magazine

Krista Rossow Receives NATJA Gold Award

I’m happy to announce that I’m part of the photographic team behind the Morocco story for National Geographic Traveler magazine that won an Arts & Culture Gold Award in the 28th Annual Travel Media Awards Competition put on by NATJA (North American Travel Journalists Association). The article ran in the August/September 2019 issue of the magazine.

I wanted to also congratulate my friend and colleague Carrie Miller for the Bronze Award in Travel Books for her 100 Dives of a Lifetime: The World’s Ultimate Underwater Destinations book (which I was lucky enough to photo edit!).

And kudos to National Geographic Traveler for winning the Gold Award for the best print travel magazine! Despite the last issue having rolled off the press earlier this year, I feel golden for having been part of National Geographic Traveler’s print family over the years. Cheers to many more years in our virtual form.

See all the winners here: http://bit.ly/NATJAwin.

A man stokes the fire at a hammam inside of the Medina of Marrakech, Morocco.

Krista Rossow named National Geographic Traveler Contributing Photographer

national-geographic-traveler-cover-august-september-2017I’m pleased to share that my name has returned to the masthead of National Geographic Traveler magazine. While working as a photo editor for Traveler I spent seven years seeing my name in print. Now I’ve been named as one of the contributing photographers to the publication (alongside talented folks I consider inspirations) and you’ll see my name listed again on the masthead beginning in the current August/September 2017 issue. I’m happy to be a part of the Nat Geo Travel family!

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On Newsstands: Asheville for National Geographic Traveler

“How quickly can you get to Asheville?” I read the email while thousands of miles away on the deck of a tall-masted ship in the Greek Isles. I looked up at the crystal blue waters of the Aegean Sea and thought, “Soon?” Flash forward two weeks and I found myself surrounded by a different sort of blue; that of the dusky layers of forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Arriving almost directly to Asheville from Greece’s famous islands, I have to admit this assignment didn’t have quite the caché. But for what this small town in North Carolina lacks in international name recognition, it makes up for with delicious eats, creative energy, big heart, and Appalachian charm.

I discovered that Asheville is an addiction, so much so that people from all over have come to call it home…with no intentions of ever moving again. And after being in a place like Santorini, where its fame has at times become its folly, I can see how locals, newcomers, and visitors alike revel in a small town life with world-class perks and a stunning setting.

To see a sampling of Asheville’s allure, enjoy a few asignment outtakes and a glimpse of the magazine spread below or pick up a copy of the April/May 2017 issue of National Geographic Traveler, now on newsstands. Also, on National Geographic Travel you can delve into my experience on assignment in a “Behind the Scenes” article.

Laura Cooke of Cooke Ceramics at work on her porcelain ceramic pieces in her studio space at Clayspace.
The Sunday night scene at Wedge Brewing Company is filled with live music, brews, and friends gathering.
Musicians Kayla Zuskin and Stephen Horvath play together as Fort in the Sky during the weekly River Arts District Farmers Market.
Chantal Bérot, the owner of Le Bon Cafe, chats with customers from her mobile coffee shop at the River Arts District Farmers Market.
Dumplings, Thai beef salad, Szechuan cucumbers, and gai lon at Gan Shan Station, an Asian fusion restaurant.
All smiles at Burial Brewing in Asheville’s South Slope neighborhood.
Susannah Gebhart holds a plate of beautiful pastries at her shop, Old World Levain Bakery (OWL).
Anna Toth at work in her River Arts District studio cutting patterns for her her designs sold as Bow + Arrow Apparel.
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Happily Ever Asheville, photographed for National Geographic Traveler’s April/May 2017 issue.

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Happily Ever Asheville, photographed for National Geographic Traveler’s April/May 2017 issue.

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Happily Ever Asheville, photographed for National Geographic Traveler’s April/May 2017 issue.

 

On Newsstands: Croatia for National Geographic Traveller

This past September I had the opportunity to explore the coastline of Croatia. From past photo editing projects, I’d been clued into how gorgeous the country is, but it was quite something else to see it in person. I was smitten with the beautiful Venetian-influenced walled cities and dazzled by the shimmering blues of the Adriatic Sea contrasting with the fresh green of pines along the rocky Dalmatian Coast.

Now I’m fortunate enough to share part of the experience in a feature story I wrote and shot in the December 2016 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK Edition). In it I share images from Hvar, Korcula, and, the jewel of the Adriatic, Dubrovnik. If you happen to be in the UK, pick up a copy on newsstands now, but if not, enjoy the layout here.

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December 2016 feature story on Croatia in National Geographic Traveller UK Edition written and photographed by Krista Rossow.

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December 2016 feature story on Croatia in National Geographic Traveller UK Edition written and photographed by Krista Rossow.

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December 2016 feature story on Croatia in National Geographic Traveller UK Edition written and photographed by Krista Rossow.

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December 2016 feature story on Croatia in National Geographic Traveller UK Edition written and photographed by Krista Rossow.

People on the Paseo Maritimo in Marbella

On Newsstands: Marbella, Spain in Virtuoso Life

Despite spending most of January shivering in Paris (see photos here), I did get the chance to escape to a place where winter wasn’t as harsh. I hopped a plane to Spain to shoot a small piece for Virtuoso Life in Marbella. The Costa del Sol delivered on it’s signature sunshine while I photographed both the upscale glitz and Andalusian charm of this Mediterranean city.

My coverage is included in a feature story in the magazine that rounds up the 5 best beach towns. Read the entire digital article in the March/April 2015 issue here. And to see outtakes from the assignment, head on over to my travel blog.

Spread on Marbella Spain in Virtuoso Life

Oregon State Capitol building

On Newsstands: Salem in 1859 Oregon’s Magazine

As a native Oregonian who has been away for much too long, I was delighted to receive an assignment from 1859 Oregon’s Magazine to photograph Salem, the state’s capital located only a hop and a skip up the road from me.

Grab a copy from the newsstand if you are in the Pacific Northwest, or read the article online on 1859‘s website (and see more of my photos).

Layout from 72 Hours Salem story.

72 Hours in Salem article shot for 1859 Oregon’s Magazine, November/December 2014 issue.

Layout from 72 Hours Salem story.

72 Hours in Salem article shot for 1859 Oregon’s Magazine, November/December 2014 issue.

On Newsstands: San Francisco Feature

In September of last year I was given the opportunity to photograph a feature story for National Geographic Traveler magazine.  I was thrilled to get out from behind the photo editing desk and head back to my native West Coast to explore San Francisco with camera in hand.  Half a year later, the results of that assignment are hitting newsstands today.

For about a week, I chased sunshine and learned to embrace fog. I drank so much good coffee. I ogled farm-fresh produce and delectable dishes….and sometimes got to eat too! I started (and ended) days in a fleece and stocking cap and was basking in the sun by mid-day. I slept in a live-work warehouse, a cozy inn tucked into the Presidio, and a funky downtown hotel. I photographed in parks, parklets, and on top of gigantic living rooftops. I rode cable cars and rubbed elbows with tourists on Lombard Street, all of us clicking away with our cameras. And on my last night in the City by the Bay, I sat in Corona Heights Park and watched the fog roll over downtown, the sky turn pink, and the city’s lights come on and sparkle.

But what I enjoyed the most during this assignment was the people that I met along the way; like Daniel Scott, the yogi-acrobat-chocolatier I stumbled upon at an Off the Grid food truck round-up (and who ended up full page on the opener of the story), and Chan Quach, a local elementary school teacher who flies his two pet macaws around Mission Dolores Park on occasional evenings.  I talked with crab fishermen while patiently waiting for the tip of the Golden Gate Bridge to emerge from the fog, met a former ballerina stretching in Alamo Square Park, photographed a man taking his grandson on his first cable car ride, learned all about coffee roasting from the master roaster at Sightglass Coffee, and met so many others that I’m grateful to for taking the time to tell me their stories.

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To read Andrew Nelson’s wanderlust-inspiring story and see these photographs in print, head to newsstands today to pick up the April 2013 issue of National Geographic Traveler. The issue is also available on the iPad and to get my behind-the-lens perspective visit Traveler‘s website to click through an extra photo gallery.

Thanks to Andrew Nelson for taking us all to San Francisco through his words (and for his great taste in cities), to George Stone for his edgy editing, to Dan Westergren for sending me to California, to Leigh Borghesani for yet another beautifully designed feature, and biggest thanks to Carol Enquist for her expert photo editing.  Now, how do I get back to San Francisco?

It’s Carnival Time

Woman dressed as Marie Antoinette laughs while looking into a mirror on Mardi Gras day.

It’s that time of year again, y’all!  Carnival time!  As I’ve been spending my evenings and weekends prepping for my fourth Mardi Gras trip, I’ve been thinking back to five years ago when my colleague and friend, Janelle Nanos, asked me if I wanted to go with her to New Orleans while she was writing a feature story on Mardi Gras.  She enticed me, “It is going to be a great time, and after all, they are going to need photos for the story!” While I’ve always have had a strange attraction to New Orleans–even before I ever stepped foot in the city–I’ve never had the actual desire to go to Mardi Gras.  Of course, I was a victim of believing the stereotypes of booze, boobs, and beads.

I went along with Janelle for a purple, green, and gold colored ride and have never quite been the same since.  I discovered kindred spirits in the people who live in or make yearly pilgrimages to the Big Easy.  Many of the people who I met on that first trip, including lovely Jenny (pictured above), have been friends ever since.  Our bond is no less strong even if we only see each other once a year.  We smile, we hug, we compliment attire, and we weave our way through the magic of Mardi Gras day, knowing we will see each other next time around.

New Orleans is a photographer’s dream at any time of the year, but during Carnival season, it is visual overload.  I rubbed elbows with families, college kids, and all kinds of parade lovers while snapping photos with one hand and catching beads with the other.  I prowled the quiet early morning streets with my new friends in search of a flash of feathers from a Mardi Gras Indian.  And then I fell down the rabbit hole when I arrived at the beginning of the St. Anne’s Parade.  I was told to bring a costume, but the costumes I saw were no Halloween-grade costumes, they were visual splendor.  Riotous convergences of fabric, glitter, quirk, and creativity.  I was hooked.

This Mardi Gras sceptic returned to DC with a changed mind.  I know the experience can take many shapes and forms, but what I really learned is that Mardi Gras is what you make it.  As the Rebirth Brass Bad sings, “Do whatcha wanna!”  And if you want to go and aren’t sure where to start, perhaps our story that was published in the January/February 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler is a good place to start.  I hope that it inspires people to see beyond Bourbon Street and find out what Mardi Gras is really about.  Take a look at the layouts below and go to National Geographic’s website to read Janelle’s full article and see more of my photos.  Clearly, it converted me!