how to get started as a photojournalist

Really serious guys with very valuable advices on this forum... always been... I have nothing to add... I am a strugling independent photographer myself, the only thing that keeps me creating images is my passion for what I do, I can't imagine myself doing anything else... however, having a steady income from real estate helps me a lot...
 
I recently retired from print journalism. You won't get much encouragement from me, I saw too many good photogs laid off. I would offer up two things. Video seems to be the future of journalism. There is some good documentary work going on out here. If you notice even newspapers are posting videos. And get some language skills and piss on the formal degree idea.
 
"A pessimist is an optimist with experience"

Beside all the great advices you got here, have you consider what personal price, even if you do get to be successful, you are willing to pay to live and work as a PJ?
 
dan_sutton said:
If i'm not mistaken, its also about the oskar barnack award winner...
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Yes 2009 Newcomer.

He uses Nikon digital cameras. Edit: Sorry he now uses Canon 5d mkII with L series lenses.

A quote,,

"The market is changing,' he admits. 'The old system doesn't work. Lucky for me, I never knew the old system. But it's hard of course."

Get your degree, tell a story.
 
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I would ask:
1) What level of talent do you possess?
2) Have you done PJ work closer to home?
3) Why the belief that PJ is war related?

I would add:
1) Magazines are fast becoming a thing of the past. It was magazines that made the careers of HCB, Erwitt, Eisie, and others.
2) Im not about to discourage dreams, but it seems to me you want to go from inert to fast in one fell sloop. There is a thing called paying your dues.
3) Eliott Erwitt said it the best: " It s not a profession he would encourage because it is extremely competitive and unlikely you'll succeed."
4) By analogy; Many movie stars worked as waiters before they got a break in front of the screen. These people had boatloads of talent and alot of luck. Most never got the chance.

If I were truly committed to such an endeavor, I would be all over the gulf coast documenting the damage the oil spill has caused. This a major news event in your hood. Kick ass here into a critical portfolio. Then do it again and again.
 
Larry Towell proved you don't have to go to far-flung locales to make images. Get rid of that notion right away -- if you can't portray life right where you are, why would you think you can somewhere else?

I started over 20 years ago at small daily newspapers. I remember thinking then that it's never been as hard as it was 'now'...today, I think back to how easy things were back then. What does that tell you?
A) Things are getting harder all the time
B) Photographers are getting softer all the time
C) Dingbats with cellphone cameras will make earning a living from news impossible
D) All of the above.

My advice is don't pursue it UNLESS you are a curious person. A person who wants to use photographs to tell a story or explore the world around you. Don't think too much, don't psych yourself out -- but be aware.
 
You have the oil spill and severe weather right in your neighborhood. Go cover it. I'm insanely jealous of your location. Get a good quality stereo voice recorder (something that doesn't use a proprietary format, but records in WMA), get some decent headphones. Go "shoot" sound as well as photos. Integrate the two in slideshows. You have the location and access that very few people do. Make it happen.
 
_mark__ said:
Yes 2009 Newcomer.

He uses Nikon digital cameras. Edit: Sorry he now uses Canon 5d mkII with L series lenses.

A quote,,

"The market is changing,' he admits. 'The old system doesn't work. Lucky for me, I never knew the old system. But it's hard of course."

Get your degree, tell a story.
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He was announced to be nominee to become Magnum member... :eek: (btw there was a photo from Haiti on flickr showing the photographers' crowd shooting there.)

Which leads to one of may questions I would have: It seems that there are also teams out in the filed, maybe also a tradition, since Suau was around with Nachtwey in Berlin in '89, he told in Hannover. So my question is how the work looks like when out there shooting (fixer? other people around?how to find a story? etc) and what comes before and after?
 
Its a global market. There's more going on in Europe and Asia than America, photojournalism-wise. More respect for the medium, more curiosity about the world, and more publications/opportunities. Research those outlets. Go there with good work and see editors. Then keep working and keep in touch with those editors. You are more likely to sell features and photo essays about America to publications outside of America. Consider basing in another region. I freelanced in Japan for 10 years and still get assignments from there 20 years later while living in the U.S. Also, check out lightstalkers.com. That site is right on the money for your questions. postscript: Research, develop ideas, access, write tight proposals. Don't wait for the phone to ring.
 
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danwilly said:
I recently retired from print journalism. You won't get much encouragement from me, I saw too many good photogs laid off. I would offer up two things. Video seems to be the future of journalism. There is some good documentary work going on out here. If you notice even newspapers are posting videos. And get some language skills and piss on the formal degree idea.
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Video is the future of journalism, I'm an intern at a local paper with 100,000 readers. I spend a good bit of time being a copy editor ,writing articles and soon taking video and stills. We have really embraced the concept of using the web to survive. I do this for free at the moment as part of my education in PR/ Journalism and have expected that it will not be a high paying career.
The new "paper" model needs to accept the internet and video as a viable part of the business and use it aggressively. Facebook, twitter, and blogs have also become a part of the equation as well, the industry has really become an adapt or die sort of thing. We pay an independent photog for local coverage , though he calls our paper first. Our independent works on his own and accepts anything that comes his way it seems. Part of what he does happens to be video which he can grab stills from in addition to his digital still files from his dslr.
Perhaps my initial statement is a bit to broad but I know we spend a great deal of time pushing our video and web efforts to our readers. It may not be 100% related to the post about how to become a PJ, but I think it offers up solid insight on being able to adapt.
Everything else thats been covered by those who have done it for years is more valuable because they've been there and done it. What's been said about photo editors being connected holds true , from my short time at the paper there are people who have bounced from paper to paper and city to city, these people are a valuable resource to be tapped.

I'd like to be a PJ but have resolved that I personally don't possess the talent and same level of drive to do it( this may be a sentence rife with BS) I think I have missed the boat.
 
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I think the term has far too many nooks and crannies to declare video as the future.

There are lots of different ways to work beyond shooting for a paper. With that said, if the paper is your end game start learning video.
 
emraphoto said:
I think the term has far too many nooks and crannies to declare video as the future.

There are lots of different ways to work beyond shooting for a paper. With that said, if the paper is your end game start learning video.
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Point well taken, I may have simplified it down quite a bit here but my point still carries some validity. I agree with what you're saying though, video may not be the future of journalism, but it is most certainly on the horizon somewhere as a part of it.
I jumped the gun on saying it IS the future.
Not sure the paper is my end game, but it's been a good learning experience so far.
 
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