Inspiration is a unique opportunity for three photographers to join National Geographic.

Seek new adventures, and what's exciting is we get to find new talent.

In three days.

One of you will be selected to go on assignment with National Geographic Travel.

This is like every photographer's dream to get out and do something for National Geographic.

I still can't believe I'm here to make yourself better, to do better for the world.

Those air.

My first impressions of National Geographic just to be in the running for something like this is almost too much to handle for this assignment.

You've been given three different photographic quests.

We develop these quests while I was working in Hiroshima, Japan, with Mazda.

Some of the spaces that David took pictures of when he was walking through your Oshima really helped us craft what these assignments would be.

Yeah, our second twist is unique reflections for me.

Unique reflections can be a literal interpretation of that how the environment is reflected around you.

But it's not only that.

See how you can reflect how you feel in the pictures that you're taking.

Each one of you has unique point of view and we really are excited to see that point of view, and we're fighting each of you with a MAS to 6 30 to get you around L.

A.

Over the course of the next three days at Maza, the inspiration behind unique reflections started with the way we approached our car designs that reflected based servicing, sculpting in the side panel.

There's a depth there.

There's layers to that design layers to that story.

Um, I like how light plays off the Mazda panels, and I think I'm gonna try and replicate that in the barbershop Club.

Hey, how's it going?

Welcome.

Good to see you.

When I think of unique reflections, reflecting on yourself is the first thing that comes to mind.

You're staring at a mirror for a prolonged period of time, and as a result of forces you to assess who you are.

It's not easy to frame an image.

It's not easy to know when to take the shot.

It's even harder to know how to use reflection in an image.

Yeah, I wanna learn how to be a better photographer.

So far, my voice has probably been landscaping and wildlife photography, getting outside my comfort zone to really challenge myself.

That's part of this quest.

We're heading down.

Thio San Diego to the seaport village area, specifically toe photographic carousel.

It's a really joyful experience to ride a carousel.

E think it be really nice to see reflected back to me.

Smiling faces joyful faces.

I'm excited to shoot this location E.

At the Santa Monica Pier e chose appear because it's really iconic part of California and America, for that matter.

It's really bright and colorful.

There's a lot of motion things that I really love and try to showcase in my photography.

So I'm gonna be looking for reflections that tell a story and inspire people.

I'm just so excited to be here because it's really different than the Minnesota.

It's really refreshing meeting Woody.

I'm able to see why he's so successful as a barber.

I'm third generation barber, so I grew up in a barbershop like this, where a bunch of mean gather This is one of the best places to be a listening ear and its support for men trying to be true.

Gentlemen of today's time, some of my interest in people specifically their faces is really something I wanted to focus on.

And I think that is going to show in my work because I'm also one of the fastest barbers in town.

I'll be done with this in about three minutes.

If you don't capture it, there's a lot going on.

I'm definitely struggling with cramp space, maybe even a little bit angled.

Sorry, the other one's gonna be doing a lot of really up close shots of some of the chrome.

That's another challenge.

Can you see yourself in that?

No.

I'm somewhat concerned about being ableto create a diverse set of photos to try to be creative getting into situations that I'm not normally taking photos in.

It's so exciting.

I do want to capture the really special connections between a parent and their child.

I love how precious it spaces, but it's a little bit hard to get the position I want.

Sometimes I'm hanging off the carousel, hoping I'm not gonna hit something as I rotate by, gets a little disorienting.

Mhm.

Okay, e gonna go back that way.

There was not that there would be more reflective surfaces here where I thought that the rides would have some reflection.

Thio.

They didn't but I'm pushing myself thio be the best that I can when I'm out there.

Tricky part is not getting myself in this.

Wait, I'm getting your sunglasses.

No, I leave a man.

Thank you, but I got a picture of you and your friend after you get your ticket.

Maybe you could put your Hi Rachel in e really?

Like the image of the couple coming out of the burger joint.

Reflections on the surface, The route 66 Signs.

So it was really kind of an iconic image.

Yeah.

Reflection can also be a tool to convey a piece of yourself.

It could be pain.

It could be joy.

But being in touch with that part of yourself is a powerful tool.

How does that image move its audience to action and emotion?

Hey, Woody, is it okay if I use this mirror?

Yes, you may.

I've got him in the shot.

I've got shot again.

E would look straight ahead.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So what do you Thank you so much.

Good luck with everything, man.

Really appreciate, right?

One thing that is working well is one little girl riding by herself.

It did remind me of how I was as a child.

But I can see the light is changing And I'm feeling the pressure like I really need to find the compositions that I want because the light's gonna go away All right.

I can't see my dials.

That looks better.

I was thinking that maybe we go to the parking lot and see if we could get some reflections.

Mazda is really reflective.

And so I thought if we were able to park it in a way that we could get the amusement parks lights on it, that would be really fun to photograph it.

Waas.

I hope that people can see joy and the part of our culture that amusement parks are I'm gonna take one more shot.

You get what you need it.

Well, just yeah, yeah, I think that there are definitely some shots.

I feel excited about shots that I'm proud of.

I want people Thio be moved and inspired, pumped to see some of these shots.

There's a couple that I can't wait to get on my laptop.

There's gonna be a lot to go through in a lot of decision making.

The West was about not only responsibility and hope to reflect the world around you as a photographer, but also to convey the very individual personal path that you've taken.