National Geographic celebrates 125th anniversary with special photography issue

 

 

National Geographic has long been the byword for excellence in photography. Now, with the famed magazine hitting its 125th anniversary, it has released a special issue dedicated to just its photography. Dubbed, unsurprisingly "the Photography Issue," it has Steve McCurry's famed "Afghan Girl" on the cover, and delves deep into the world of photography in National Geographic, and the impact and influence it has.

Leading with a piece by Robert Draper called "The Power of Photography," there's also an absolutely astonishing mosaic that tracks images from across the magazine's history for the quasquicentennial issue. There are dozens of photos stretching from 1900 to 2010, many of which are extremely famous.

In addition to the magazine, National Geographic also just opened a new blog that focuses on photographers and photography. The Proof blog is more than just showing off all the incredible images that the magazine has in its archives. It's also hosting a series of interviews with the photographers, talking with them about their craft of photography, how they get their pictures, and what it all means. But there are also an awful lot of amazing photos, too.

National Geographic is about a lot more than photos though, so the magazine is also looking back on its history of exploration, and delving into the unknown.

And if you're as enamored with the McCurry image on the front of the magazine as much as so many others are, a 2005 print of it is currently up for auction, with an estimated price of $50,000 – $70,000.