Michael Medford

In the early '90s, he shot the first digital coverage ever done for the National Geographic Society, covering San Diego for National Geographic Traveler. For the past nine years, he’s been a contributing photographer to Traveler.

For his recent National Geographic Magazine assignment, "Places We Must Save," Michael traveled to 14 U.S. parks, exploring issues that need to be improved upon.

But nature and natural areas are only one of his loves. He also has a way with his own species. "People have enormous pride in what they do, and if you’re lucky, and patient, that source of pride will make for a great story."

Shooting digitally, Michael says, has given him a lot more latitude with people. "Strangers who don’t know you can be especially reluctant to have their photographs taken. Now, you take a picture, they see the photo on the back of the camera, and they’re ready to do more." With the digital revolution, he feels "like a kid in a candy store, with new stuff every day."

Overall, Michael continues to feel the excitement and joy of his work. "Of course, shooting the job is great, but actually being in the location is the real prize. Photography has been my ticket to wonderful places and experiences."

PHOTOGRAPHING URBAN SPACES

1. Always shoot at sunrise and sunset, because the light is best then.
2. Stand on a street corner and watch life go by. Be patient and observe until you start to see with your camera.
3. Look for the surprising moments, each city is full of those moments.
4. Always carry a polarizing filter with you. If you use it to shoot buildings, it will often make the windows dark, increasing contrast and making the image more saturated.
5. Take a look at postcards, as they often tell you where the good locations are, then go to those spots and do something different. Now that you've seen the "boring postcard photo," make a better one at the same location.
6. Explore. Find a great view of the city and go there at sunset. Stay until the lights start to change. For a short period just after the sun sets, nothing looks very interesting. Then the afterglow sets in, the lights of the city begin to come on, and magic happens before your eyes.
7. Always ask people for permission before taking their picture, unless they're a good distance from you, and you're using them only for scale. Show the image on the back of your digital camera to whomever you're shooting, as that involves them in the process. If they ask you for a picture, try to get their e-mail address and send them the shot, an easy process when you're shooting digitally.
8. Travel as light as you can. In a city, it's much better to look like a tourist than a professional photographer. Go out with one camera and one lens and stay alert.
9. Shoot from the hip. Many interesting images can be made by taking the picture without looking through the viewfinder.