MEDIA ASSET GUIDELINES
PHOTOGRAPHY
All media should be submitted via the NGS Grants
Portal.
(Grants portal > Manage My Grant > Media Assets)
A Dropbox account is required.
TECHNICAL SPECS
File Format: RAW files required
It is not necessary to have JPEG and RAW. We will
convert all RAW images to JPEG.
Color Space: Adobe RGB ’98
No in-camera sharpening
Set camera to local date and time as per location
18 megapixel sensor minimum
CAPTIONS (required)
All media files must include caption information.
The basics should be batch infused in the IPTC
caption area of each image. Please try to list who,
what, where, when, and why with every image.
Include phone numbers and address for contacts.
Additional specific information, quotes from
subjects, the names of guides or fixers, and street
address are always welcomed. You can put those in
the specific image files or in a separate text file.
Every image must be researched and vetted before
publication, so this information is crucial.
Include any releases or restrictions with shipment.
Keyword are helpful. Your edit should include the
keyword ngscovid19EF. Other useful tags: gopro,
timelapse, restriction, no raw available, iphone.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
1145 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
FILE NAMING
Grantnumber_180127_0000001.RAW
File should be renamed using the following standard:
Grant number_capture date YYMMDD_sequential
number
Sequential numbering starts at 0000001 and ends on
the last day of your work and the last image shot. Do
not restart each day at 000001.
If you send jpg images from the field for any reason,
please rename the images the same as your raw files, and
include the same metadata as the RAW files. Editors
prefer the long side of jpgs to be 2048 pixels. 

FINAL DELIVERABLES
Contractually you are obligated to deliver all digital
images as original and un-manipulated 16-bit RAW files
that have not been post-processed by any image
editing program. Any preview or color guide jpgs
should be delivered at a minimum of 2048 pixels.
If National Geographic media has expressed interest in
your project, we might require you to submit a midway
edit. 

Professional and monetary stakes are high, so please
always be sure you keep at least two copies of all
images before you mail hard drives or reformat
memory cards. 

Please contact Impact Media (impactmedia@ngs.org)
For shipping hard drive instructions.
For Questions please contact:
impactmedia@ngs.org

 ETHICAL GUIDELINES

The National Geographic Society strives to uphold the highest ethical standards.

We do not condone or accept digitally manipulated imagery that is meant to represent a true
and accurate depiction of life or events. The content of a photograph must not be altered in
Photoshop or by any other means. With the exception of backgrounds on studio or still life
images no element should be digitally added to or subtracted from any photograph. Only
standard color correction and retouching to eliminate dust on camera sensors and film, and
scratches on scanned negatives or prints is acceptable. And while photographing subjects, we
do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.

These guidelines extend across all National Geographic publishing platforms, including our
social media accounts.

In any case where we have chosen to publish an image that has been created by a digital process
such as stitching images together to create a panorama, etc. we are transparent and reveal the
process used to make the image in the caption or a footnote.

We require the delivery of all digital raw files for all images taken. Every image is reviewed and
edited by an assigned photo editor. All color correction for publication is done in house by our
pre-press imaging team.

The trust of our Society membership and the National Geographic readers and viewers is of the
utmost importance to us. We work tirelessly to ensure that our publications respect that
relationship.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY For Questions please contact:

1145 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 impactmedia@ngs.org