What does Real Travel Photography look like in an era before filters, likes, and carefully staged “authentic moments”? For Bob Krist, it meant boarding a plane with bags of film, heading into the unknown, and trusting his camera — and his instincts — to tell the story.
For nearly four decades, Bob’s images defined what wanderlust looked like for readers of National Geographic and National Geographic Traveler. His assignments took him everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to Amazon riverboats, and from Carnival in Brazil to backroads in rural Ireland — places where the beauty of the image came not from staging, but from patience, curiosity, and a good sense of humor.
In this first part of our two-episode conversation, Bob takes us back to those early NatGeo years — the challenges of working with film in unpredictable conditions, the thrill (and terror) of traveling on tight deadlines, and the lessons he learned about timing, trust, and connection with strangers. It’s a refreshing reminder that travel photography has always been more about truth than perfection, and about finding wonder in the unplanned moments.
Bob also shares how those NatGeo years shaped not only his career but his worldview — and why, even after photographing in over 150 countries, the joy of travel is still as much about the people you meet as the pictures you take.
So pour yourself a coffee and settle in — Part 1 is a journey through the golden age of travel photography, told by one of its most memorable storytellers.
And don’t miss Part 2 next week, where we talk about Bob’s personal life and how it intertwined with his career, his move from still photography into video (and why that shift became so important), the making of his books, and — of course — more behind-the-scenes stories from NatGeo days. It’s also the episode where we laughed the most during an interview, so be ready for it!
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Thanks for listening and look out for our next episode! 🚀
