In this powerful first installment of our two-part special, we are joined by Sarah Leen, a true titan of photojournalism and the first woman to lead the photography department at National Geographic.
We begin at the roots. Sarah shares candid stories from her early years, including her sneaky teenage rebellion and the formative education at the University of Missouri that led her to make history as the first female College Photographer of the Year in 1979. This achievement launched a 20-year freelance career where she produced 16 stories and 5 covers for National Geographic, traveling to the most remote corners of the world, from the volcanoes of Mexico to the ancient cities of Mali. Sarah explains her transition from being behind the lens to becoming a senior editor, and eventually, the Director of Photography.
We conclude this part 1 at a pivotal crossroads: Sarah's decision to leave the "Yellow Border" behind. She reflects on the challenges of management vs. creativity and why she chose to leave the big office to refocus on the thing she loves most—the work with the photographers themselves.
Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, where we dive into Sarah's world of photo books, mentorship and some good laughs of course!
📸 See more of Sarah's work:
https://www.sarahleen.com/
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Thanks for listening and look out for our next episode! 🚀
