Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Dan, I HOPE the below was written as a joke otherwise you have a very twisted idea of what it takes to be a working news photographer. News photography is a HIGHLY competitive field and almost anyone who is beyond the weekly/small town daily stage of their career is usually a fairly good extremely well rounded photographer, and those who make it to the larger dailies and wire service work I'd stack up against anyone who does not have that background for general knowledge of photography in any situation. A news photographer also has to be a computer geek, know how to process film ANYWHERE...how many here have souped film and made prints in motel bathrooms, under deadlines??? How many of ya'll remember looking for a decent phone line to transmitt on way before the advent of the computer age??? Talk about trying times.... As a newspaper photographer you are expected to always come back with the best image possible under any circumstance, no excuses. And please note I did not use the 90's feel good best image you can get, no I said the best image possible. And you better damn well believe it if your competition gets a better image you will hear about it from your editors. I'd dare say most of these guy's could focus rings around most on this list. Most of these guys thrown into any shooting situation imaginable (and I might add with little or no preparation) could shoot rings around most on this list with a minimum of equipment. Ask Donal, Carl, or Ted what they think of the lessons learned working at a newspaper and I think they will agree. You MUST learn to work FAST, WELL, and creatively...if you are smart you get out of that newspaper rat race and put those qualities to work in the commercial realm. Following is an example of a normal day from when I worked for the Daily News in Atlanta, GA.: Start at 9 am for the early shift..9-5, we had 4 shifts...9-5, 10-6, 12:30- 8:30, 2-11. The best being the 2-11 as you usually actually worked only 8 hours, and you got to shoot sports. 9am get into the office get assignments..anywhere from 3-5 all over Atlanta. Shoot the early assignments usually including 1 business shot, environmental portrait (the things Marc hates) or a profile on a production business...meaning industrial location work or construction work. Also usually a lifestyle shoot...usually ok since you got to do more than a quick one photo assignment...could be anything from fashion to a story on handicapped kids playing baseball. Shoot a "feature"shot...what some of ya'll call street shooting...people in the community doing interesting things outside, inside whatever as long as it is interesting for the paper...a standing assignment for all staffers.. If time, run through a drive thru for lunch, if not grab a coke and candy bar while gassing up car. Get into the office and process print/edit chrome for early deadlines..business, 'style, "B" section. Head back out for news assignments...major construction, maybe an aerial, photo of guy who shot people in perimeter mall being escorted from courthouse to car...whatever. Haul ass back to office process film and make print or select slide (I always shot chrome unless I HAD to shoot neg) for 1A budget meeting...usually 45 mins to 1hr (if lucky, usually more like 30 minutes) for processing/printing till meeting. Find out there is a high school baseball game that has to be shot and stringer is out so work OT to cover some pimply teenagers batting a ball around..finally get home around 8pm. Starts over the next day. Also keep in mind that all day you are apt to be pulled off a shoot to go on a news assignment. For example I was in Lenox Mall doing a fashion shoot with models and clothes from Macy's. Was all over the mall shooting with Norman battery lights when I got paged and there was shooting or bombing or plane crash or something like that (it was 8 years ago after all..and I covered A LOT of this kinda stuff) somewhere and I had to drop everything and haul ass to wherever that was....there is no rescheduling on a shoot like that...news always took precedence at our newspaper. All in all a decent working news photographer has to have a grasp of working in so many different kinds of situations that he has to be versatile or he will not succeed. Must be able to shoot in industrial settings, on construction sites, get good environmental portraits, get good fashion photos, get good sports photos from any kind of sport, get good photos at news events where things are going to hell in a hand basket...he must keep his cool and get the shot; be able to shoot a series of photos that are greater that the sum of the photos...that tell a story, not just a bunch of images stuck on a page, shoot in the rain, snow, fire, ice and whatever. Oh and by the way most shooters carry with them lens ranging from 20/24 up to 300/400 with converters and they use the lens that best suits their needs. Don't knock these guys unless you have tried doing it for a living...then you probably will have a whole new respect for them and their work. It takes a special kind of person who will risk their lives for a photo for $25,000 a year just so that you can read all about it in the morning edition. On 6/25/99 5:14 AM Dan S wrote: >If they used longer than 35mm they would actually have to FOCUS. >Most of these guys are only there to get the shot of some poor slob and move >on and a fat gob of depth of field and auto focus/exposure keeps the checks >comming...Also, many people seem to think that the extreme perspective of >the 20-35mm lenses up close gives an "exciting" image. They use this >technique to make up for weak subject matter. Best regards, Harrison McClary email: harrison@mcclary.net http://www.mcclary.net preview my book: http://www.volmania.com