What benefits are there to joining the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA)? What's in it for me? Why is it important?

These are the most frequently asked questions I hear when NANPA comes up in conversation. Over 2,400 people find the benefits of NANPA membership to be worthwhile, and each will give you a different set of responses as to why to join. To avoid giving a generic list of why you should join, I will discuss the specific benefits that I get from being a member.

In February, 700 members gathered together in Albuquerque to take part in the highlight of the year, the annual NANPA summit. For five days, we came together to talk about nature photography, share images, meet with old friends, and make new ones. Connie Toops, the master of ceremonies, introduced the summit theme, legacy, with a look at the legacy the student scholarship program has handed down to its previous participants. We heard from distinguished speakers, including Joel Sartore, Theo Allofs, Mark Moffett, and Gary Braasch. We listened as Jim Brandenburg talked about his new project Looking for the Summer, an expansion of his Chased by the Light project that appeared in National Geographic and as a bestselling book.

Hearing the words and seeing the images of some of the world's top nature photographers was only the beginning. Each day, breakout sessions were offered, giving insight into shooting magazine stories, breaking into the children's market, and the all time favorite: Photoshop for photographers, just to name a few. Between handouts, pages of notes (I filled an entire legal pad), and what is embedded in my memory, I have enough new tips and techniques to keep me busy for months.

It wasn't all work and meetings. Each day offered a few free hours. The tradeshow was one popular destination, where photographers could talk to representatives from Canon, Nikon, Kodak, Fuji, Epson as well as a host of specialty services. Over four summits, the annual trade show has put me in touch with companies that I continue to use to this day, including Photo Craft Laboratories (slide processing), McDonald Wildlife Photography (photo tours and workshops), Ralph Paonessa Photography (photo tours), Repro Images (the best quality dupes I have seen), B and H Photo (photo equipment), and Hunt's Photo and Video (best film prices and frequent NANPA member specials).

Of course, a gathering of nature photographers, editors, and stock agents wouldn't be complete without networking. This year I decided that I wanted to create as many networking opportunities at the summit as possible. With this goal in mind, I created promotional packets to hand out to photo buyers. Inside I included a letter of introduction about my company, Animal Antics, a complete stock list, and inkjet printouts showing sample images. When finished, I had a professional package that editors could keep and use to remember me in the future.

Carrying promotional material around is not enough. I had to find a way to get my name out to the people I wanted to talk to. For this reason I participated in the member's slide show and signed up for portfolio and editorial reviews. Each year, NANPA promotes a member's slide show where up to 40 members show 10 images and talk for 3 1/2 minutes. On the first night of the Summit, I found myself talking about animal behavior in front of an audience of several hundred people. For the rest of the week, that presentation provided a conversation piece for a multitude of people who remembered my images (including the ever important title slide which contained my name, company, and web site) and my company name, Animal Antics.

The next step was to participate in one of the greatest opportunities the NANPA Summit offers its participants, portfolio and editorial reviews. Through careful selection of who would be reviewing my material, I spent time with Sharon Cohen-Powers (representative from AGPix), Barry Runk (vice president of the Grant Heilman stock agency), Bonnie Stutski (photo editor for Smithsonian), Melissa Ryan (director of photography at the Nature Conservancy), and Stephen Freligh (publisher of Nature's Best). So, what did I walk away with? A commendation on the quality of my photography from some of the field's top editors and stock agents, recommendations on where to market my work, direction on how to minimize the competition, insight into each editor's particular needs, details about how to fine tune my book proposal, and a request for an article proposal by Nature's Best. More importantly, each of these people now knows who I am, has a face to associate with future correspondence, and went home with my promotional packet tucked under their arm.

Of course, I would be remiss if I failed to mention all the effort PhotoMigration's own Debbie Ferrell-Smith put into organizing the pre- and post-Summit workshops. For those who came a day early or stayed a day late, Debbie put together a host of all-day workshops on digital photography, writing, book publishing, negotiating, and pricing stock photography. For those who needed to get outside, field trips went to Bosque del Apache and Petroglyph national monument. While there was no way one person could attend everything, I found George Lepp's digital workshop and Ray Pfortner's book publishing workshops to be two of the most informative and well organized presentations I have ever been to.

Unfortunately, attending the NANPA Summit is a commitment of time and finances that is beyond the means of many dedicated nature photographers. While I strongly believe that it is worth every penny, the Summit is not always an option. For those who are not able to attend the annual summit, NANPA membership provides additional benefits. For $90 a year, members gain access to affordable equipment insurance that covers equipment anywhere in the world, the bimonthly newsletter Currents, and the membership directory. Of more interest to most of us are the financial benefits of membership. As a NANPA member, I am able to take advantage of discounts on equipment purchases, magazine subscriptions, and specialty service opportunities. Gary Farber of Hunt's Photo and Video frequently offers NANPA member discounts on film and photographic equipment. The money I save on film alone easily pays for my membership fee each year. Federal Express also offers significant savings for NANPA members (10-16% depending on the type of package), a benefit that has even more significance following the tragedy of September 11th.

For those who would like to attend a Summit, but have found the cost to be too high, NANPA has begun to offer smaller regional forums around the country. This past October, a successful regional forum was held in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and future locations are being discussed. As regional forums become more common, members should have greater opportunities to come together and experience the sense of community and inspiration that NANPA can offer. Even with all this, I haven't touched on NANPA's most important benefit.

NANPA is the only united voice for nature photographers in North America. With this voice, NANPA has worked to obtain clarification regarding the need for photographic permits while shooting on federal lands, worked to get airlines to understand the unique needs of traveling photographers, and helped to curtail Alaska's desire to charge out-of-state photographers a "hunting license fee." NANPA has developed statements regarding ethical field practices and truth in captioning to assist its members in maintaining the highest ethical standards. Through a joint project with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, NANPA has constructed photographic blinds for public use in wildlife refuges around the country. As membership grows, NANPA's voice will continue to get stronger and its impact and influence will improve. For me, membership in the North American Nature Photography Association is an opportunity to lend my voice to an organization that seeks to represent my interests.

While I do receive significant financial benefits from being a member, I find the intangible benefits to be more important. NANPA has given me the opportunity to meet face-to-face with icons of the industry and to interact with them so we walk away as friends. I have talked into the early hours of the morning with people who share my interest about wildlife and nature and come away with new perspectives on old topics. Through NANPA, I have found a source of renewal and inspiration that encourages me to pick up my camera and take another picture. I would encourage you to add your voice by becoming a NANPA member.

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Dr. Chris Gamel has conducted wildlife research around the world, including raptor biology in southern California, tropical reforestation in Australia, and wildlife management in Kenya. His behavioral study on Elf Owl habitat use in south Texas appeared in the Journal of Raptor Research. His work on Cape fur seal reproduction in South Africa resulted in a doctorate from Texas A and M University. He has published numerous articles on the natural world and recently served as an editor for Wildlife in focus: the coastal bend wildlife photo contest I.

In addition to his literary works, Chris is an accomplished photographer who has won recognition in both the Valley Land Fund and Coastal Bend photography contests. His wildlife images have been published in a variety of venues, including Birding, Wildlife in Focus: the coastal bend wildlife photo contest I, Creatures on the Edge: wildlife along the lower Rio Grande, La Prensa Grafica, and the Pitzer College External Studies Department. He has been an active member of the North American Nature Photography Association for the past five years. In 2002, Chris founded Animal Antics, an editorial service agency based in Salt Lake City dedicated to "sharing the beauty and biology of the natural world."