Raymond Gehman

Biography
Feature Story
Resume
Links
Headshot portrait of photographer Raymond Gehman

For 25 years I have worked for the National Geographic Society, traveling and photographing the world. I have been awarded three National Geographic cover photographs, and I have published numerous book covers, books, and magazine articles. I studied fine art photography at Northern Virginia Community College and earned a degree in photojournalism in 1979 from the renowned School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I worked as a newspaper photojournalist in Montana and at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk before moving to National Geographic.

From the time the National Geographic photographer came to my fourth grade career day, I wanted to be a photographer. Ever since I was given a National Geographic assignment in 1988 to shoot a book on Yellowstone Country, I knew my calling was photographing the extraordinary natural world. One of my unparalleled assignments was spending six weeks in Belize, on assignment for National Geographic, photographing a story about archeologists who were exploring ancient Mayan ruins in the rugged Maya Mountains. I documented daily Mayan life in small villages, and the natural landscape and wildlife of the coastal plain and the mountains.  I trekked for two weeks through the dense jungles of the Maya Mountains and lived for a week underground in caves in search of ancient, undiscovered historic ritual sites and artifacts used by the Mayans. I have also trekked Wyoming’s Bighorn Country, the Sanibel Island Gulf Coast of Florida, the Canadian Rockies, the Icelandic glaciers and icebergs, and rural China during the 50th anniversary celebration of the People’s Republic. I have photographed grizzly bears, and the aftermath of hurricanes, hot pools that can boil a drifting duck, and nocturnal Apache ceremonial dancers.

My photographs have been featured in seven National Geographic Magazine articles including two cover portraits on “The Vanishing Prairie Dog” and “Eastern Wildlife: Bittersweet Success.” I have also done over a dozen single-photographer National Geographic Books, including “Yellowstone to Yukon,” and eight National Geographic Travelers, including “Jasper National Park.” I have had exhibitions around the U.S.: The Native Spirit one-man show at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre, West Palm Beach, FL; Gardens and Flowers at the Centre; Circles of Light at the Jung Center Gallery in Houston, TX, the Dixie Art Loft in West Palm Beach, and Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County, FL; and a four-person show at the Visual Arts Center in Portsmouth, VA, entitled P4|Paintings, Photographs, Pottery and Prints: New Work…Raymond Gehman

Portrait of National Geographic photographer Raymond Gehman holding three bear cubs

Feature Story

“STOP THE SPINNING WORLD”

by Bill Ruehlmann
about Raymond Gehman

Experience

Resume

Education & Service

  • Bachelor’s Degree; Photo-Journalism, 
University of Missouri, Columbia
  • School of Journalism, Class of 1979
  • Fine Arts Photography, Northern Virginia Community College 1974-1976
  • Fairfax High School, Class of 1969
  • U.S. Army 1971-1974, served three years in Germany

Work Experience

  • National Geographic Society, 1979 photo internship,
  • Contract and freelance photographer, 1990 to present
  • The Virginian Pilot, Norfolk, Virginia, 1982-1990, staff newspaper photographer
  • The Missoulian, Missoula, Montana, 1979-1982, staff newspaper photographer

Projects

The opening photograph in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC INAUGURAL CELEBRATION slide presentation requested by Barack Obama and featuring 75 of National Geographic’s most beautiful landscapes, shown on the Washington Mall’s Jumbotrons, January 2009
(PROJECTS – con’t)

One of three National Geographic photographers interviewed for and featured in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’S ULTIMATE FIELD GUIDE TO LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
by Robert Caputo, January 2007

Invited to participate in AMERICA 24/7, the first all digital photo-documentation of America, spanning one week in May 2003, published as a coffee-table book

Published Works

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE

“The Vanishing Prairie Dog,” April 1998

“Fire-the Essential Element” (Fire Ecology Story), September 1996

“Rocky Times For Banff” (Banff National Park, Canada), July 1995

“Andrew’s Aftermath” (Hurricane Andrew Hits Florida), April 1993

“Our Disappearing Wetlands” (Pristine & Degraded, United States), October 1992

“Eastern Wildlife, Bitter Sweet Success” (Wildlife in eastern United States urban areas), February 1992

“Tale of Twin Cities” (Minneapolis-St. Paul), November 1980

 

NATIONAL  GEOGRAPHIC  BOOKS

  • WILDLANDS OF THE UPPER SOUTH, 2004
  • GUIDE TO WESTERN CANADA, 2003
  • EXPLORING AMERICA’S WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS, 2001
  • YELLOWSTONE TO YUKON (Northern Rocky Mountain Ecosystem), 2000
  • GUIDE TO AMERICA’S OUTDOORS: SOUTHEAST, 2000
  • HEART OF A NATION (contributing photographer: essay and photographic collection), 2000
  • GREAT RIVERS OF NORTH AMERICA, September 1999
  • DRIVING GUIDES TO AMERICA: FLORIDA & THE SOUTHEAST, June 1997
  • AMERICAN LEGACY: OUR NATIONAL FORESTS, 1997
  • ENDURING AMERICAS (contributing photographer), 1995
  • CANADA’S NATIONAL PARKS, 1995
  • EASTERN PARKLANDS (contributing photographer; Acadia National Park, Maine), 1994
  • PATHWAYS TO DISCOVERY: AMERICA’S NATIONAL TRAILS (contributing photographer; White Mountains, New Hampshire), 1991
  • YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY, 1989
  • AMERICA’S OUTDOOR WONDERS (contributing photographer), 1987

 

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER
“River Rafting at Ground Zero, ” (Taku River, British Columbia & Alaska), March 2001

“Seven Shades of Blue,” (Apostle Islands Lakeshore, Wisconsin), September 2000

“Bighorn Country,” (Wyoming), September/October 1999

“In Big Cypress Country, ” (Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida), March/April 1997

“Islands of Shell Coast,”  (Sanibel Island Gulf Coast, Florida), November/
December 1992

“Jasper National Park,” (Canadian Rockies), May/June 1991

“Teton Tableau,”  (Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming), March/ April 1990

“Elegant, Enduring Charleston,” (South Carolina), January/ February 1990

 

OTHER PUBLICATIONS
“Kauai: Garden Island of Hawaii,” ISLANDS MAGAZINE, March 1986

“Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice,” ISLANDS MAGAZINE, October 1985

 

LARGE, UNPUBLISHED STORIES and PROJECTS

  • San Francisco, the City, Parks, Beaches, Bay, Marin Headlands, Route 1, & Redwood Forests, CALIFORNIA, 2003-2009
  • Victoria, British Columbia, Neighborhoods, Parks, Gardens, Beaches, Rocky Coastline, & Rain Forests, CANADA, 2006-2007
  • Washington, DC, City, Monuments, Tourists, Locales & Parks, UNITED STATES, 1976 to present
  • People’s Republic, CHINA, commemorating 50th anniversary, 1999
  • Maya Mountains, BELIZE, 1996
  • Bialowieza Forest and National Park, POLAND, 1993

Exhibitions

“P4–Painting, Photography, Pottery and Prints”, Visual Arts Center, Portsmouth, Virginia, fine art exhibit with four artists, July 2010.

“Circles of Light”, The Jung Center of Houston, Houston, Texas, fine art exhibit of National Geographic environmental portraiture “Out-Scapes” and more recent impressionistic “In-Scapes,” 2010.
Permanent Display, Equinox Restaurant (popular Washington DC dining establishment), beginning 2008.
Current Display, National Geographic Photo Laboratory, Washington DC, beginning 2008.

“Beyond Reportage”, Virginia Beach Arts Center, fine art exhibit of black/ white photographs, 1986.

Awards

Photographer of the Year Competition 1998

2nd place, Science/Natural History Picture Story: “The Vanishing Prairie Dog”
 2nd place, Science/Natural History Single Picture: “Turf Wars” (two prairie dogs fight in mid-air)

Various Photographer of the Year awards including first place, “One Week’s Work,” 1988

Southern Newspaper Photographer of the Year, 1984 and 1985

Virginia Newspaper Photographer of the Year, 1984 and 1985

Newspaper Photographer of the Year, runner up, 42nd Photographer of the Year, 1984

“New Faces in Photojournalism,” AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE, 1984

Recent Emphasis

For the past several years, I have concentrated on digital photography, shooting ordinary objects with a decidedly personal, impressionistic, and extraordinary focus. This new direction has been inspired by the belief that art can be created anywhere, without traveling far and wide, if one is sufficiently aware of what one finds provocative.

Teaching Experience - Examples

Upcoming Holiday on Horseback Workshop in Canadian Rockies (August, 2009): During this weeklong workshop, will be guiding adult participants on horseback through the Canadian Rockies, including Dormer Pass, along the Cascade River and Mystic Valley, to Rainbow Lake, and through the Bow Valley. Will offer presentations and slide shows, and provide instruction on camera use and photographic composition, perspective, and visual design and techniques in a natural, wildlife setting, The goal is to capture compelling, timeless images that rise above the snapshot or the cliché, and that require intuitive vision first, and photographic knowledge second.

National Geographic Expedition Photography Workshops in Canadian Rockies (July, 2007): As the National Geographic “expert” photographer, escorted adult amateur photographers for weeklong photographic workshops from Banff through Yoho and Jasper National Parks and onto the glaciers of the Columbia Icefield. Presented slide show of National Geographic photos and instructed participants on camera use and photographic light use, composition, perspective, and visual design in the wild.

Created Black Dog Workshops, Vancouver, BC: (beginning 2006): During three-day workshops for adults, teach techniques for digital cameras (with emphasis on Nikons). Instruction on principles of light, composition, perspective, and visual design in order to “see” like a National Geographic photographer during in-field shooting sessions. Educate on moving files safely to computer, and then editing images with Adobe Photoshop. Images are critiqued at the end of the workshops.

Wildwood Nature Center, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Biannually teach photographic techniques for the Center’s hands-on, active photography workshops, focusing on wildlife and nature shoots. Provide slide show presentations of original work, together with lectures detailing techniques, and then  judge the participants’ creative results. Participants range from high school students to older adults.
Photography Clubs (such as the Pennsylvania National Camera Club): Regularly provide slide shows and lectures on original work, both to younger and older adults. Teach in-camera techniques, proper camera handling, use, and care, and the principles for composition, perspective, and visual design of photographs.

College Classes (such as at Virginia Wesleyan College, Virginia Beach, Virginia): Offer slide show presentations and lectures about integrating photography with journalistic pursuits to photojournalism undergraduate students.

High School Classes (such as at Waynesboro Area High School, Waynesboro, Pennsylvania): Teach photographic techniques to high school students in advanced art classes, including leading them on shoots. Teach them film and digital image processing, Photoshop editing and enhancement, and techniques for high quality, archival printing. Assist students with creating their portfolios.

News Photographers Professional Association (NPPA): For ten years, regularly lectured and provided slide presentations at the NPPA annual photography regional classes and workshops. Participated in NPPA’s Flying Short Course, a yearly event in which those selected as Photographer of the Year were flown to different U.S. cities to provide instruction on photographic and camera techniques to large groups of people.

References

Charles Kogod
Previously, Director of Illustrations, Book Division, National Geographic Society
Currently, Picture Editor, Defenders of Wildlife
Cell: 301-704-1443
Email: ckogod@defenders.org

Joanne Wheeler
Picture Editor for National Geographic Society Image Sales
Work: 202-857-5825     Cell 443-632-4446     Email: jwheeler@ngs.org

Sarah Leen
Director of Photography, National Geographic Society
Work: 202-857-2000
Email: susmith@ngs.org

Denis Finley
Editor in Chief, Virginian-Pilot newspaper, Norfolk, Virginia
Work: 757-446-2321
Email: denis.finely@pilotonline.com

Alex Burrows
Director of Photography (Retired), The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Virginia
Cell: 757-650-3880
Email: alex.burrows@cox.net

Constance Avery-Clark, Ph.D.
(has taken my workshops and is my contact in Florida)
Member, Palm Beach Photographic Centre
Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Coral Springs, and amateur photographer
Cell: 954-849-7997
Email: caveryclark@me.com

(Other references available upon request)

Iphoneography landscape of the Moab desert in Utah by Raymond Gehman

Favorite

Links

NatGeoCreative.com
Raymond Gehman’s photographic work can also be seen and is licensed for use through National Geographic Creative.

 

Posters.com
Raymond’s National Geographic work is offered through this website. However, his signed fine art prints are only available through the current website

 

LifeForceMagazine
A wide variety of Raymond’s National Geographic and fine art photography can be viewed on this online photography magazine, which celebrates the photo essay and is referred to as “a modern day version of LIFE magazine.”

 

Year 2085 Productions
Raymond’s youngest son’s photography and videography.

 

Old School Square
Delray Beach’s arts and entertainment center offers the greater community a diverse schedule of events, theater, exhibits and learning opportunities where Raymond teaches classes on a regular basis

 

Grassy Waters Conservancy
GWC is the City of West Palm Beach approved, non-profit supporting Grassy Waters Preserve… the original northern Everglades.

RAYMOND GEHMAN 
National Geographic & Fine Art Photographer

© 2021 Raymond Gehman. All rights reserved.

No content may be used whole, in part, individually, or as part of a derivative work without express permission from Raymond Gehman.