What is National Geographic YourShot, and why is it one of my goals to be published through it? The YourShot site is a community of photographers with a wide range of skill levels, talents, and interests. Members post their best work on their profiles, and other members can leave feedback on the images. Members can also indicate what they liked about the photo in regards to lighting, composition, and more. For a more detailed description on what YourShot is, please visit https://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/about/ .

A strong component of each image is the story that goes along with it. You get the chance to explain why this photo is so important to you, or describe the magic moment when the image was captured.

The site has actual National Geographic Editors who look at the photos. Sometimes the editors themselves will give advice on a particular photo, which can provide valuable insight. Can you imagine having a REAL photographer from NG comment on your photo?? I have yet to have that honor, but I am hoping the day will soon come.

Assignments and Daily Dozen

Each day throughout the workweek, the editors will choose a “Daily Dozen.” These are the top 12 new photos submitted that truly stand out in either composition and story. By looking at these photos each day, you can see some truly wonderful photography. It can provide inspiration for your next photo shoot, as well as giving you ideas on how to improve your own photos.

Another component of this community is the assignments you can participate in. Each assignment has a theme, and a description of the photos the editor is looking for. Members are welcome to submit their photos to the assignment. The editor will go through the photo and choose their favorites. At the end of the assignment, the editor will then choose the top photos to be featured in the final story.

My journey on YourShot thus far

I have been a member of the YourShot community for 6 years now. Depending on the time in my life, I have either been super active (submitting to assignments, commenting on other community member’s photos, etc.) to not even logging on for months at a time. My photo that has gotten the most attention is my “Icy Purple” photo. It has 583 “likes” and over 20 comments. I have submitted it to several assignments, but it has never been selected.

My crowning moment to date is having one of my photos selected as an “Editor’s Favorite” for the Urban Wildlife assignment. It was a photo I had of a Golden Orb Weaver Spider. I remember the day I got the email saying that my photo was selected as an Editor’s Favorite. I was so excited!! My family was there, and I told everyone who would listen. I spent the rest of the assignment checking my YourShot account multiple times a day, waiting to see what would happen. Since it had been selected as an Editor’s Favorite, it had caught the eye of other community members. I received a lot more “likes” on it as well as comments. The original photo is on a different computer, so I sadly cannot share it here. If you would like to see the photo, please visit it on my YourShot account at https://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/1927528/ .

My goal is to eventually be selected for one of the stories, and to have one of my images in the Daily Dozen. I will keep everyone posted with the progress that I make, and if I learn anything useful to pass on. 🙂