Small assignments done well open doors to large assignments

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|| SportsShooter.com: News Item: Posted 2007-03-22

Small assignments done well open doors to large assignments
Photographers can start to control their destinies and put themselves in line for those great assignments

By Jim McNay, Brooks Institute of Photography

Photo by Paul Michael Myers

Jim McNay photographs during a bullfight at the Portugese D.E.S. in Artesia, Calif. in 2006.

Bullfighters joke:
Question: How many matadors does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: Four.
One to climb the ladder and change the bulb, three others to stand around and say, "That should be me up there."

How many times have we heard photographers come from the same place? "Well if I was sent overseas, I could have gotten those same pictures. I just wasn't picked for the assignment."

There is a Cosmic Joke here.

For a moment, imagine yourself as an assigning editor. When you look around your team of photographers, how do you make the selection of some for An Important Assignment? This might be one the publication is counting on covering well. It might be an assignment that holds a lot of interest for the community the publication covers. It might be one that requires a considerable investment of money.

However one cuts it, there is a lot riding on excelling with this assignment.

How does the choice of a photographer to cover the assignment get made?

Amazingly enough, a major consideration is, "Who is doing good daily work right here, right now?"

The theory behind an editor's thought process in such instances goes like this: If someone is doing good work here, is on time with assignments, is accountable with their captions, is digging into their stories and finding a way to get something extra out of the mundane assignment, maybe, just maybe they will do that with the big assignment when a lot is riding on it.

And make no mistake this is not in the realm of, "Who's our best photographer?" Instead it is in the area of, "Who, when we give them an assignment, do we NOT worry about to get something interesting, different, special from the assignment-and get it to us on time?"

When one thinks about it, basing a choice on such considerations starts to make sense. And really, what other considerations are there? Seniority? It's someone's "turn" to do it? Someone did not get to go last time?

Are these really valid approaches when there is so much riding on an assignment?

Stop and think about some other arenas. Barry Bonds isn't asked to pinch hit in a game-winning situation because he's a nice guy. At the height of his powers, plays were designed for Michael Jordon to take the potential game-winning shot as the clock ran out. These guys have proved themselves well before they ever got to these moments.

So, how can photographers start to control their destinies and put themselves in line for those great assignments? Work the little ones real hard.

Bottom line: Sweat the small stuff. If you think this is not important, take a scuba diver or airline pilot to coffee. Discuss among yourselves.

Photographers, particularly those in school or seeking to break into the photojournalism, are welcome to send ideas for future columns to Jim McNay at jim.mcnay@brooks.edu.

Questions about getting started in photojournalism that might be answered in future columns are also welcome.

Related Links:

Brooks NPPA Student Chapter

Brooks Institute of Photography

Jim McNay's Member Page