The Reality of a Working Photojournalist...
Jun 17, 2018 11:39:47 #
You know, I can't tell you how many times I have had people come up to me and say any of the following:
"Boy, that's a nice camera, I bet it takes good pictures"
"Is that all you do all day, going around shooting photos?"
"Man, you get to travel all around, huh?"
And my favorite... "What TV station do you work for?"
The reality though is that photojournalism is hard work with long hours and now very low pay. I have lived in my car for weeks, been shot at, cussed at, threatened, praised and ignored. It is a true mixed bag of experiences, but the great part is that you get to see and do cool stuff, too. I have met Presidents, pro sports figures, politicians and people who were both famous and infamous. I have slept with homeless people under bridges and been to world-wide sporting events. SO, is it worth the long hours, hard work, enormous amounts of crap you have to put up with? Absolutely. This photo is a good example of some of the places you have to stay in. This was shot in Ulysses, Kansas in the ONLY hotel in town, which was at a truck stop. Sometimes, ya gotta stay where you gotta stay! :-)
"Boy, that's a nice camera, I bet it takes good pictures"
"Is that all you do all day, going around shooting photos?"
"Man, you get to travel all around, huh?"
And my favorite... "What TV station do you work for?"
The reality though is that photojournalism is hard work with long hours and now very low pay. I have lived in my car for weeks, been shot at, cussed at, threatened, praised and ignored. It is a true mixed bag of experiences, but the great part is that you get to see and do cool stuff, too. I have met Presidents, pro sports figures, politicians and people who were both famous and infamous. I have slept with homeless people under bridges and been to world-wide sporting events. SO, is it worth the long hours, hard work, enormous amounts of crap you have to put up with? Absolutely. This photo is a good example of some of the places you have to stay in. This was shot in Ulysses, Kansas in the ONLY hotel in town, which was at a truck stop. Sometimes, ya gotta stay where you gotta stay! :-)
Jun 17, 2018 11:47:44 #
Pixeldawg wrote:
You know, I can't tell you how many times I have h... (show quote)
Wow, that's a good photo. You must have a great camera.
Jun 17, 2018 12:26:09 #
Pixeldawg wrote:
You know, I can't tell you how many times I have h... (show quote)
And... that's why most of us would never want to be photojournalists.
Photography as art, business, or just a commodity delivery, is just like every other market vertical; a pyramid. At the bottom are those who work very hard, every day, to deliver a commodity, and generally for ever diminishing returns. Those at the top invariably have worked extremely hard to differentiate their offerings from a commodity, and now work only on references and referrals, as consultants to their clients, collaborating on photographic art that is highly valued.
We don't all have the same talent, the same vision, and the same opportunities. Of those three, vision is the most important; with vision you can work hard to develop the talent, and the opportunities.
Jun 17, 2018 12:44:52 #
Pixeldawg wrote:
Mark, Great shot inside that hotel room in Kansas.You know, I can't tell you how many times I have h... (show quote)
"Is that all you do all day, going around shooting photos?"
Jun 17, 2018 13:09:25 #
tomcadman
Loc: SoCal USA
Quote:
The reality though is that photojournalism is hard work with long hours and SO, is it worth the long hours, hard work, enormous amounts of crap you have to put up with? Absolutely. :-)
Love the sign photo... Thank you for sharing this, Mark! I am a total newbie, doing this for therapy (loss of wife to cancer)... but I have caught the bug something fierce, and I cannot stop... even if nobody notices.
Jun 17, 2018 19:45:26 #
Tomcadman, My sincerest sympathies regarding the loss of your wife. I can not imagine. And if there's anything I can do to assist you with developing your photo skills, am happy to. mark.lent@xjtlu.edu.cn
Jun 17, 2018 19:46:19 #
Hahaha! I should have known those quotes would be used against me. Too funny! 
Jun 17, 2018 19:49:11 #
It is a profession that I dearly love though. I have been working full time at newspapers since I was 16. Before that, I delivered newspapers. Once it gets into your blood, it is difficult to get away from it. Most of my adult working life has been centered around photography and newspapers, and it has been good to me. I DO know many that struggled and many who were cast aside in the digital age. Is a pity that so many talented people can not practice their craft. I am very, very lucky.
Jun 18, 2018 00:05:40 #
tomcadman
Loc: SoCal USA
Pixeldawg wrote:
Tomcadman, My sincerest sympathies regarding the loss of your wife. I can not imagine. And if there's anything I can do to assist you with developing your photo skills, am happy to. mark.lent@xjtlu.edu.cn
Mark, you are too kind... but if you look at the stuff I’ve posted, you would see that I have a looooong way to go. I am just experimenting with various venues, styles, and subjects to see what clicks with me.
Still, I am having a lot of fun... so, for me, if it’s not fun, it’s not photography. -Tom
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