PhotojournalismHaley Coleman

What is a photojournalist?•A journalist tells stories. A photographer

takes pictures of nouns (people, places and things). A photojournalist takes the best of both and locks it into the most powerful medium available - frozen images (Hancock).

Requirements•Photojournalism does not require a

“degree” exactly, but it is helpful to have a background of photography in order to have a style and a good eye.

•The top photojournalist program in the United States is at Western Kentucky University, with a close second at the University of Missouri

Statistics and Career Information• Since most photojournalists

are freelance it’s nearly impossible to account for all of them, and this also means there is an infinite number of possibilities for a career.

• There are 2 aspects of the career: Journalism and Photography, both playing an equal weight in career success.

• Employees live just about everywhere but popular places for photojournalism are war zones, major metropolitan cities and aged cities.

• Entry Level Salary:$14,640   Average Salary:$24,040   Maximum Salary:$49,920

• “Anyone can make money in any career.... But like I always say, if you are planning to pursue a career in photojournalism, then you should make sure that journalism is in your blood and that you love it, because frankly, you are not going to get rich doing it” (Ford).

• Potentially self-employed• Most are in their 20s and

30s• Career length depends on

your passion for the career.

Famous PhotojournalistsJacob Riis 1849-1914 Henri Cartier-

Bresson

Edward Adams

Lauren Greenfield

Margaret Bourke-White

LogisticsSteps to becoming a Photojournalist Traits of Photojournalists• 1. Invest in a really good camera• 2. Attend a photography or

journalism school to develop your style

• 3. Attempt to get an internship with a newspaper or magazine

• 4. Train on Adobe Photoshop• 5. Take a lot of pictures to

develop your portfolio• 6. Attempt to get actual jobs with

magazines and newspapers such as National Geographic, New York Times or Boston Globe

• Photojournalists know how to:▫ Think on their feet▫ Go for the best story,

not easy shot▫ Withstand tough mental

and physical challenges ▫ Hold up under pressure▫ Get work in on time

because the deadlines are very important

How Does a Photojournalist Spend a Work Day?• Planning the day’s schedule in the morning

▫ Usually receive between 3-8 assignments per day▫ Photojournalists usually work an 8 hour day, but it can be

longer because events may come up that need to be documented so it can turn into 10-12 hours

• Shooting images▫ Arrive 10-15 minutes early to look for backgrounds

• Editing Photos▫ Using Photoshop to edit the images taken

• Staying on call▫ In case of any major events that occur that need to be

documented. Photojournalists must report to work whenever they are asked Amanda Herron

Equipment & Photography• Photography is incorporated into photojournalism

because important events are documented through photographs taken from certain angles depending on the eye of the photographer

• Equipment is not always provided, although it may be if the photographer is working for a big newspaper or magazine▫High end Nikon cameras and Cannon cameras are

usually a good fit for most photojournalists. Tripods, zoom lenses and lighting gear can also be necessary, but these accessories are expensive.

Reactions• I chose this career because

I plan to minor in Political Science/Journalism, and learning how to document political events as a photojournalist was good knowledge to acquire▫ I would never choose the

career because it is so free-lance, but it is a great career for those that are passionate about current events and their viewpoints of those events

▫ In order to make this career better it would be nice if there were more jobs available for people to have, but if there were there would be no competition, not allowing the great photojournalists to shine

• I would recommend this career to anyone that is passionate about photography and can handle years of no work, but when they acquire a good job, can take really great, though-provoking photos.

Works Cited• Greenspun, Phillip. “Building a digital SLR system: Looking at the Canon Digital Rebel XTi, Nikon

D40, Nikon▫ D80, and EOS 5D cameras.” Photo.net. 13 Mar. 2010.

http://photo.net/equipment/building-a-digital-slr system/

• Herron, Amanda. "How Does a Photojournalist Spend a Work Day?" EHow.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2010.▫ <http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4566574_photojournalist-spend-work-day.html>.

“How Do You Become a Photojournalist?” Flickr.com. 13 Mar 2010. http://www.flickr.com/ groups/ globalphotojournalism/discuss/19416/

Wilson, Bradley. “Careers in Photojournalism.” Cartage.com. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.cartage.org.lb/ en/ themes/Arts/photography/fieldskinds/photjournal/careers.htm