Photo: Mazda
Last November, we covered Mazda and National Geographic’s quest to find up-and-coming photography talent through a competition called Assignment: Inspiration. That heated competition recently came to a close, and Sam Tippetts of Boerne, Texas was declared the grand-prize winner in a special that aired on Nat Geo TV. Here’s a look at what the competition entailed.
Adventure in Style: The 2020 Mazda CX-30
Assignment: Inspiration
The contest started with hopeful photographers sharing their work via the National Geographic Your Shot Instagram account, which was also part of the Mazda Power of Potential campaign. This joint endeavor asked participants to share visual stories about where they find inspiration.
After sifting through a sea of submissions, Mazda and Nat Geo narrowed down a shortlist of contestants: Nina Mayer Ritchie, Beth Mancuso, and Sam Tippetts. This trio was tasked with a series of missions to create striking, uplifting photos in Mazda’s hometown of Hiroshima, Japan. The group’s mentor, David Guttenfelder, helped educate the contestants on the city’s history, while also giving them pointers on capturing Mazda’s distinctive design language.
While all three contestants created stunning and uplifting art, Tippetts was the one who took home the honors. For winning the contest, Tippetts will become both a National Geographic storyteller and a Mazda Content Partner. He’ll soon receive his first full-fledged work assignment from National Geographic Travel.
Mazda North American Operations CMO Brad Audet praised Tippets for his vision and his dedication to his craft. “Mazda’s designers and engineers have a similar approach to their work as artisans who seek mastery of their skills,” Audet stated. “They diligently transfer their passion into each project to create a vehicle that evokes a feeling.”
George Stone, the Executive Editor of National Geographic Travel, values photography as a key part of the magazine’s 132-year history — and he’s delighted to welcome new talent. “Seeing the next generation of visual storytellers use their talents to inspire people to care more about the planet inspires us. We are excited to see where Sam takes his assignment, and we look forward to sharing the results on our National Geographic Travel platforms.”
Inspired Design: The 2020 Mazda CX-5
You’ll be able to follow Sam Tippett’s journeys on the magazine’s website and its various social media pages.
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.
