In January, I was pleased to attend the North American Nature Photography Association's (NANPA) 10th Anniversary Summit in Portland, Ore., for the first day of their four-day event. My experience there would set the tone for this issue of PhotoMedia, which is devoted to nature and wildlife photography.

About 700 attendees from across the continent (and some from overseas) made the pilgrimage to the summit, and it quickly became clear that everyone there had something very much in common. At first, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. The atmosphere at the trade show was upbeat, although many of the photographers present expressed concerns about...

It’s been months since our last issue, and much has transpired: American soldiers keep dying in Iraq; Saddam Hussein was captured; John Kerry overtook Howard Dean in the Democratic race for the presidency; unemployment remained high; gas prices spiraled through the roof; the president insisted America is in good shape; Mars was explored; Hobbits made a clean-sweep at the Oscars; and Martha Stewart was found guilty on all charges. The world has been spinning — and spinning fast.

During this time, I visited the North American Nature Photographers Summit in Oregon and the Photo Marketing Convention in Las Vegas to monitor the pulse of the photo industry. And while everyone was sharing war-stories about how hard it was to survive financially in 2003, there was an incredible buzz...

Once every two years, we revisit the subject of exotic travel photography, which is perceived by many as one of the most glamorous of specialties for a photographer. Ah, the excitement of discovering foreign countries and exploring their fascinating cultures with a camera – and even making a living while doing it! Of course, for someone with the desire, the “traveling” part of that equation comes far easier than the probability of a livelihood.

Making competent and inspiring images while abroad doesn’t automatically translate into a market for them. The photographer must not only have the passion for their explorations...

It was with much trepidation that we prepared for our biannual fall photojournalism issue of PhotoMedia. We've somehow had rather uncanny timing these past few years, coming out with the issue in the midst of some of the biggest news stories of our day, which have served to illustrate our positions effectively.

In 1997, the passing of Princess Diana and the resulting focus on the behavior of the paparazzi provided the controversy. In 1999, the shootings at Columbine High School was the big story, shifting our attention to local communities and the potential for tragedy in everyday situations...

This is a special issue for PhotoMedia. As we enter our 16th year of publishing, we also return to the field of event production with World in Focus, a three-day event that is sure to be the Northwest's biggest photo event since our own PhotoMedia Expo from 1993 to 1996.

After a year of intense preparation and fast-paced living, all of the components are in place and ready to roll. Slated for June 6-8 in Seattle, the event will bring the photo community together for an exceptional program of education and inspiration...

It was the last weekend in July when I received a phone call from a photographer on a cell phone in Alaska. He was out in the wild, but wanted to follow up on a conversation we’d had three weeks earlier, that time on his cell phone from the wilds of Montana. I was in the early stages of planning World in Focus, an event designed to bring together some of the industry’s foremost photographers of nature and endangered cultures. Including him in the mix of presenters seemed like a no-brainer. I had attended one of his seminars years before and considered him one of the most inspirational speakers on the circuit.

It was more than five years since his last visit to Seattle. Not only was he excited about the event and being a part of it, he was looking forward to the chance to reconnect with the many friends...

For one day last September, it seemed as if the world stopped. And in the subsequent days and weeks, we were all awakened to the realization that every moment of every day is precious, since, as we saw, our own security is but an illusion.

The world will never be the same as a result of those fateful events. Global economics and politics have shifted dramatically, while a country (Afghanistan) has been decimated in order to overthrow a corrupt government and eliminate a terrorist network. These efforts have collectively tapped our courage as a society while...

This issue of PhotoMedia marks the beginning of our 15th year of publishing. That is no small feat in an industry that typically sees titles fail within two years. Considering that PhotoMedia is the only regional publication (Western states and British Columbia) of its sort in the entire United States, and that it has been free to readers throughout our distribution network since its inception, our continuity is something of a miracle.

Looking through past issues recently, I was reminded of our humble beginnings and the evolution to the publication you are now reading. Since our first issue in 1988, it always has been our goal to educate, inspire and make every new issue better than the last, pushing the creative and content envelope a little further. From a black-and-white newsprint tabloid to a four-color, coated-stock magazine, PhotoMedia has...

Travel photography is often perceived by the public as a glamorous profession in which the photographer has the opportunity to experience the world in an atmosphere of spontaneity, curiosity and adventure.

Many of us grew up with National Geographic, and the impressive and dramatic photographs of exotic cultures in distant locations no doubt inspired many to take photography more seriously, and perhaps even enter it as a profession...

On April 20, I had the opportunity to put PhotoMedia's 13 years and my publishing career in perspective when I attended the 50th annual Maggie Awards for publishing excellence in Los Angeles. Last year, PhotoMedia won one of these prestigious statues in the Best Interview or Profile in a Trade Publication category, but I was unable to attend and receive the award in person, as the event's schedule conflicted with production deadlines on our Spring 2000 issue. This year, when we got the word that we had been named a finalist in two categories - including the same category as last year and also Best Overall Design in a Trade Publication...