A CAREERAS A

PHOTOJOURNALIST

Institute Research Number 202ISBN 1-58511-202-X

DOT Number 143.062-034

A Career As A

Photojournalist

News PhotographerRecord History As It Happens

Tell Compelling Stories And Make A Difference

CAPTURE THE PICTURE THATS WORTH ATHOUSAND WORDS

THE AMERICAN PUBLIC OF THE NEW 21ST CENTURY HAS A SEEMINGLY INSATIABLEappetite for information. Weve also become accustomed to learningabout news as it happens on cable stations and Internet sites; this makesus impatient. We want information, and we want it now.

Photojournalists provide the images that satisfy that need.

The job of the photojournalist is to record a truthful image thatcommunicates an immediate message for readers or viewers, a picture thattells a story in a heartbeat. Truthful means not re-staging an eventbecause the photographer didnt get it right the first time, or air-brushingunattractive elements out of a photograph, or allowing people to rehearsebefore a live interview. To do so would be akin to a reporters inventingfacts or quoting people never actually spoken to.

Photographs have long been an important part of newspapers;similarly, live action is an essential part of a news broadcast. The timeliness,content, and uniqueness of a picture, moving or still, may cause a readeror viewer to select one newspaper or magazine over another, or stay witha certain TV channel instead of picking up the remote. Pictures areobjective; they say, And there you have it. Pictures get people

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emotionally involved and connected with a story, captivate people andspark their imaginations, and make people care.

Photojournalists document a great variety of events, from themomentous to the everyday, from the horrifying to the whimsical:

A derailed train

A woman in period costume at a quilt show

Student protesters in Jakarta dumping garbage in front ofParliament

A wedding between two snake lovers at an exotic animal park

Zimbabwe police spraying rowdy soccer fans with tear gas

A dramatic photo of the Tucson, Arizona skyline as its pelted withlightning bolts

Women in hats that look like lampshades at the Ascot horse racingtrack in England

Limestone caves with rare geologic formations

Photojournalists also create photo essays, a series of pictures coveringa particular subject, taken over a longer period of time. A photo essaymight document a heat wave in the Southern US, an earthquake inIndonesia, a famine in Ethiopia, flood in Mozambique, the threats to theecosystem of the Florida Everglades, a political campaign, the plight ofrefugees in several nations, a trip around the world in a hot air balloon.

Its important to realize that the work of photojournalists is notablenot just because the subject matter is somehow newsworthy. Thephotographers use techniques such as angle, composition, and light andshadow to create an image that is informative, unexpected, unique, lyrical,moving.

It may surprise you to know that writing is usually part of thephotojournalists job, for a brief caption that puts things in context canconvey worlds of meaning to an image. For instance, a birds-eye view of askydiver free-falling toward the Earth is interesting; but the knowledgethat hes plummeting at over 100 miles per hour and can only free-fall forseconds before deploying his parachute makes the image all that moreunique and captivating. A picture of a man in uniform, a young girl, and agun may pique your curiosity; learning that the man is a Palestinian policeofficer and hes teaching the girl to use an AK-47 assault rifle at a summercamp is downright unsettling.

Photojournalists can be found all over the world. Most are employedby news organizations, but many are self-employed. In addition to

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photographs and news pieces for television, some photojournalists createdocumentary news segments and feature-length documentaries that air onnetwork, cable, or public television stations.

This report will tell you more about what photojournalists do, whatkind of education and training they need, and more, including advice onexploring this career and how to start building your portfolio. So if youreinterested in the worlds events and you have a passion for the truth andare game for a lifelong adventure you might want to consider becominga photojournalist.

PREPARING AND EXPLORING

GETTING A SOLID EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR FUTURE, WHATEVER YOU

decide to do. Among the most useful courses you can take as a steptoward working in this particular field are journalism, communications,composition, history, government, and sociology. Photojournalists areincreasingly using computers for such tasks as editing videotape andscanning and cropping photos, so computer classes in subjects like AdobePhotoShop would also come in handy.

Also important and more beneficial in determining your aptitudeand interest are the opportunities youll have outside of your regularschoolwork to investigate a career in photojournalism.

First, you should know the basics of taking pictures, whether still ormoving. You shouldnt have any trouble finding a basic photographycourse that covers equipment, the principles of composition, andtechniques such as focusing, taking photos in low light, and capturing afast-moving object. Youll also want to get darkroom experience, becausephotographers often develop their own film. Similarly, aspiring broadcastjournalists should learn how to edit film and videotape. Check out thecurriculum at your local community college, vocational institute, ortechnical school.

Join the staff of your school paper or Web site. Covering school sportsevents will allow you to learn how to capture a newsworthy moment.(Actually, it will force you to learn how to do so, or you wont be coveringsports for long!) Other events provide a good opportunity to hone yourphotojournalistic skills, too. Take your camera to a pep rally, a nationaldebating competition your schools participating in, a rehearsal of yourschool play, graduation. Whatever the event, your photo editor may wantyou to get comparatively conventional shots (the principal speaking at the

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podium, your team receiving a trophy), but also look for the unexpectedmoment or the picture that, accompanied by a few well-selected words inthe caption, tell a story: pride on the faces of first-generation Americans astheir child graduates; the dejected-looking silhouette of a tennis playerwhos lost the championship match.

You can also join the yearbook staff, but try to avoid any staged,portrait-type assignments. Instead, take candid shots in the cafeteria, atthe semi-formal, on the senior class ski trip. Have your camera with you atall times. You cant predict when or where a great picture will presentitself.

Try your hand at writing news, too. In the professional world,photojournalists often develop copy to go along with visuals or work withthe reporters and anchor people who are doing so. Those who publishphoto essays or film documentaries nearly always write their own material.

Some schools and school districts have educational TV networks. Ifyoure interested in broadcast journalism, definitely get your hands on avideocamera and join the staff. Again, staged news anchoring is lessvaluable than man on the street (or student in the hall) interviews andthe documentation of events as they take place in real time especially ifyou catch something unusual or extraordinary on tape.

Practicing photojournalists recommend that you get to know the folksin the photo department at your towns local newspaper. Do ride-alongswith the photographers there and get a relationship going with them. Ifyou develop a degree of trust and companionship, they may let you helpshoot an assignment every once in a while for a start. But any kind ofpart-time or summer work at a photographic studio, cable or networktelevision network, newspaper, or magazine could be useful.

The Sunday New York Times magazine is a good place to look forexamples of excellent print news photography; CNN and publicbroadcasting stations provide first-rate television photojournalism andnews documentaries. You might also look in your local library forbook-length compilations of notable photographs from LIFE and Timemagazines.

At www.lifemag.com youll find LIFE magazines Picture of the Day.Although LIFE is no longer published monthly, it still produces specialcommemorative issues and books; and your library may have old issues inits archives. You can also log onto www.newseum.org for a virtual gallerytour of some of the most celebrated photographs of the last century.

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Get in touch with the White House News Photographers Association.The WHNPA and the Smithsonian Institution sponsor an annual PhotoSeminar for High School Students. The event is designed to encourage aninterest in photography and features expert speakers who provide valuabletips and pointers on different aspects of photography. Students can evenbring samples of their own work to be critiqued by the pros.

HISTORY OF THIS CAREER

THIS HISTORY OF PHOTOJOURNALISM ENCOMPASSES BOTH THE HISTORY OF

photography and the history of journalism. The first crude camera wasdeveloped in late 15th-century Italy. Called a camera obscura (darkchamber), it consisted of a large box with a small aperture (opening) inone side designed to receive light, and a screen or a piece of paper on theother side designed to display the inverted image. At first, the box wasused mainly as a sketching aid by artists who could trace the outline of theprojected form. It wasnt until much later that the camera obscura wasused as a device for making pictures to be viewed in their own right.

Two discoveries made in the 18th century would lead to thedevelopment of photography: First, that silver salts darken when exposedto light; and second, that these changes could be made permanent whentreated with chemicals. It wasnt until 1826, though, that the first truephotograph was made using these discoveries. That year, JosephNicephore Niepce, a French inventor and scientist who had beenexperimenting with photographic techniques for 10 years, coated a metalplate with light-sensitive bitumen and exposed it for eight hours, and apicture of the view of a courtyard from Niepces window eventuallyemerged on the plate. This technique was called heliography.

In 1829, Niepce entered into a partnership with stage designer andpainter Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre. Daguerre ran a scenery theater inParis where he used theatrical lighting to simulate changing views ofnature, and this interest prompted him to begin working with Niepce.Daguerre improved on his partners technique by exposing sheets ofcopper coated with silver to light (necessary for only 30 seconds or soinstead of several hours), and developing the images with mercury vapor,using ordinary salt as a fixing agent. These sharp, mirror-like pictures werecalled daguerreotypes and made their creator world famous. He patentedhis process in 1839. Talbotype was invented the same year; it was aprocess that used light-sensitive paper to produce a negative, from whichpositive prints could be produced. The process used sodium thiosulfate

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instead of table salt to fix the images. It was the brainchild of Britishclassical archaeologist William H. Fox Talbot.

Throughout the 1800s, photography was improved by a series oftechnological innovations, including:

Specialized lenses for portraits and landscapes

Ever-declining exposure time

Sharper images and improved overall quality of prints

Cameras that could be held in the hands instead of affixed on atripod

Enlargement processes

Smaller negatives

Smaller cameras

The Civil War was the first war to be covered in the press, and thepioneering American photographer Mathew Brady recognized theimportance of documenting the conflict in images as well as words. Withhis eyesight failing, Brady hired 100 assistants to record the horrors ofcombat and scenes of army camp life in thousands of pictures.

Later in the 1800s and around the turn of the century, the work ofnews and documentary photographers began to have a very real impacton the world.

William Henry Jacksons depictions of the Old West helped convinceCongress to establish the first national park in the Yellowstone area ofWyoming

Jacob A. Riiss photographs and written accounts of the appalling livingconditions in New York Citys slums led to improvements in this and otherurban areas

LewisW. Hines pictures of the wretched working conditions endured bythe nations poor children helped effect the implementation of child laborlaws.

By 1921, photojournalism was identified as a distinct profession bythe founding of the White House News Photographers Association. At thetime, the 17 photographers who covered President Warren G. Hardingsoffice were regarded as inferior to reporters; they didnt even have accessto the press room. Within a year and a half, photojournalists wererecognized as reporters peers.

In the 1930s, the U.S. Agriculture Department enlisted photographersto chronicle conditions in Depression-era rural areas. Among those

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employed by the government were Walker Evans, whose pictures ofSouthern sharecroppers depict the poverty and desolation of their lives, aswell as their dignity and courage, and Dorothea Lange, whophotographed migratory farmworkers. Evans work was later published inLet Us Now Praise Famous Men, with text by James Agree; Langes workgenerated sympathy and compassion for migrant laborers and ultimatelyled to government-sponsored relief programs.

Evans and Lange both published their work in the illustrated newsmagazines that were becoming popular in the United States and Europe,as did the esteemed Margaret Bourke-White, who photographed industrialconditions for Fortune magazine in the 1920s and became one of the firststaff photographers for LIFE magazine in 1936. Bourke-White perfectedthe use of the photo essay; she, like Evans and Lange, also publishedbooks that featured collections of her pictures.

During World War II, when photojournalism played a key role inbringing images of the battlefront to the US public, Bourke-Whiterecorded European combat and ghastly scenes from Nazi concentrationcamps. Dorothea Lange, meanwhile, documented living conditions ofJapanese Americans moved by the government from their homes torelocation camps.

Around this time, the Society of Magazine Photographers wasformed. According to Click magazine photographer and founding memberBradley Smith, It was the year of 1944, a year of the beachheads ofNormandy, the beginning of the end of World War II. It was also the yearof the first meeting to organize photojournalists, a new breed ofconcerned visual communicators. In 1946 the organizations name waschanged to American Society of Media Photographers. Its mission is toprovide mutual support among established and novice newsphotographers, to uphold the integrity of the profession, and to protectthe rights and welfare of its members.

After the war, television networks began to broadcast their programsin major Eastern cities like New York, Boston, and Washington, and by1951, television shows could be seen nationwide. News coverage went farto enhance the appeal of this new medium, as well as the importance ofthis medium in news coverage. Notable events included:

Congressional hearings led by U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver in whichalleged gangsters were questioned about organized crime

Congressional hearings led by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, whoaccused the U.S. Army of harboring Communists among its ranks

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The first televised Presidential debates, between John F. Kennedyand Richard Nixon (the fact that Kennedy was more telegenicprobably contributed to his victory)

The Kennedy assassination and funeral, as well as the shooting byJack Ruby of accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald

The first moon walks

Scenes from the Vietnam conflict, the first war to be fought ontelevision

Civil rights protests

Today, with all the outlets for news (network broadcasts, televisionnews magazines, all-news cable stations, public broadcasting stations, theInternet) and the publics great appetite for information, it would seemthat very little takes place that goes undocumented by newsvideographers.

WHERE YOU WILL WORK

PHOTOJOURNALISTS WORK IS FOUND ON TELEVISION ON LOCAL AND NATIONAL

news programs, on commercial and public stations, on network and cable,and in documentaries; in magazines and newspapers; and on the Internet.

Many well-regarded photojournalists who have amassed an impressivebody of work publish books of their pictures. Since news photographersare essentially journalists, writing is an important skill, so they often writethe text that accompanies their pictures.

Most opportunities for news photographers are in large metropolitanareas, simply because the local television stations and newspapers thereserve more people and therefore employ more people. Magazines andcable television stations also tend to operate out of larger cities.

But news happens worldwide, so photojournalists can be found allover the globe. Indeed, travel is guaranteed in this profession. Youremployer may send you on a trip to cover a particular story. You may havean assignment as a regular correspondent overseas or in the White House(and when the President travels, so do you). You may be sent to a war-tornor famine-blighted area in a foreign country for a lengthy period of time.Your editor may send you to Saigon for the celebration of the end of theVietnam War. If youre doing an investigative piece on medical andinternational relief agencies, you might travel from Ecuador to Guatemalato India to Armenia, or you may accompany an investigative reporter onassignment to provide art to go with the story.

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Even if you work for a small local paper, youll have to go where thenews is. Reporters can often write their stories by conducting telephoneinterviews and doing research in previous issues of the paper or on theInternet, but you cant take pictures over the phone. You may know ofcertain assignments ahead of time the annual multi-culture day at yourlocal Head Start, the planned release of a wrongfully convicted prisoner,graduation at the fire academy, an interview with a famous film directorwhos in town making the latest blockbuster. Others will be unexpected crimes, accidents, jury decisions, natural disasters. These emergencies mayhave you racing all over town to get to a story while theres still a pictureto be taken. If youre a freelance news photographer, youll also probablyspend a lot of time driving around in your car listening to the police radio,or in a helicopter with the highway police, and looking for moments tocapture.

THE WORK YOU WILL DO

THE PHOTOJOURNAL IST S JOB rESPONSIBILITIES REMAIN FUNDAMENTALLY THEsame, wherever the work is, and in whatever medium. In fact, theres anew breed of photojournalist emerging, which some call the platypus.Like the animal, which is a unique beast, being both a mammal and anegg-layer, the photojournalistic platypus is both a still and a videophotographer.

Even as the line of demarcation between these two types of newsphotographers blurs, the experience of working for a print publicationdiffers from that of working for a live medium. Look at thephotojournalists job in the most traditional areas: newspaper andtelevision.

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A Day in the Life of a Newspaper Photojournalist Anewspaper may employ three types of photographers:

Staff photographer, who is a full-time employee with regular payand benefits.

Stringer, who is like a contract photographer for the paper and isregularly sent on assignment, but isnt guaranteed steady work.

Freelancers, who shoot pictures of their own choosing and then tryto sell them.

The first thing a staff photographer does upon arriving at work is topick up photo assignments (usually around three, sometimes as many assix), including directions to the photo location, contacts, and conditions:Will it be difficult to get close to the action? Do the subjects want thisstory told, or will they be uncooperative? Ideally, the photographer workswith the photo editor and reporter to agree on the storys angle and thebest photo opportunities. The photographer may call sources in advanceto set up a time for an interview and photo session.

Certain types of events lend themselves to such advance planning.

Regular news, such as scheduled events like press conferences

Journalistic portraits, which usually go along with a feature story of anotable local personality (such as a teacher whose heroic efforts helplearning-disabled kids get into college)

Feature photos, which accompany stories that are newsworthy but noturgent

Sports, you may not know who will win, but youre pretty sure the gamewill take place, and, if it doesnt, the hailstorm or referees strike thatpreempts the game is a good picture in itself

Picture stories, which use multiple photos to demonstrate the range ofsome event over the short-term (such as the games, rides, food kiosks, andmusical entertainment at a regional folk festival, or the extent of thedamage caused by a flood). Picture stories may be accompanied by nomore text than a headline and captions to accompany each image.

Photo essays are like picture stories, only they are developed over amuch longer period of time and are often accompanied by a detailed storyprepared by an investigative reporter.

Sometimes, a photojournalist is sent to record an event withoutknowing much about it or the story the reporter expects to tell. In thiscase, the photographer will shoot different pictures from different angles,

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trying to document a variety of images in the hopes that at least one ortwo will jibe with the reporters intentions. This is generally the case whena photographer is sent to cover spot news breaking news events that thejournalist chases down and documents on the spot: accidents, fires,robberies.

Wild art refers to scenes the photojournalist stumbles across, andarent related to any particular news event: the zoos polar bear catching amarshmallow in its mouth; parents of quintuplets wheeling a stroller thatseats four. These pictures are usually warm and humorous in nature andmay be used to fill space on a slow news day.

A Day in the Life of a TV Photojournalist TV photographersalso usually discuss routine story ideas ahead of time with reporters andeditors to identify shooting opportunities, angles, and technical aspects ofthe visual story. Television news photographers may offer story ideas toeditors and reporters; and also provide insight into the story later, after itsshot, when editing and additional commentary are being prepared.

The storys central theme is known as a story commitment. Thephotographer tries to come up with a single, simple sentence that willserve to guide the selection of images and point of view for the storytellingprocess. Without a story commitment in mind, photographers run the riskof spraying an assignment taking a series of unplanned shots that arespliced together in the editing room and end up as nothing more thanvideo background to a reporters commentary. This defeats thephotojournalists storytelling purpose. Nevertheless, the story commitmentis a flexible thing and subject to change as the photographer and reportergather more information on assignment.

On location, the cameraperson gathers a series of shots that will becut and spliced together during the editing process to create a narrativeaccount. One of the most useful techniques is the transition shot, whichmoves the story from one idea to the next by briefly disorienting theviewer. There are several types of transition shots:

Tight shot is a type of transitional technique that allows the action tomove out of the cameras viewfinder (either by remaining still while thesubject moves, or moving the camera away from the subject) beforecutting to the next image.

Reverse angle shot is used to cut between the subject and the reporterduring an interview.

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Cut-in (or insert) and cutaway (or reaction) shots are used togive the viewer the impression that time has passed so that thephotographer can edit out extraneous visual sequences and keep just thekey moments. They usually provide another view of the main action, orrecord events going on at the same time.

Closing shot, usually only several seconds long, should fulfill the storycommitment. During editing, all sequences should build up to the closingshot. Its name notwithstanding, the closing (or final) shot neednt be thelast image recorded chronologically. It just has to be the image thatprovides closure to the story.

Photographers may use tripods in order to get a steady view of thescene, using panoramic shots and close-ups only when necessary topursue the subject or disclose additional information. However, manyvideo and film journalists prefer the off-the-shoulder shooting methodwhich allows them to actually carry the camera into the middle of theaction. Increasingly, both techniques may be used to tell a single story.

Some television photojournalists may spend little time at their TVstations, driving from one assignment to the next and keeping in touchwith the newsroom with cell phones, pagers, and car radios and listeningfor breaking news on police and fire scanners. They mainly work alone as acombination reporter, photographer, and editor. They enjoy a great deal ofautonomy and have complete editorial control over the storys content andangle as well as the recognition usually reserved for on-air talent such asreporters and anchorpeople. Usually, however, one-man-band reportingtakes place at stations that dont have the financial resources for a largestaff.

Processing and Editing Back at the newspaper, the photographerlooks over the film that was shot, with the photo editor, to select the bestpictures for the story. The photo editor will also provide feedback,acknowledging the best elements of each picture and discussing how itmight have been done better. (More variety? A different lens? Differentlighting? If the photographer had waited just until the next moment,would it have been a more powerful image?)

Some newspapers have a staff member whose job it is to develop thefilm, scan pictures into the computer, and do cropping, toning, andcoloring of photos using software such as Adobe PhotoShop. At othernewspapers, this is part of the photographers job.

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The photographer also prepares a caption for each photo, includingthe five Ws of journalism: Who, What, Where, When, Why. (Reporters alsohave to address the H, How.)

Finally, the photographer, photo editor, and layout editor discuss thephotos placement in the newspaper and whether it needs further editing,such as cropping.

At a television station, editing is a somewhat more elaborate process,since more images are used to tell the story and the elements of timing,pace, and rhythm are at play not to mention sound. The vast majority ofphotojournalists edit their videotape on their own, without requiring areporters input or approval. Editing is now done digitally, allowing forgreat precision and variety: electronic editing allows photojournalists tointroduce sounds, narration, and music into their stories with ease.

More than still photographers, video journalists must be careful not toedit their work in a way that creates a prejudicial point of view or aninaccurate portrayal of what happened. They also have to make sure thattransitional shots are cut into the story to prevent viewer confusion.

Ethics At all times a photojournalist must keep the ethics of theprofession in mind. Its not your job to alter history or to stage or evenrecreate events to make a more compelling picture. Your job is to recordhistory and uphold and maintain the credibility of the profession.

Theres often an ethical struggle between the publics right to knowand the individuals right to privacy, and difficult decisions must be made.Do you take a picture of a person grieving the loss of a loved one? Does itcontribute to the story? Will it cause the mourner more pain? Will itprompt the people who see the picture to count their blessings? If youmake a documentary showing a nation ravaged by famine, are youprofiting from the misfortunes of others? Or are you giving dignity to theirsuffering, making a testimonial to the endurance of the human spirit?What if your pictures get people to open up their pocketbooks and sendrelief aid? Is that an appropriate motivation, or should a photojournalistalways be an objective observer? Is that even possible?

None of these questions is easy to answer.

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PHOTOJOURNALISTS TELL YOU ABOUTTHEIR CAREERS

Im a San Francisco-BasedFreelance Photojournalist I always have had an

interest in photography. My parents started me off young takingphotographs and making photograms [photographs withoutnegatives, made by placing an object on photographic paper,exposing it to light, and printing it].

In college I wanted to be a photographer, but the questionwas which kind. I chose news photography because I thought Icould make a living doing it.

A typical workday is very unpredictable. Photographersoftentimes will do last-minute rush jobs, and as a freelancerlast-minute is very common. But news photographers as a wholewill photograph a lot of variety on a day-to-day basis. One minuteyoure taking pictures of first-graders and the next, a portrait of anaging veteran. In addition to generating and querying story ideasand shooting assignments, and regular communication with artdirectors, I also sometimes do reporting and write the stories thatgo with my photographs. I developed profiles on the guy whocreated the Friday Night Skate in San Francisco and a female TVreporter who competes in Ironman triathlons and a photo essayon freight trains. I like my work best when it grows in newdirections and I begin to see things differently.

I believe a college degree is essential for todaysphotojournalist. I have a bachelors degree in photojournalismwith a minor in English. Additionally, a photojournalist should bereally compassionate and concerned about life and how it unfoldsevery day. Photojournalists will also want to be strong-willed anddetermined to make the best picture possible; confidence is reallythe key here. Things that can also help are strong writing skills, abackground in art/design, a second language, and business skills.Of course, thorough instruction in photography techniques isessential!

This is a difficult profession, but its full of rewards. It takes alot to be a photographer, and we dont make all that much

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money. Typically youre not in it for the money, but for the love ofa good story and a great picture. I recommend that peopleinterested in this career read Howard Chapnicks book Truth NeedsNo Ally: Inside Photojournalism.

Im a Photo Editor and Past Directorof the Women in PhotojournalismConference I never seriously considered any

career but news photography. I guess I was attracted to thejournalism in photojournalism. Im a photo editor now, butwhen I was a shooter, this was my day:

Come into work and talk to the photo editor about whatassignments I have for the day and what they want from them.Then Id get in my car and go from job to job. Come back to thenewspaper at the end of my shift and process and scan my film.Have a photo editor look at it.

I learn so much about so many things. I always say I onlyknow half the things I do, because I had an assignment on thatsubject or topic. I meet interesting people and get to be a witnessand document important events in history.

What I like least are the mundane bread-and-butterphotography and assignments like press conferences, student ofthe week, and weather stories.

Im involved in the Women in Photojournalism Committee forthe National Press Photographers Association, and we givescholarships to high school kids to attend a workshop if they arein the area of one of our many annual conferences. When I wasdirector of the Women in Photojournalism Conference, we had thePulitzer-Prize winning photographer Martha Rial speak about herwork on the refugee situation in Rwanda. Another speaker wasBeth Reynolds, a documentary photographer who takes portraitsof breast and cervical cancer survivors and shows her work inplaces like shopping malls so the greatest possible number ofpeople are exposed to it. We also had the biggest turnout everfrom people in broadcast photojournalism.

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Photojournalists need a healthy curiosity, a sense ofadventure, a creative nature, and attention to detail. If youreinterested, call your local paper and ask to be an intern. Takepictures all the time of anything you like. Work for your schoolpaper. Join the National Press Photographers Association.

Im a Sports Photojournalist I liked taking pictureswhen I was young and found I had a natural talent for fast-actionphotos, which eventually led to this career. I started doing sportsphotos in 1965, circus photos in 1986, and figure skating in 1992.In each of the latter two cases, it was because the participantsthought my photographs were the best they had ever seen andasked me to do more. By concentrating on just those areas, thephotos got even better. Plus, the people involved in these twoareas were particularly friendly and easy to work with. I also writestories to accompany the photographs.

I enjoy being able to document performances for an athlete,especially their trademark moves or special moments in theircareers. And of course, I enjoy that they appreciate my doing so.The travel is both good and bad. Interesting places to see, butphysically grueling.

I dislike the petty infighting among journalists to get an edgeeven if that means doing something unethical or illegal. I have hadmillion-dollar TV reporters eavesdrop on my interviews and havebeen assaulted by other photographers on numerous occasions.Paparazzi photographers are the highest paid in newsphotography and they are extremely vicious. Often the media areunwilling to do the necessary background work and just want tojump in at the last minute for the high-paying story.

Dont expect to make a huge fortune unless you have noscruples whatsoever. If youre interested in doing quality work,you will always find jobs, but not always at great pay. Start withhigh school publications and work up to college publications,maybe doing some part-time work for small local papers. Try to beable to write or photograph anything, but specialize in a fewdistinct areas. Be accurate in your writing and depiction ofevents.

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Im a Professional Photographerwith a Variety of Interests I began making

pictures back in the early 60s when I was working for The NewYork Times. I had been an English major and hoped to follow apath like Hemingway did into literature via journalism. But I wasa slow writer and began to think I might not be able to live withthe deadline pressure of daily news reporting. At the same time, Iwas becoming interested in photographs as a way of conveyingstories, and when an opportunity arose to run the darkroom atthe Times International Edition in Paris, I grabbed it. I workedthere for three years, photographing local features and printingother pictures from the wire services, until the paper ceasedpublishing in 1967.

I think my interest in news or straight photography, asopposed to some of the more manipulated processes, may havebeen the result of having studied literature and journalism ratherthan visual arts. But the ability of a photograph to capture a lot ofinformation in an instant, and to suggest even more, appealed tome instant gratification, I guess.

Ive continued to photograph all these years, but have had toadd other things, like teaching or selling cameras or running acustom photo lab, to supplement my living. Nowadays I do someeditorial and commercial photography, I teach photography andcomputer graphics, as well as find time for my personal work,which includes landscapes, portraits, and the human comedy.

I think any student considering a career in news photographyneeds a good eye, a lot of curiosity, and boundless energy.Irregular hours, pressure, and low pay are part of the package.Students need to have the patience to go to a lot of boring eventsand try to find some visually interesting element. Dramatic frontpages and magazine covers come along about as rarely asgame-winning NBA shots. I think to be happy in photojournalismone has to love the process, be comfortable approaching people,and be willing to generate a lot of project ideas.

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Im a News Photographer inWashington, DC I was always interested in the

arts. When I first started college, I couldnt decide between aLiberal Arts major, Travel and Tourism major, Mental Health major,Commercial Arts major, or Fine Arts major. I discoveredphotojournalism when President Reagan was shot in DC. Ihappened to be near the hospital they took him to, I grabbed mycamera and hung out with the news photographers. I washooked! Then I took a photojournalism class in college and neverlooked back. I found that photojournalism was the best parts ofall the other majors I had considered rolled into one.

I like having a front-row seat on history. I like the daily varietyand the fact that pictures really do make a difference to people. Imean, name me a famous headline in the last century. Not manyare there? Pictures are another story altogether. I like to makepictures that I can put on my wall that are more creative instead ofinformational.

I dont like being at the mercy of visually illiterate people atthe newspaper. Sometimes theres a lot of stress dealing withhectic or dangerous situations. Ill be given up to threeassignments on any given day, and if theres nothing going on, Iget in the car and drive around and look for pictures, orenterprise.

To become a successful photojournalist, you need a creativeeye, the ability to get along with and talk to all types of people,from bikers to politicians; technical ability, drive, nerve, the abilityto anticipate spontaneous moments, and courage. Start out bygetting to know the folks in the photo department at your localpaper. If you develop a level of friendship and trust, I bet theyll letyou shoot an assignment every once in a while for a start.

I also teach over at the Defense Information School at FortMeade every summer and give talks to their photojournalismstudents every so often. I really enjoy it.

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PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS YOU WILL NEED

PHOTOJOURNALISTS ARE EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN THE WORLDS EVENTS, AND

especially by the people who make these events happen or are affected bythem. Theyre compassionate without being sentimental or too personal.Their interest must be genuine and their trust must be deserved. This isespecially true for documentary photographers, who may follow the sameperson or group through months or even years, but also for spot newsphotographers who may want to capture a powerful closeup of a personwhose face is a mask of shock or grief.

News photographers have a good eye for the story that makes a goodpicture and the picture that makes a good story. They must be able torecognize a potentially good picture and move swiftly and decisively torecord it. Theyre imaginative and creative, but they cant get too artsywith lighting tricks or fancy effects in the editing process, or theauthenticity and integrity of their message may be compromised.

As journalists, they have a passion for the transforming power of thetruth. They believe their work can inform and enlighten others, andperhaps effect positive change. They respect and uphold the highestethical standards of journalism. In this way and others, photojournalistscan be distinguished from what have come to be known as paparazzi journalists who, like vultures, exploit the misfortunes of others (especiallycelebrities) for their own gains, selling their photos to the highest bidder,which is usually a supermarket tabloid with little journalistic credibility.

Photojournalists have a good technical grasp of camera operation andare able to adapt to continual advances in technology. The ability to standfor long periods of time while holding a camera is important, as is goodhand-eye coordination.

Needless to say, photojournalists cant be risk aversive. But they cantbe foolhardy, either, rushing into the middle of a perilous situation to bethe first on the scene. Their enthusiasm should be tempered with a healthydose of prudence; they must be streetwise and aware of theirsurroundings, especially if theyre working in unfamiliar territory or underclearly dangerous circumstances. Getting that perfect shot of thefirefighter as he crawls out of a window in a burning building carrying aninfant to safety may be the goal, but the photographer must make sure tostay out of the way of flames and sparks and cinders and falling materialswhile doing it.

And while the most dramatic moments may produce the best storiesand pictures, emotions are usually running high. Taking a photograph may

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prompt retaliation from the subject of the picture or those associated withthe subject, or others who dont want the episode photographed maybebecause they dont want their own involvement in criminal activityrecorded, maybe because they dont want their private pain to besensationalized in the media.

ATTRACTIVE FEATURES

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IS A HALLMARK OF A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, AND

photojournalists provide the news in the most objective manner possible.Reporters are expected to be objective, but they almost always have tohave some kind of angle. In fact, journalists learn to write stories in thepyramid format: The most significant points go at the beginning of thearticle and the elaboration of the story gets increasingly broad as thearticle goes on. This is done so that an editor, in the interest of space,cutting somewhere, will know to begin deleting at the end of the article,where the information is more dispensable. Writing in such a way, areporter must decide exactly what story to tell.

Not so with photojournalism. To be sure, editors may select onepicture in favor of another, or may crop a picture or splice a video totighten up the story told, but the picture itself tells the story. There is nospin. Pictures cant mislead the way words can. Documentaryphotographers have sometimes been criticized for editing their material inorder to present a certain point of view; but ideally, the documentaryfilmmaker approaches the subject with an open mind and merely selectsscenes and puts them in such an order to illustrate what has already beendemonstrated by events, actions, and interviews captured on film or tape.

This isnt to suggest that photojournalists have a more important jobthan reporters or are more effective agents of change; just that peoplerespond more immediately and more viscerally to visual portrayals of thenews. This makes the work very rewarding.

Photographers are commercially important to any news organization.In these times of short attention spans and sound bites, a riveting coverphoto or teaser video promoting a newscast can make an otherwiseindifferent member of the public a customer or a viewer. USA Today wasthe first newspaper to use color extensively in photos and graphics, andwhen circulation rates broke all records, even the more traditionalnewspapers were forced to follow its lead in order to stay competitive.

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The career of a photojournalist is filled with variety and adventure.While they may find themselves in dangerous situations, they usually findsuch experiences invigorating and thrilling. They also enjoy access tomonumental events and powerful people, and to the moments that makehistory.

And, even though this field isnt about fame or celebrity, everyphotojournalist will admit that there is a feeling of pride seeing your namein print crediting one of your photos.

UNATTRACTIVE FEATURES

THERE ARE SOME NECESSARY EVILS THAT ARE PART OF ALMOST ANY CAREER IN

journalism: long, irregular hours and constant deadline pressure.Journalism is also a very competitive field. Because every news organization newspaper, magazine, local television newscast, syndicated newsorganization such as Associated Press or Reuters, or an ongoing newscastfrom a cable TV station or Web site wants to be first and best atreporting the news, photojournalists must not just get the news. Theymust get it before their competitors do, and they must try to get a betterpicture by getting closer to the action, capturing a key moment, or snaringa key exclusive interview. This often means bumping heads, literally, withvery aggressive people with cameras. Bystanders, too, as well asphotographic subjects, can be unpredictable when emotions are at feverpitch.

Theres physical discomfort involved, as well as genuine danger.Photojournalists may have to walk or stand for long hours in the rain orsnow waiting for an event to occur, or walk long distances to get to alocation inaccessible by vehicle, or deliberately put themselves in harmsway to cover an event (a riot, for instance, or a tornado), while luggingequipment that might weight 20 pounds or more. A printphotojournalists gear bag may contain two cameras, an attachable flash,and at least three lenses, as well as a cell phone, beeper, police and firescanners, and, if the photojournalist is a platypus, a small video camera.

Finally, photojournalists, regardless of their personal integrity and thedegree to which they uphold the ethics of the profession, may be regardedas vultures by the public or be confused with paparazzi.

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EDUCATION AND TRAINING YOU WILL NEED

THERE ARE MANY EDUCATION OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BECOME

photojournalists. The route you choose depends on how certain you areabout pursuing this career and what you hope to get out of your collegeexperience.

Liberal Arts CollegeSay youre intrigued by news photography, but youre equally intrigued byMedieval French history. You could choose to attend a liberal arts collegethat offers both a major in history and courses in communications as wellas the technical aspects of photography. Even students who have theirhearts set on a photojournalism education should know that at manyprofessional schools, three-quarters of the coursework that leads to adegree in journalism are in literature, foreign languages, mathematics,natural sciences, and social sciences liberal arts!

If you dont study photography or journalism at all in college, it willprobably take you longer to assemble a portfolio that you can showprospective employers, and youll have to hustle more to get internships,assignments, and your first job. At some point, you should probably getformal training of some sort. Learning on the job is the best educationthere is, but internships and employment opportunities are competitive.Taking classes at a community college or school of visual arts willdemonstrate your interest in and talent for this field.

Journalism SchoolThere are hundreds of journalism programs in the United States; youllwant to look first at those that have the seal of approval from theAccrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.The ACEJMC has standards by which it accredits journalism programs. Thecurriculum requirement calls for an extremely broad and well-roundedprogram. There must be a balance between courses in journalism/masscommunication and courses in other disciplines, with a minimum numberof hours in the basic liberal arts and sciences. There must also be boththeoretical/conceptual coursework and the development of practical skills.

Even graduate programs must not limit their coursework to journalismalone, if they want the Councils stamp of approval. The Council believesthat this requirement prepares students for an interconnected,competitive world in which the delivery of news, information, ideas andentertainment is changing and audience choices are increasing.Internships are strongly recommended, and most schools require them.

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A course of study that culminates in a journalism degree will focus onthe development of your communications skills using both words andimages. Youll also learn about research and interviewing techniques, thehistory of mass media, and journalistic ethics and law. Computer sciencewill be required, too, and you may learn how to lay out newspaper ormagazine pages electronically.

Many journalism schools offer a specialty in photojournalism and/orbroadcast journalism. Both specialties will cover the technical aspects oftaking good pictures. Photojournalism students will also study photoediting, often with computerized editing software, and will learn how touse press cameras; develop, print and enlarge photos; and compose newspictures. Broadcast journalism majors will learn field camera operation andthe techniques of editing videotape. Youll get a chance for real, hands-onexperience by working for the schools newspaper or television newscast,or producing a documentary.

One of the great advantages of a formal journalism program is theprofessional support thats provided. Because youll be doing as you learn,youll be able to compile a collection of your best photos and videotapesfrom class assignments and internships, which means that by the time yougraduate, youll already have a portfolio. Also, your school will probablyarrange for an internship for you in the professional media, so youll havesome real-world work experience by the time you graduate. All of this willhelp you get your first job.

Internships Internships traditionally take place under the supervision ofa professor and a professional during summer vacations from school.Many internships are unpaid. Some, such as those that require a timecommitment of only a few hours a week, may pay an interns travelexpenses; others may provide transportation, housing, and a small weeklystipend ($25 or so). On the other hand, a full-time, year-long internship asa video journalist for a prestigious cable news organization could pay asmuch as $20,000.

To apply for a position, youll be asked to send slides, a CD, orvideotapes of your work several months in advance of the start of theinternship to newspapers, magazines, television stations, or newsassociations. In addition to samples of your work, you may also be askedto send a transcript, recommendations from your professors, and an essaydescribing your long-term goals and what you want to get out of theinternship.

Selection for an internship is competitive; but fortunately,opportunities are plentiful. Newspaper internships are available at local

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and regional newspapers from Hawaii (at the Honolulu Advertiser, forinstance) to New Jersey (Asbury Park Neptune), from North Dakota (FargoForum Box) to Texas (Abilene Reporter-News). There are also opportunitiesat national newspapers such as USA Today.

Just about every broadcast news organization, cable channel, andprogram youve ever heard of also have established internship programs(ABCs Nightline and 20/20, as well as CBS and NBC; C Span, CNN,Discovery Channel), as do some you may not have heard of (Department ofthe Army Broadcast, International Radio and Television Society Foundation,National Republican Congressional Committee, Public Safety Channel).Internet news services are also beginning to use interns.

At a newspaper, interns may be asked to photograph general news,features, and/or sports events, and help to develop and scan photos. Youmay be asked to use your own equipment. There may be seminars on suchsubjects as the First Amendment and libel law.

Broadcast interns will probably assist with all phases of production,including lugging equipment around, going on location with film crews,editing or helping to assemble stories in the editing room, and assistingwith the audio aspect of the program. Administrative responsibilities mayinclude making phone calls, doing research, and archiving videotape.

News photographers are an energetic, supportive, and generousgroup, and mentoring plays an important part in a photojournalistseducation. Dont be afraid to ask a teacher, employer, or editor for advice,feedback, and references. Some news organizations even stipulate thattheir senior staff will be available to interns to answer questions anddiscuss the field.

WHAT YOU WILL EARN

EARNINGS ARE DETERMINED BY THE SIZE AND TYPE OF THE PUBLICATION, THE

photographers experience and proven ability, and location of the newsorganization. A college student in a year-long internship at a majormetropolitan newspaper or national cable news station could earn$22,000 a year. That could also be the salary offered to a full-timephotographer with some experience by a smallish newspaper.

Depending on employment circumstances, the average salary forphotographers hovers at approximately $30,000 to $35,000, and the toprate paid to print photojournalists is around $40,000 to $50,000.

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To advance in a career and make more money, a photographer mayhave to relocate to a larger publication in a larger market, or get promotedto a supervisory or managerial position such as photo editor. Talented,aggressive, and well-connected freelancers can make more; and publishinga book of photo essays is another way to boost your income, and yourmarketability.

The biggest salary range is in broadcast journalism. A television stationwith a large, full-time news staff is indicative of its financial commitmentto the news, and camera people will be paid accordingly. But the greatestdeterminant of salary is the size of the metropolitan area covered (ormarket), partly because larger markets are more likely to have broadcastunions, which negotiate the highest possible salaries for their members.The disparity between the highest paid and the lowest paid, for essentiallythe same work, is great. The average cameraperson earns about $25,000nationwide. However, in New York City (the number-one market), abroadcast photojournalist can expect to command a salary of $85,000,including overtime, whereas in San Francisco (market number five),$62,500 is considered top pay. In Pittsburgh, the range is $40,000 to$60,000; and in small markets such as Tyler, Texas and Rapid City, SouthDakota, top salaries only reach $25,000.

OUTLOOK FOR THIS CAREER

AS CABLE TV NEWS STATIONS AND Internet NEWS SITES PROLIFERATE, CREATINGcompetition for traditional news sources, broadcast television stations andnewspapers have seen their profits drop, forcing them to downsize.Smaller staffs mean less opportunity at every level of the traditional newsorganization. However, this phenomenon also means more opportunity forwork on cable and the Internet.

The very proliferation of news venues is a reflection of the publicsinsatiable appetite for information. This trend bodes well for all aspects ofjournalism; but the parallel trend that has our attention spans growingever-shorter (as we become accustomed to channel-hopping with theremote and surfing the Net) bodes particularly well for photojournalists.When it comes right down to it, its an arresting image that will causepeople to stick with a channel or Web site or purchase a newspaper ormagazine. Visuals supply the public with what it wants: information, now.

Those who can do great work with both still photography and videowill find that their market potential is greatly enhanced. Demonstratingenterprise and initiative in the newsroom also makes a photojournalist

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more valuable to an organization. This means working cooperatively withreporters, developing excellent writing skills, and becoming a proficienteditor.

GETTING STARTED

ALONG WITH YOUR BACKGROUND, EXPERIENCE, AND SPARKLING PERSONALITY, THEone item that will go far toward getting your first internship and your firstjob (as well as subsequent jobs) will be your portfolio. You might evenneed one for admission to a photojournalism program. Although materialyou produced as part of a class, internship, photography club, schoolnewspaper club, or part-time job is valuable, most employers will want tosee the pictures you produce of your own volition. A good set of picturesor footage taken on spec will be more impressive than pictures you tookbecause an instructor or editor asked for them. These are photos you tookjust because you enjoy telling stories and putting a frame around real life,and because theres nothing youd rather spend your time doing thanmaking pictures. And thats something you can start doing right away,which means you can start preparing your portfolio now!

Dont worry about how your photos should be presented; every editorwants something different. To some, professionally mounted photosdemonstrate your commitment to excellence; to others, a photocopy isfine as long as the image is good. So right now, concentrate on gettinggreat stories on film or tape. If youre a still photographer, by the way,your portfolio will consist of a series of photographs, usually 12 to 24. Ifyou work on videotape, your portfolio will be a demo tape, such as a seriesof two- to three-minute segments.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when preparing your portfolio orlooking about for interesting things to take pictures of:

Your portfolio should show that you understand the basics ofcamera operation and composition, including light, color, and texture. Ifyoure preparing a video, it should show off your editing skills. Includeeverything absolutely necessary; cut anything extraneous.

Select examples of your work that demonstrate enthusiasm,creativity, style, humor, personality, compassion, and respect for yoursubjects.

If your portfolio is made up of prints, make sure you include along-term storytelling series. If youre a broadcast photojournalist, goodediting will demonstrate your ability to tell a story.

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Include a variety of themes, such as spot news, sports, fashion, andfeatures.

Photo editors and the public alike want to be surprised. Theyare deluged with visual images on a daily basis. Include pictures thatdemonstrate risk-taking or are taken at a unique angle or include anunusual composition of elements.

The world is your studio and real-life is your subject. Whether yourecovering a war zone or relief efforts; crime or a centennial celebration;powerful celebrities or corrupt politicians; or documenting the struggles ofa pair of conjoined twins living independently or an interracial coupleraising a family as long as your work sends a meaningful message, tells astory, and maybe even inspires someone or serves as an agent of change,youre doing a great job. So load your camera and get started. Good luck!

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ASSOCIATIONS

! Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass

Communications

http://www.ukans.edu/acejmc/

! American Society of Media Photographers

http://www.asmp.org

! ASMP Photojournalism Specialty Group Atlanta

Photojournalism Seminar

http://www.photojournalism.org

! Broadcast Education Association

http://www.beaweb.org

! National Association of Broadcasters

http://www.nab.org

! National Press Photographers Association

http://www.nppa.org

! Newseum, an interactive museum of news

http://www.newseum.org/

! Newspaper Association of America

http://www.naa.org

! Professional Photographers of America, Inc.

! Society of Professional Journalists

http://spj.org/spjhome.htm

! Television News Photography

http://www.b-roll.net/

!White House News Photographers Association

http://www.whnpa.org

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PERIODICALS

You can find the addresses of these professional journals and magazines ina directory of publications at the library. You may find recent issues ofsome of the more popular periodicals in a large public library or universitylibrary. You can also write to the publication directly and request a samplecopy and information on obtaining a regular subscription. Reading currentperiodicals can be an excellent way of getting a feel for what is happeningin this field.

! American Journalism Review ASMP (American Society of

Media Photographers)

! Bulletin Columbia Journalism Review

! Editor & Publishers (newspapers)

! LIFE magazine (published periodically)

! News Photographer Magazine (official publication of the

National Press Photographers Association)

! NewsViews (quarterly magazine published by a group of

Eastern Canadian photojournalists)

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