the final curated group.  It is what makes our jobs beautiful and challenging.

Below I decided to follow in the footsteps of photo editor Sarah Polger, editor for the I Heart My Citystory, and share some selects along with the near frame. As Sarah says,  “So, what ‘near frames’ hit the floor and missed the final layout? See below. Let me know what you think, because storytelling is a subjective path, and we all wander down it with our own points of view.”

The Select: 

Photograph by Angie Hart

The near frame: These smiles are irresistible. With tight crops, they are the focus of the image. In the near frame, the separate strands of wet hair fit with the separated teeth wonderfully, as if they were made to match. Both captures are loose and fun, but ultimately the bubbles won me over. 

Photograph by Danielle F.

The select:

Photograph by Heavyrain Ijioma

The near frame: I loved the silhouettes. They give enough information to have an idea of what’s going on but leave enough mystery for you to integrate your own life experiences. These mothers have such a strong and joyful bond with their children. I love the tongue of the young girl sticking out, and I wonder what they are playing with. The top frame for me was a stronger composition. The light on the babies face and the glowing window behind the mother are beautiful.

Photograph by Miikka Samuel Luotio

The select:

Photograph by Oscar Medina

The near frame:  The moments where we can relate to another species’ emotions are  delightful. The perspective on the dog, Ruby, lets you see her big brown eyes as she raises her eyebrows much the way we do when we laugh. The shallow depth of field allows you to focus on the face and turns the street into a soft gray backdrop. I chose the horse because I love the frame- it has more depth and more of a story, the colt’s smile is sweet and innocent as it finds comfort in a cuddle.

Photograph by Kyle Behrend

The select:

Photograph by Steven Nestor

The near frame: This story made me think about how much power our smiles really do have and how hard it must be when your face can’t express the emotions you wish to share. The shot of the young girl in the chair is amusing, and I can relate to the moment.  The way she is pointing to her mouth is playful and really made me love the shot. The select was such a unique view. It is the position you are always in as a patient but never see. I could feel the bright light in my eyes and hear the dentist saying “Open a bit wider!” The image really forces the viewer into the scene, and I love that.

Photograph by Jen Bilodeau

The select:

Photograph by Isabel Deleuran

The near frame: As I narrowed down the edit over and over every few days, I would always stop and giggle at these two images. I figured it would get old after the first few passes, but they never did.  Without a doubt both photos are silly moments that I could not help but smile at with each look. The bathtub scene made the cut because I noticed something new every time I looked at it.  Between the various haircuts and goggle shapes, head tilts and hand positions, there was always something new to look at, always a reason to spend some more time with the image. 

Photograph by Tansy Harkin

Article source:

http://yourshotblog.nationalgeographic.com/post/90770168779/behind-the-edit-the-power-of-a-smile?

National Geographic's Photographers

Published on Oct 15, 2013

Who are National Geographic photographers? To honor 125 years of photography, we turn the (video) camera on our colleagues and get to know the people behind some of the most celebrated photographs in the world.

Visit http://proof.nationalgeographic.com for more interviews from this series, in which National Geographic photographers explore the power of photography and explain why this life of image-making suits them so well.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lynsey Addario
William Albert Allard
James Balog
Marcus Bleasdale
Jodi Cobb
David Doubilet
David Guttenfelder
David Alan Harvey
Aaron Huey
Lynn Johnson
Ed Kashi
Tim Laman
David Littschwager
Gerd Ludwig
Michael Nichols
Paul Nicklen
Randy Olson
Jim Richardson
Joel Sartore
Stephanie Sinclair
Brian Skerry
Brent Stirton
Amy Toensing
Michael Yamashita

PRODUCTION

PRODUCERS: Pamela Chen and Chad A. Stevens
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Elyse Lipman
PICTURE EDITOR: Ken Geiger
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kathryn Carlson
CAMERA AND SOUND: Spencer Millsap and Shannon Sanders
MUSIC: Tyler Strickland

EDITORS, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL

Chad A. Stevens
Spencer Bakalar
Kathryn Carlson
Mika Chance
Erin Hull
Caitlin Kleiboer
G. Ligaiya Romero
Allison Russell
Julysa Sosa
Michelle Tessier
Carolyn Van Houten
Julia Wall
Ivan Weiss

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National Geographic Traveller Contest - Subset of Entries

• The Reynisdrangar, Iceland

  Basalt sea stacks called Reynisdrangar, located under the Reynisfjall mountain, close to Vik i Myrdal
  in southern Iceland. The legend was that there were three trolls who were pulling a three masted ship to
  the shore unsuccessfully, but they were caught by the sunlight at dawn and it turned them into needles 
  of rock.

  Photo and caption by Florin Szoke/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

• The Lost Coast Trail

  Early morning ascent on the trail of Day 13 on our two week journey of the Lost Coast Trail, May 13th, 2013.

  Photo and caption by Anni Graham/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest
  
  

Reykjavik Sunset Windows

I was photographing the sunset over Reykjavik Harbor, Iceland, near sunset (around 11:30pm). While sitting there with my tripod waiting, I turned around and saw this beautiful abstract reflection in the windows of the office building behind me.

Photo and caption by Dana Clemons /National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Shadows and Light

A lone tree in the Palouse region of Washington glows brilliantly in the sunlight as clouds pass by, isolating it in a band of light. Undulating hills provide depth to the lit scene, captured during the brief growing season where the wheat is a rich shade of green.

Photo and caption by Jesse Summers/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

• Flying Monk

  Young monks begin their service very early in life in their studies in the monastery. This monk was young 

  and energetic and decided to "fly" in his exuberance for life.

  Photo and caption by Bonnie Stewart /National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

  
  

  
  

FÈnec The Soul of The Desert

The fennec, or desert fox, is a canine mammal species of the genus Vulpes, which inhabits the Sahara Desert and Arabia. With its featured ears, this is the smallest species of the family Canidae. It is endangered and its main threat is illegal in other countries.

Photo and caption by Francisco Mingorance/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

• An Egret Flying In The Desert

  A egret traversed the desert in summer.

  Photo and caption by Cui Qiao/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

  
  

  
  

• Ave Maria

  Religious procession in Cadiz.

  Photo and caption by Evgeny Surgutsky/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

  
  

  
  

• Hamersley Gorge

  Karijini National Park is one of the largest and most photogenic national parks in Australia. The park is

   famous for its sheer gorges, waterfalls, sparkling rock pools and cool swimming holes. Karijini is about

   275km south of Port Hedland and 100km east of Tom or Paraburdoo. The park is all about exploring 

  serpentine tunnels of marbled rock, clambering over boulders, squeezing through narrow tunnels, inching

   your way along ledges, paddling through subterranean waterways and descending deep into chasms

   which have been eroded into the landscape over two billion years.

  Photo and caption by Ignacio Palacios/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest