First female field photographer for National Geographic speaking in Denver

Lone Tree Arts Center launched its Changemaker Speaker Series this year. It's hosting speakers who've excelled in their careers and made an impact on society. The second speaker in the series is Jodi Cobb, who was the first female field photographer hired to the staff of National Geographic magazine.

"I never believed that I would see so many things and go so many places," Cobb told CBS News Colorado anchor Karen Leigh.

In her 40-year career, Cobb has gone to the ends of the Earth, documenting cultures and people for National Geographic.

"The Huli Wigmen are the most dramatic culture that I found," Cobb said.

She went on to explain that the Huli Wigmen of Papau New Guinea weave elaborate headdresses made out of feathers, flowers and their own hair. Cobb described her exposé  on "21st Century Slavery" as her most important, most satisfying, and most terrifying story.

Sometimes she found the ordinary in extraordinary places.

"That's what you need are the moments. The moments that bring a person and a scene to life," she explained.

Cobb agreed that being the first female field photographer in the magazine's history was an honor, but also acknowledged that the honor came with a lot of really hard work.

"I really had to prove myself every single day of my career," she told Leigh.

While she competed with the men, she said that she felt drawn to the lives of women. She was the only photographer allowed into the secret world of the Japanese Geisha in 1992.

"So one of the things that was most interesting for me in my career was how I was able to find these cultures and places that were right on the edge of incredible change. The Geisha world will never be the same as when I was there," she said.

"How does it make you feel to know that you're capturing those moments and educating the rest of the world with your photos?" Leigh asked.

"I feel really lucky that I was able to see these places and these cultures and get inside their world," Cobb replied. "That's what I loved the most was going into world that outsiders would never see."

LINK: Through the Lens: Hidden Worlds with Jodi Cobb

Jodi Cobb will be speaking on Friday, March 8, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. at Lone Tree Arts Center as part of its Changemaker Speaker Series.