Bruce Dale worked exclusively for National Geographic for 30 years. Bruce Dale’s assignments varied from undersea to aerial photography and from people to complex science subjects while working in over 75 countries.

With over two thousand photographs published by National Geographic, Bruce Dale’s vision and creativity twice earned him the title “Magazine Photographer of the Year.”

In 1989 he was named “White House Photographer of the Year” and more recently, his innovative work with digital imaging brought him honors from the Smithsonian Institution. In addition to many other awards, one of his photographs now journeys beyond the solar system on board NASA’s Voyager Spacecraft, as testimony about planet Earth.

One of his more memorable photos involved mounting two cameras on the tail of a Lockheed TriStar jumbo jet to make spectacular views of the big jet in flight. One, a 23 second time exposure, led to a three page gatefold in the Geographic – the other a cover on the magazine.

He considers his favorite images are those serendipitous moments totally alien to the well planned picture. “I actually plan on the unplanned picture in an attempt to capture the spontaneity and mood of the moment.”

Dale left National Geographic to pursue a blend of editorial and corporate and advertising photography. His book, The American Southwest, was published by National Geographic in January of 1999.

Watch this interview with Bruce Dale where he discusses some of his more memorable photos – includng his famous jumbo jet shot – from what is a very impressive portfolio spanning 30 years.

And then for a more relaxed presentation, sit back and watch this beautiful video by Bruce Dale titled “Aurora in Winter” (if you’re in the northern hemisphere this might just cool you down a bit in the middle of a warm summer).

For more on Dale’s work take a look at his website: www.brucedale.com.

In the Selected Photos section, you’ll find links to some interesting photos and how they were made.

You can find many interesting books and DVDs published by the National Geographic. Here are some of my favourite and recommended National Geographic publications:

P.S. For a full assortment of National Geographic products you might also want to have browse through the National Geographic Store.

If you liked this article, you may also like these:

• Steve McCurry Talks About the “Afghan Girl” and Shows Outtakes
• Sally Mann Revisited
• DVD Review: What Remains