Being contacted by Getty prompted thoughts that had been in the back of my mind for a while… I have all of these pictures from all of these places I have been and besides the ones I’m commissioned to take none of them have made me any money.  I have to admit, the thought of recouping some of what it cost to go to these places and get these pictures is nice, but deep down I just want people to see my pictures and appreciate them.  I think this is how a lot of new photographers feel and in turn is why most people don’t make much money off of photography anymore, at least stock photography.

I did a little research into what to expect from handing over the rights to my pictures through flickr for Getty to license.  People are making money from this… but not much.  As an example, someone might have between 50 and 100 pictures in the Getty flickr group and make $1000 over the span of a year.  That’s $1000 that they wouldn’t have had otherwise, but is that all their images are worth to them?  The picture of my wife and I sitting by the fire in Glacier Bay, Alaska for example…  this is a picture of one of my favorite moments in my entire life, do the math based on the example above, is that picture really only worth $10-$20 to me?  Sorry Getty, but I think you are going to have to do better than that.  I’m not greedy, but I have a sense of worth.  Pictures are cheap these days, and me and my digital camera are one of thousands of reasons why, but I think this is where I’ll put my foot down, that picture is worth more than $20.  Maybe the picture could be reproduced without airfare to Alaska, and without kayaking for a week to get to that spot, and without eating freeze-dried food two meals a day… maybe.  But the memory cannot, and I’m not willing to give that away for any price.  On the other hand, a picture of a humming bird (I have lots of those) may be worth slightly less to me.  Perhaps I could throw a couple of those to Getty, just out of appreciation for them actually noticing my work…

Over the past decade I have traveled to a lot of places and taken a lot of pictures, and since I began doing this I have always had the desire to share those pictures and travels with anyone who was willing to look and listen.  There isn’t much else that makes me happier.  Now, as much as I would like to, I can’t take you all with me on my next adventure, instead I want you all to help me decide where to go.  My wife Allison and I have put together a small list of places that are appealing to us, places that offer certain qualities we look for in a destination; trekking, wild animals, unspoiled landscapes, and the unexpected.  Read through the list below and choose what place you would most want to see pictures and hear stories from and then cast your vote in the “comments” area below.

1) Alaska

I know, I know… we were just there.  In fact, we’ve been there twice now.  But that is what Alaska does, it makes you go back, and besides this trip would be different than the previous two.  You thought what we did last summer was hardcore, this time around we would be heading for Gates of the Arctic National Park… look at that place on a map.  Way more isolated than Glacier Bay or Denali (hard to fathom) with drop off by bush plane only.  Imagine that, the plane lands in the middle of the tundra, throws you and your gear out, and then flies away… really?  You would vote for us to do this?

2) Glacier National Park, Montana, USA & Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Compared to Alaska this should be nothing, right?  Wrong, these parks are rugged in a whole other way, quad busters to start, not to mention that way more people get killed by grizzlies in these two parks than anywhere we have ever been in Alaska.  And from what I hear these places are gorgeous, Alp-like scenery and plenty of wildlife.  The bonus of course is hitting up two different parks in two different countries on the same trip.

3) Ecuador

Jungles, mountains, beaches, the lot of it.  Oh and don’t forget the Galapagos Islands.  Sounds perfect, right? The downside: possibility of getting kidnapped if we get too close to the Colombian border and tiny, sea-sick inducing cruise ships filled with tour groups are a must in the Galapagos, not our cup of tea… but probably worth it.

4) Greenland

We would start with a 100 mile hike across the permafrost tundra of the southwest, watching for caribou and muskoxen.  Then we would head to the northeast into polar bear country, that’s right, POLAR BEAR COUNTRY.  I’ve scared off black bears, and I’ve stood up to grizzlies, but polar bears… those eat you, no question.  If they get the chance they will eat you.  How cool is that?  Oh, and walruses too, Greenland has walruses.

5) Borneo

There is no off season in Borneo because everyday, all year round, you can expect Borneo to be hot and humid with a great chance of rain… lots of rain of course means lots of mosquitoes, but in Borneo it also means lots of leeches.  Ya, that’s right, leeches. Crocodile filled rivers, venomous snakes, sweltering leech infested jungles… what more could you want?  How about pristine beaches, butterflies with nine inch wingspans, and flowers three feet across, not to mention tarsiers (those little primates with the big eyes), orangutangs, elephants, orchids, monitor lizards, monkeys of all kinds, and the ever elusive Sumatran rhinoceros.  A nature photographer’s dream… assuming the humidity doesn’t break all of the gear.

We put a lot of thought into where we go on these trips, so handing over this decision to all of you is a big deal for us.  Put some thought into, really think about which of these places appeals to you and where you would most like to see pictures from… or, if you have ill will towards us, send us to where we are most likely to get eaten.

[Comment]

Once again I need everyone’s vote, follow the provided link to the voting page of the contest.  If you have a computer at work and at home you can vote twice (wink, wink), or you could go to a Starbucks and vote from your phone a third time… and then to another Starbucks to vote again!  You call it cheating, I call it a loophole.  As always, please be kind to the other photographers.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/voting-machine

Tokyo is a true metropolis.  It is vast, and from within it seems endless.  It felt like a series of casinos connected by sprawling urban shopping malls; noise, flashing lights, cigarette smoke, and seedy characters.  At other times it felt orderly and unbelievably safe.  Bicycles were left unlocked and alone on the streets and I felt as if I could have done the same with my camera.  The different neighborhoods drew different types of people.  I preferred the more questionable areas, like the side streets and back alleys that at night filled with young, dressed up boys and girls offering to escort you to any number of brothels or basement establishments that were willing to take your hard earned yen.  As I passed through crowds of people or an open door to a bar I would often hear a change in conversation, catch a few glances, and most likely hear the word “gaijin”, a derogatory term for “foreigner”, or more literally, “outside person”.  Amusing at first, I eventually got used to the idea of it being an insult and the feeling of being a true outsider.

Kyoto is still a very traditional place, not to say that modern taste in food, drink, and style doesn’t exist there, but as a city Kyoto is making an effort to hang on to the past.  It is full of temples, shrines, and women in kimonos.  It is a place where you can still be treated to the sight of a geisha shuffling down a lantern lit alleyway.  Old Kyoto and modern Kyoto seem to coexist.  Though it seemed difficult for a foreigner to tap into the true heart of the place, it was easier there than anywhere else to find an English menu or someone willing to point you in the right direction.  In the end, I think I liked Kyoto the best.  The people there were willing to ignore you if you wanted or help you if you needed.  They made little effort to speak any English but also had a distaste for the word gaijin.

Osaka welcomed us with open arms.  I didn’t do much exploring, but I got closer to the heart of the city than any of the other places I had been.  The look of the city gives away the fact that there was a boom in the fifties, the Glico Man and its neon-clad surroundings attest to it.  Osaka felt as if you had made a wrong turn down some weird street in Old Vegas where no one speaks your language… but instead of turning around and going back the way you came, you stay, because you realize that this place is much cooler, and even though it points and laughs at you… it’s curious, and it wants to hang out.

To view the complete gallery and read stories from the trip visit J.K. Putnam Photography on Flickr.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/voting-machine

To view the complete Alaska gallery and read stories from the trip visit J.K. Putnam Photography on Flickr.