S3 E33: Behind The Scenes — My NatGeo Assignment

Get the show’s transcript:

[00:00:00] Yulia: It reminded me that beating passionate people who are experts in their field and getting to know them and getting to tell their stories what an honor, and the pleasure that is for me.

[00:00:12] And this assignment also reminded me that I will continue  doing everything I can to stay on this path so I can have experiences like this in my life.  

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[00:00:25] Welcome to the genius women podcast.  I'm your host, Yulia, Dennis yuck and award winning travel photographer and writer  with work in some incredible publications like  national geographic  farm magazine and more.  And this year  you see my name in places like   Conde Nast traveler.  I'm on a mission to help other women who wants to grow their trouble, storytelling, careers, go after their dreams  while feeling supported, worthy, and bold. If you're ready to ditch your fear and doubts to the side,  step into your brilliance and take action on your dreams. You're in the right . Place. Let's go. I have a very special episodes to share with you, their listeners.  This episode is a new experiment we're trying out on the podcast and I'm excited to see how it goes.  So if this format intrigues you and if you find it helpful, be sure to let me know either on Instagram, on Facebook or in a review.  This episode was recorded in a span of several weeks to documents my process of before, during and after an assignment,  couple of weeks ago, I went on assignments is San Louis Obispo in California with national geographic traveler.

[00:01:44] Here's the story.

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[00:01:46] In a few days, I'm heading out to California and it's my first time going on assignments in more than a year.  I approached national geographic traveler with the story in mind some time ago. And I was thrilled when they said yes. So the idea I had about central California coast. This is the first time this magazine is officially sending me on assignment.

[00:02:10] And it's a special moment. Indeed.  Usually we pitch stories to publications after our trips occur.  And that's what I recommend to anyone who is starting a new relationship with a new publication  in this case. However, since I already have a good working relationship, With that team. They know my work, we've done several projects together.

[00:02:31] I felt that it would be okay to approach them before the trip occurs, to see if they'd be interested in the idea I have.  And if you do that,  make sure you have a really crisp understanding of what you're proposing before your troubles start. And that comes from doing a lot of research, having a.

[00:02:51] Understanding of the types of stories that you like to tell and that the magazine likes to publish and of course, experience right. As you do this work more and more,  you become more skilled at formulating crisp by this before you go on it.  But back to my assignments. So in a few days I'm getting out there and there are several emotions that I'm registering at the moment.

[00:03:14] First of all, I'm of course, incredibly excited to get back on the roads.  And I'm grateful that this is my job, right. To travel to a beautiful place like central California. And so stories about it for an amazing publication.  But second, I also have that voice of doubt that is asking right now. Do you still have what it takes to do this after being grounded for so long?

[00:03:40] And I'm sharing this with you to show you that that voice of doubt never really goes away. It never really goes away,  but we can choose not to listen to it and not to give it any power or as our wonderful guests from episode 27,  you miss John Francois put it. We don't need to feed our doubts. They're well fed already.

[00:04:04]So here I am packing my bags, dusting off my camera and making sure that I'm as well prepared as I can before this weekend. When I touched down in San Louis Obispo and I can't wait to share this whole process and this whole journey with you,  I am at the airport now waiting to board my flight Louis Obispo. I didn't expect to see that many people that was a little unnerving, but other than that, it's really exciting to be here at the airport. And to start . This project, I had a quick, last minute chicken with the editor. The other night, we went over the chop list, which is.

[00:04:47] A list of all the different image types that I'm planning to shoot on assignments. They had some suggestions to me, which was great. So we're going to try to see if we can fit some more things into the itinerary and I'm feeling pretty good, feeling excited and ready to get this project started. So I will see you guys in California.

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[00:05:10]Today is my first full day of shooting. I got into California and did a couple of small shorts yesterday already. I am standing right now on my balcony. I can see the ocean. I can see the Pacific ocean. Right across the roads and I can hear it. In fact, I could hear it all night long and it was an amazing feeling to be sleeping next to the ocean six in the morning.

[00:05:46] Right now I woke up early because my first shoot is happening in about an hour and it's pretty exciting. So there's going to be a full day of shooting running around between different locations, but this moment. The small one right here is reminding me why I do this job, why I endure all the uncertainties and all of the doubts and all of the rejections and everything that comes with it because waking up at six in the morning, the next to the ocean, knowing that I will be doing what I love all day.

[00:06:25] And creating stories that I will be proud of. That is what I do in this job. That is why I do this work. And it's so worth it to me. So wish me luck and I wish I can live your life.

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[00:06:44] So today was the first full day of shooting interviews of running around this area, like crazy. And, oh my gosh, I am exhausted crunch now. I forgot how. Much physical strain and takes to do this, particularly when you don't have a lot of time and you have to hit a lot of locations and make sure you have a lot of money.

[00:07:16] I forgot the toll that it makes on your body. You know, uh, photography's a very physical job. You have to squat, you have to reach, you have to get into all kinds of different poses to get into all kinds of different perspectives. It's a very physical, physically demanding job sometimes. And today I spent most of the days with my feet in the water water is the warmest out here.

[00:07:44] So now that . I'm back in the, in the hotel, I am exhausted. And I'm sure part of it is because. I haven't done this in a year, over a year, but yeah, it's, it's, it's demanding to be on location, which is why it's also so important to do as much of your research and preparation ahead of time as you can. The other thing that was that I have noticed today, My goodness, how I love this job.

[00:08:18] I've met such incredible people today. I met Spencer Marley, who is the founder? Oh, the Marley family seaweed tours. And they took me to Queenie around. We forced or see with, and he was so knowledgeable and so passionate about seaweed. He told me so much about it today and I learned so much and. I love that part of this job.

[00:08:42] You know, when you get to meet incredible people, doing amazing things in the world and how passionate they are about their subjects, it rubs off on you that energy and that enthusiasm. So that was so wonderful today and tomorrow I have another full day. Of pretty much the same riding around trying to get the shot, figuring out, you know, the, the timing, the position of the sun, where, where is the sun when you need it to be for that, for that perfect shot.

[00:09:12] I did that a lot today and it's a bit difficult when you don't know the location when you're shooting somewhere that, you know, You sorta know right where you need to be at what time, where is the sun for that sunset shot and all of that, but in the new location, much of that is sort of trial and error.

[00:09:30] You know, if you don't have anyone to show you around and tell you then much of it is trial in there. And that's sort of what I would happen today. I went to one location twice because when I first got there, the sound wasn't quite right. So I had to come back. Um, but it's all in good. All in. Good fun. I had a lot of fun today and I'm exhausted now.

[00:09:50] So I'm going to go to bed and I will share with you some of my classes or tomorrow as well. Okay. See you soon. 

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[00:10:02]I don't know if you can hear this, but I am sitting on the balcony just by the beach. And the Pacific ocean is rumbling at my feet and it's an incredible feeling. And it's so cool to be sleeping with that rumble, hearing that rumble, as you fall asleep, it's the best feeling in the world.

[00:10:31] So they was another very busy day. And I just remember thinking how excited. Meeting, all these passionate people who knew their subjects incredibly well and how their passion and their expertise and their dedication to their craft, how it's rubbed off on me as well, and how it made me feel even more passionate about what I do.

[00:11:03] And it's just such an incredible feeling. Also and note to self and to you, their listeners. Trust your gods to absolutely trust your guts. You already know what you're doing. So here's a little story. I never ever use a tripod. I just don't do the types of images that as tribal, it would be really useful for like nighttime photography.

[00:11:38] Long shutter speeds, like light trails. I just don't do those kinds of shots. You know, my style, my visual look is not about that, but when I was getting ready for this trip and for this assignments, I looked at my tripod that I never use. And I was like, and I was thinking, wow. All of the professionals are so good for use tripods show.

[00:12:02] So you should really bring one on this trip, if you want to feel like you're a professional. So I backed my very heavy tripod and I brought it out here. And it's been sitting in my rental car the whole time. I not once took it out and it's probably going to go back into my luggage tomorrow and it's going to fly back to home tomorrow without me ever using it on this trip.

[00:12:34] And I should have trusted my gods. I know that I don't use the tripod, so why bring it, but there was that imposter syndrome that was saying, Hey, you want to be like a professional photographer. You should really bring one. So here's another reminder. To trust yourself. You already know what you're doing.

[00:12:55] Okay. Along nights, another busy day, tomorrow and final day on this assignment where I still have a lot to do and to see and to document. So I'm going to go rest and go to bed and look forward to sharing my final thoughts from this trip.

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[00:13:15] Hey friends. I'm interrupting myself here for a quick second to let you know that I've created a brand new resource just for you.  If you're enjoying listening to this podcast and wants to start pitching your travel stories,  go to genius women that com slash pitch. To get access to my private pop-up podcast of three short episodes that reveal the secrets of successful pitching that's genius, women.com/p I T C H.

[00:13:47] Okay. Back to this episode. 

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[00:13:49] Yulia: So then was the last day of my assignments. And as soon as goes on large days, things are so hectic. I was trying to get everything I needed for the shoots. And the also tie any loose ends and get in as maybe last minute shots as I could of the area. So it was just a really hectic day today. Everything is done, everything is wrapped out and I'm sitting on the beach again.

[00:14:25] I don't know if you can hear the, the is really high this evening. It's grappling the waves are crashing on the beach and it's just like this constant white noise, this amazing white noise. And. I feel incredibly satisfied with how things went. We we're really good about how hard I work on this assignment and how many things I got to see and all the stories that I'm going to be able to tell because of this assignment.

[00:15:06] So I feel good. I feel really good. So this morning, I, uh, went on a hike up a mountain that's in the middle of San Louis Obispo. And the story that happens to me on that hike, something that I wanted to share with you, because like, it is so relevant and so applicable to so many areas of our life. So I did my research before going home with spike and the reason I'm going, I wanted to go on this hike was to patch,

[00:15:46] which is one of the mountains here in San Louis Obispo. So I wanted to catch, I wanted to catch the view.

[00:15:58] And I did my research ahead of time, and I knew that there's the certain trail that I had to take to go on this on the mountain. And there are several trails that sort of are available to take. As I was following the trail that I needed, I reached a point where it said, you know, there was a, there was a gate there and it said private road, I was property and I stopped for a second.

[00:16:29] And there was a lady there too. It's also hiking along the same trail as I will. And we sort of both looked at each other and she told me I wouldn't go in there. If I were you it's private property. She sort of turned around and then she, she went the other way and I listened to her, even though I really wanted to keep going, because I knew this was the trail I needed to get to where I needed to go for the shots that I wanted to take.

[00:16:58] But I listened to her and I turned around and I went back the other way. But after looking at the map on one more time, I knew that there was no other trail that could take me to where I wanted to go. This was the only trail. So I turned back around again, and then come back to that private property sign and that gate.

[00:17:21] And as I was approaching in the second time somebody came out from that side, from, from the side with that said private property. And I asked them, Hey, is this okay? Is it okay to go in there and say, hi, And they said, no, totally. It's totally fine. It's open for, for the people. So you can feel free. The gate is open.

[00:17:42] Just, just go. And I did, I went right in and the short time later, I was at the top where I needed to be, and I took the shot that I needed to take and all ended well. And as I was walking down that mountain, Was thinking about what just happened. And I felt like that was just so relevant. That whole scenario was so relevant to how life is and how our pursuits or, you know, whatever it is that we want, how they are.

[00:18:18] Because often times we really believe the first person we encounter. When there is an obstacle who says, Nope, don't go there. It's a private road. I wouldn't go there if I were you. And we believed them and we sort of turned around and you know, we, we never, we never reach where we want to go. But that's is that, that lady who told me.

[00:18:44] You know, I wouldn't go there if I were you, you didn't know. Right. She never went on that trail. She, she didn't, she was talking about actually, and if I listened to her and I just followed her advice, I wouldn't have gotten that shot. And I wouldn't have gotten to where I needed to go. So that's what occurred to me that when we're trying to go somewhere where we want to go, we really need to listen to, and believe someone has been there.

[00:19:14] Like that second person we emerged from the private properties sign and was all me it's totally. Okay. You just go right. You know, that's, that's what we need to listen to. Not the people who were never there. We're trying to go. They're not incredible source for us. And sometimes those people will tell us, I wouldn't go there.

[00:19:38] If I were, you are our own inner voices, you know? And so. I think it's so important to realize that we really have to listen to the people who've gone, where we want to go, because that makes all the difference. So yes, that was the story that happened to me. They, and I wanted to share it with you because I thought it was just so, so relevant.

[00:20:05] I am wrapping up the show. Now everything is done. All the boxes are checked. So all the people I needed to speak to and I took all the shots I needed to take. And gosh, at the end of this, I just, I'm just taking a moment to remind myself how far I've come in the past five years, how far you don't know how impossible it felt.

[00:20:34] To do what I do now, five years ago, it seemed so out of reach. It seems so impossible. And now this is my life. This is what I do. And tonight I'm just taking a moment to pause and to recognize that and to acknowledge that I've come a really long way. And if I could do it, if I could come this long way, then you can do that as well.

[00:21:01] Okay, so I'm going to get some sleep now because tomorrow it's an early flight out, back to Chicago, back to home, but I will speak to you. Okay. Thank you for listening and following along.

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[00:21:16] So the assignment is now over and I am recording this back home, arresting up after an absolutely crazy week going on this assignment really reminded me why I'm in this line of work in the first place, despite all of the challenges associated with it that we often talk,  on this podcast. It reminded me that beating passionate people who are experts in their field and getting to know them and getting to tell their stories what an honor, and the pleasure that is for me.

[00:21:52] And this assignment also reminded me that I will continue  doing everything I can to stay on this path so I can have experiences like this in my life.  Not that I've had some time to process this assignments and everything that happens. I wanted to share with you some insights that I gathered this time around.

[00:22:14]as you recall, this was the first  in the field assignment for me after over a year of sitting at home and, It was definitely interesting to get back out there and to start doing this work again.  So here are some of my thoughts about this assignment first. We have to prepare as much as we can ahead of time.

[00:22:38] The schedule this time around was really . Intense and it usually is intense on assignments that have a short amount of time. The schedule is usually always very intense, but this time it was. Extra incense, or perhaps it felt this way to me, because again, I was in a quiet, relaxing environment at home for over a year.

[00:22:59] And so getting back into it, it felt very incense,  not only. Did I need to see seven different, artists and makers and producers in the span of three days for this assignment.  But I also had to shoot a lot of establishing shots, a lot of sceneries.  I had to make sure I stopped by, by all the iconic places.

[00:23:21] in the area like hiking ops set us on Louise mountain that's really took a wind out of me for, for a whole day. And so there was a lot, there was really a lot for me to do in the short three day period. And the only way to pull this off and to make sure that you capture everything you need to capture and talk to everybody you need to talk to is to have a really tight itinerary that you develop ahead of time.

[00:23:49]And it's to know who you need to talk to.  what time you're going to talk to them, do all the logistics and prepare everything ahead of time. That's how you're able to create. Great stories and captured the material that you need in a very short amount of time. It's preparation. There is no way around it.

[00:24:08] The second insight that,  I gathered and that's sort of,was reminded to me,  in this assignment was that once you're there. Yeah. You gotta let go and really trust the process because not everything is going to go according to the plan. That's why we do the plan, right? Because   when things happen that fall outside of plan, we have something to  fall back on.

[00:24:32] Once we're on the ground, we really need to let go and trust that process. Some places that you visit are not going to be as great as you.   research through imagined some people you want us to interview will not pan out. And all of that is okay. All of that is absolutely. Okay. We just got to trust that all the research and preparation that we did ahead of time,  is enough to get us the materials that we need.

[00:24:58] And it always is enough. It always is. And then the third insight that I wanted to share with you was that we have to trust ourselves and trust that we will do the best job that we can absolutely do. Now, at the beginning of this episode, I shared with you that, I was a little worried before going out there that I will be rusty, right.

[00:25:24]again, sitting at home for such a long time and not being out there in the field with my camera and turns out that these worries were of course, absolutely unfounded. Once I,   got on the ground, once I started shooting, it felt like a part of me that was dormant for a long time. Woke up.  and it was such a great feeling to be back out there and to be in this element.

[00:25:49] And it was a reminder that the skills that we get, they don't really disappear. Yeah, sure. We can feel,   a little bit rusty, a little bit tired,   in the beginning, but the skills really don't disappear and return as soon as we get back  in. So. And I also shared with you  my tripod fiasco, right.

[00:26:11] I really didn't need to carry all that weight around literally and metaphorically. So that's a reminder for next time for me and hopefully for you as well, to trust yourself, to trust yourself, you already have everything you need to make this an amazing experience.  And that's it friends. Um, I am back home now for a little bit, and then another worldwide period begins work trips to Austria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and more are on the horizon for me.

[00:26:47] Thank you so much for listening to our show today. And I really hope you enjoyed this experimental episode where I took you behind the scenes and shared my inner workings for this national geographic traveler assignment in California.  And if you did enjoy it, please share your thoughts with me in a review.

[00:27:08]Or on social media or drop me a message that would mean so much to me. And it would help others discover our podcast as well.  And if I see lots of great feedback on this episode, I will do more of these in the future from places like Austria or Saudi Arabia. And it's important for me to hear that this format is something that is resonating with you.

[00:27:32] So I fit then today, please share your feedback.  Thank you so much for listening to our podcast and I'll see you next week for a conversation with a  Pakistani based journalist and a dear friend, Sarah.

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