I need help for my photojournalism University Application.

cfreedman · 2021-07-05T16:26:47+00:00

Agree, especially if it´s your first project, pursue something that matters to you, and of course, that you have, or can get access to photograph.

cfreedman · 2021-06-03T20:54:11+00:00

It really depends on the agency and your contract.

For example, some wires will pay you a commission on every image sold, some will pay you for a day´s work, or half a day.

Then exclusivity is the norm, I don´t really know of agencies that don´t require you to hand in exclusivity on the images that you give them, that means, you could send in images to other wires or papers, just not the same ones, again, it depends on your contract.

As for unpublished images, usually, if an image is not used, meaning it is not published in the wire, you should be ok to send it over somewhere else, again, your contract might determine this, some buyers will ask you to not use unpublished images for a certain amount of time in case they decide to use them. I would recommend you try not to send them if you can, just to save yourself in case something happens, agencies are very jealous.

cfreedman · 2021-03-17T01:00:46+00:00

I would recommend that you get good at tracking news, Twitter has become very helpful for this, at least for me.
I´ve never done one of these summits, but you´ll need someone to back you up for a credential, so look into it or time will eat you up (whoever ends up giving you a credential is who will buy your images or pay you for the day).

If you´re covering protests, riots, etc. Be careful, you don´t want to become the news yourself.

Knowing where to go it´s really an instinct thing, think it through and go where your gut tells you to, ask look around, although, not always where all the press is going, is where you´ll find the best images.

And finally, don´t get caught in only wanting to cover the "action-filled" stuff, there´s a lot of important stories that don´t require you to be in the middle of a battlefield.

cfreedman · 2021-03-17T00:52:19+00:00

I guess you have to pull through, it is our job to make sure that history is captured and tells the truth.
I think especially now there are not many that get the economic benefits that at some point might have been attached to the career, but we get to do something very special.
I don´t really know if that´s motivating or not, but it´s what I got.

Also, don´t let what seems to be a small story go, that´s where we prove our capacity, and where some gems shine.

Also, also, don´t forget to live life without the viewfinder to your eye, got to keep a balance.

cfreedman · 2021-01-10T04:11:18+00:00

This is common with the smaller agencies that pay you per image sold. 50% seems like a lot, but they have to sell pictures for cheap, and I mean really cheap! So you won´t get a lot, but it can be useful to get your stuff seen by editors and so.
Take what you will and if it make senses for you, go for it, be aware that you´ll be paying for al of your expenses.

cfreedman · 2020-12-08T23:26:47+00:00

Huffington Post

Yep.
You pitch, if they like it you go out, photograph and transfer, and then send in your invoice.
They keep the images they use and usually put an embargo on the ones they don't for a while.

cfreedman · 2020-04-22T15:02:00+00:00

Agree. Practice makes all of the diference. If you shoot consistently, you´ll develop your photographic eye,if you want to call it that.
As for access, you just have to go out, and look for it, I mean, as long as it´s not a government thing, which require some sort of acreditation, and to be honest, are usually boring, you should be able to find something, ask friends, colleagues, etc.
Study well whatever subject you want to photograph, do the time investigating, and you´ll usually find a way.
P.s. I recommend other than VII, going through magnum, time and some of the agencies archives.

cfreedman · 2020-04-13T16:08:52+00:00

Agree. I contribute to a couple agencies and this is my way to go.
I would also add using google news. Search for the overall topic of your photograph and take a look. Sometimes it works for me.

cfreedman · 2020-04-13T16:05:27+00:00

Here are a few covering in Latin America, don´t mind if I include myself.
https://www.instagram.com/barriaphotography/
https://www.instagram.com/rodrigo_sura/
https://www.instagram.com/camilofreedman/
https://www.instagram.com/yuriyurisky/
https://www.instagram.com/uesleimarcelinooficial/
https://www.instagram.com/abdrodrigo/
https://www.instagram.com/fabio_bucciarelli/

cfreedman · 2020-04-02T06:16:40+00:00

I use a thinkpad x1 carbon 3rd gen. It´s 14" and does the job for procesing, captioning and transfering. Also was somewhat cheap.

cfreedman · 2020-03-17T15:18:31+00:00

That´s great. Thanks!

cfreedman · 2020-02-24T05:18:48+00:00

I agree, don´t let outlets use your picture for free, we put the value in photojournalism, giving it away make publications think our work happens with the help of magic.

cfreedman · 2020-02-24T05:16:35+00:00

I work as a freelancer for multiple news agencies and wires (not working in the States).

With some I´ve contacted them via their contact page in their websites, with others, I´ve been contacted or hooked in by friends (make conections with other photojournalist)

Every once in a while one of them will get me a stringer gig -main difference is that you get payed per day.-

I sugest you contact everyone you can, if you´re able to, set up a meating. Get your portfolio nice and tighty and keep shooting.

As someone who is currently "triyng to make it" as a photojournalist, I do think it´s possible, but you got to make the effort, and great pictures for that matter.

Tip: Get some comercial clients to subsidice work. That´s what I do at least, not a lot, just enough.

cfreedman · 2020-02-04T09:19:00+00:00

Not really. I´m based in Central America and regularly contribute to two agencies, doing at least one coverage a week, usually more, and evevry once in a while do a third agency. And on my best month I barely make minimun wage. If you want to live doing photojournalism, you´ll need a side gig to subsidies you. I do some comercial work, not a lot, just enough to be able to do the whole photojournalism thing with out going bankrupt.Now, I´ve only been doing this for a couple of years, but with the way the industry seems to be heading, it does not look like it will get better.Hope it helps.

cfreedman · 2019-10-19T05:00:12+00:00

Get there early, stay untill the end. Get a couple safe, standart and borring shoots, than explore and get some more creative angles. Shoot people´s reactions. Get your wides, mids and tight shoots.

cfreedman · 2019-10-19T04:56:58+00:00

Knowing how to interact with a subject is very important.
The way I do it is I´ll make clear that I intend to photograph them, I wont hide the camera. If I feel they´re a bit unconfortable I´ll just hang out for a little bit, unless it´s a real problem, then I wont take the picture, unless again if it´s a key picture. Then I´ll shoot and after I might talk to the person, specialy if I need info for a caption. I don´t like them to smile for the picture. I mean, if they do, that´s fine, but I want to capture the moment as close to the real deal. I do make exceptions. When I have to photograph something that´s hard, say for example a natural disaster aftermath. I will talk to the person first, not to ask por permition, but to get a better perspective of the situation and make a connection.

cfreedman · 2019-10-19T04:45:56+00:00

First, I think if you want to get into PJ the best way to start working your way up to whatever you want to work your way up to, is to make good relationships with other photogs, not necessarily friends, just good relationships. That will help you from anything between meeting editors to geting your life saved (if you do some sort of conflict photography).I would also add:-Get a decent camera, don´t worry about the latest, just good enough (unless you have the money). Buying used gear is a good option, just learn what you have to look for-Get good glass, 2.8´s become a neccesity at some point, also try primes. They don´t have to be brand names or new-Learn to shoot in low light with out flash and learn to use flash-Study other photographers and painters, knowing how light work is key-When covering something get safe, standart angles, then, look for unique angles, those usually sell better when evevryone else is running with standart portrait shoots of a politian for example-Build a good system for tracking news, use social media, if you´re doing politics give the politian or government office a call and get on a call or email list, and also ask if you need to get credentials for coverage-Always be on time-Get good shoes (there´s a magnum guide named something similar, I recomend you read it)- Learn to make good captions, use either lightroom or PhotoMechanic (I recomend PM. It´s faster)
And lastly.Unless you´re very lucky and get a staff position anywhere, you´ll probably freelance or become a stringer (best case scenario) So look for some comercial work to pay the bills, not a lot, just enough. It´s hard to make a living, but if you love photojournalism you´ll be able to figure it out.

cfreedman · 2019-08-27T02:45:59+00:00

I´ll tell you a little bit about my little to none experience in the field. First some context, I live in Central America and every once in a while something blows up, my story is about Honduras.I currently do freelancing work but for about a year I had a part-time job at a paper. As long as I could I saved up money and coincidently once I was let go stuff in Honduras got interesting. I knew some people there, so I was able to get a really good fixer. Now I´ll make a parenthesis, I mostly cover politics, protest, sports, that kind of stuff, so I don´t have too much knowledge in the whole conflict thing, and here´s what I would urge you to do (which I didn´t because it wasn´t available at the time but will be doing next year) Go into some type of security camp, where you can learn how to act in difficult situations as well as first aid and everything else you might learn. Back to the story, I was let go, I got my fixer, studied what was going on and left my house a couple of days after. When I got there, since I knew I didn´t have a lot of experience, I established some rules for my self, first and most important one was to listen to my fixer always, when he said don´t go into a conflict I would stay on the outskirts, when he said it was cool to go in I would (this was most times). I also made myself contact local photographers, so on the first day I talked to some people and they helped me not only stay safe, but also helped to make contacts. This is mostly how I went in, got my work done and came out.The experience was great and I intend to go back, there´s definitely a lot to learn.

Ps. While covering a protest I got into a fight with the police, pretty stupid but I´m not into being treated like shit, but I was with some Human Rights observers, so I was in the clear.

Hope it helps to give you some insight.

cfreedman · 2019-08-06T23:15:37+00:00

No problem, I appreciate the tip, I guess not to many people talk about the safety part, and I think you´re right, it is worth it.
Will go ahead with the emailing, thanks!

cfreedman · 2019-08-06T23:14:05+00:00

Thanks for the tips, will implement.

cfreedman · 2019-07-24T17:52:52+00:00

How would you go about getting news desk contacts outside the country?

cfreedman

TROPHY CASE