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|| SportsShooter.com: News Item: Posted 2008-03-24
Aspiring photojournalists, you're being watched!
Jim McNay says keep doing good work if you want to influence the people watching you.
By Jim McNay
Photo by Paul Michael Myers
Jim McNay says you're being watched!
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Because still and video photographers are the only person standing behind their camera, they may think they work in something of a vacuum, unnoticed.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Yet in doing their work, photographers make their pictures and video, turn in the assignment, move on. There's little feedback from editors or the public-unless someone thinks there's been a screw-up.
However student photographers and emerging photojournalists are probably being watched and scrutinized far more than they realize.
For example, editors who offer internships often are scanning colleges, local and others, for talented photographers they might bring on board for a summer. Those editors who plan ahead are also mulling over who they would hire as their next staff photographer if one of their team were to suddenly move on unexpectedly.
Professors regularly get calls for students to do freelance work in journalism and beyond. Sometimes the opportunities that come to instructors' attention can be early career makers. Teachers are often asked, "Who's ready?" as in who's ready for a big opportunity.
And one of the most prestigious workshops for photographers under age 30 cannot be applied for. Nominees for Europe's World Press Photo master class in photography come from a select workshop committee scattered around the world.
One or two board members in the U.S. have the authority to make nominations to this prestigious opportunity. They rely on their network of knowledgeable photographers, editors and others to flesh out their potential candidate list when they are soliciting portfolios. If we're lucky, the U.S. might get one talented photographer in the final master class of approximately 12. Some years the participants are all from other nations.
Again, this comes down to who is doing good work, to the "Who's ready?" question.
Interestingly, photographers seldom know they are being watched like this. But photojournalists should know pros are always in a mode where they are "looking for talent." Editors want to have future hires on their radar screens now. Bureau chiefs are looking to add strong photographers to their stringer lists. Professors are hoping to be able to have strong candidates for great opportunities when the opportunities arise.
The Cosmic Joke here is there is nothing really for photographers to do about this. If they want to influence the people watching them, the key is: Keep doing good work. More than anything, strong pictures impress.
Bottom line: If you know it or not, you're being watched.
Jim McNay teaches and writes about photojournalism in California-while fantasizing about running a charter fishing business in Key West.
Photographers, particularly those in school or seeking to break into the photojournalism, are welcome to send ideas for future columns to Jim McNay at jimmcnay@cox.net.
Questions about getting started in photojournalism that might be answered in future columns are also welcome.
Related Links:
McNay's member page
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Contents copyright 2008, SportsShooter.com. Do not republish without permission.
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