Jury 2010

Melissa Wiley

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ONLINE

National Geographic magazine was first published in 1888 with that iconic yellow frame. With a worldwide circulation in thirty-two language editions of nearly nine million, more than fifty million people receive the magazine every month.

The magazine became famous for exclusive pictorial footage after 1905 when it published several full-page pictures made in Tibet in 1900–1901 by two explorers from the Russian Empire. As director of photography and video, Melissa Wiley has to ensure that the magazine continues its tradition of having the best photo-journalism on world culture and nature.

“As a true lover of photography, it was a real honor to be asked to join National Geographic. It was definitely a career defining moment for me to see my name in print on the magazine masthead for the first time.”

After being at the magazine for three years, what is a typical day like? “I spend a lot of my time working closely with photo editors reviewing new projects and overseeing new work to be published on NationalGeographic.com. I also work closely with our video producers on new content creation. As a Director I am responsible for representing photography and video online to various internal and external partners, as well as setting the editorial direction for photography on the National Geographic web sites.”

What does she love about photography? “It's about capturing a moment in time, carrying it with me, and share a part of the world that others might never see. For me, a great photo is one that captures a moment that tells me a story.”

National Geographic was one of the first publications to use color photography in the early twentieth century when the technology was rare. These days, National Geographic has quickly shifted to digital photography for both its magazine and website. What does Melissa think of the changes in photography over the last decade?

“The thing that seems to have changed the most is the way in which we consume this medium. I have seen a great movement from print to web. A photograph is a photograph, whether it’s captured on film, digital, or even a phone.”

Why is she interested in Red Bull Illume? “Adventure photography is so much a part of the National Geographic brand. I am very excited to extend my experience in this genre to this contest.”

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com