Hi Zelig,
During my years as a newspaper reporter, I don't recall ever seeing a
photographer job advertised. It just wasn't necessary. On the rare
occasion that a position opened up, the photo editor would be pummeled
with portfolios, and those were from card-carrying residents of the
small and insular world of professional photography.
I don't know if you're even looking for newspaper work, nor do I know
what kind of experience you have. But I'm guessing from your question
that you don't have a lot of professional experience, so I'll tell you
what I know about newspaper photography.
Newspapers want photogs that can not only shoot great art, but are
also reliable and hard-working. Make that very hard-working. Newspaper
photographers are the workhorses of the operation. They're out there
hustling all day, every day, with assignments from every corner of the
newsroom taking them to every corner of the city. So the job's only
partially about taking pictures. Lots of people can get a great shot
if they have enough time. But .. say you're on the freeway and you
notice smoke coming from the warehouse district and you race down
there and the street's blocked off and the fire marshall doesn't want
anyone getting too close and then all of the sudden a single,
magnificant curtain of flame takes out the roof ... if you manage to
get a great shot of that, then you've got what it takes.
But how to prove you've got what it takes when no one will give you a
chance? One word, my friend: internships. Sure, the pay sucks, but
it's only three months of your life, and you'll be doing the exact
same things your real-life full-time photographers do. No one wants to
hire an unknown quality, which is why internships are great: you get a
chance to show your stuff, and the paper gets a chance to check you
out, no strings attached on either side. I've just conducted an
informal survey of my photog friends, and they all say they got their
first job after an internship.
Some internships are listed on journalism sites, but if you want to go
that route, I'm certain you'd have better luck just approaching the
photo desks of newspapers you're interested in. Show the photo editor
your book, say you'd like to work out some sort of internship deal.
Best of luck to you in your job hunt! And if you're not remotely
interested in newspaper work ... well, good luck nonetheless, and I
hope I haven't wasted too much of your time.
Best wishes,
bassoonista |
