Advice for Aspiring Photojournalists   

If you are interested in becoming a professional photojournalist then this article is for you - whether you are in school or thinking of switching careers.

Organizations:

- NPPA: If you haven't already done so then join the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) as soon as possible. If there is an NPPA student chapter at your school then join that. If you only join one photojournalism organization then join this one.
- NYPPA: If you are located in New York City then join the New York Press Photographers Association (NYPPA).
- WHNPA: If you are located in Washington, DC then join the White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA).
- WPOW: If you are located in Washington, DC and identify as female then join Women Photojournalists of Washington (WPOW).

Education / University Level:

A degree in photojournalism is certainly useful if you are interested in becoming a photojournalist. You not only get formal education in the field but also practical experience including the ability to work for the school newspaper. Networking through faculty members and other students can be valuable and getting a degree in photojournalism can in many cases open doors and or give you a leg up on competition in getting internships and paid work. Certain universities in the US are known for turning out photojournalists - I suggest researching the careers of photojournalists you admire and seeing where they went to school.

If you are thinking of teaching on the university level then I suggest getting a MFA. In any case, getting a MFA in photojournalism will help you stand out from those who do not have one and will likely also help you in networking to find internships and work.

Education / Workshops:
The are multiple workshops offered in photojournalism. You not only get practical experience and guidance but meet people in the industry who can become valuable in networking to find internships and work. Attending them also looks good on a resume. Here are some reputable ones;

- The Eddie Adams Workshop - Possibly the most prestigious one.|
- The Missouri Photo Workshop
- Mountain Workshops

Education / Conferences:

- Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar - An annual two day event.
- Northern Short Course - An annual three day NPPA sponsored event (includes portfolio reviews).
- International Festival of Photojournalism / Visa pour l'Image - An annual two week event in Perpignan, France.

Education / Military:

Joining the military to become a photographer for the military is a sure way to get formal photographic education, opportunities to use that education in a wide variety of situations and the possibility to build a great portfolio. It is also a great way to train to be a conflict / war photographer. I personally know a multiple of photojournalists who came into the profession this way and have been successful after military service in their civilian photojournalism career.

Education / Video:

If you have the opportunity and interest then I suggest learning how to shoot and edit video. It will make you more employable and can open up opportunities. Have some videos ready to show on your website, on social media, at portfolio reviews and enter them into contests. If you shoot video with your still camera then I suggest getting an external microphone that sits on your camera's hot shoe.

Education / Books:

- Photojournalism: The Professionals' Approach 7th Edition by Kenneth Kobre - The single best general book on the subject, highly recommended (albeit slightly outdated in some areas).
- It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario|
- A Photojournalist's Field Guide: In the trenches with combat photographer Stacy Pearsall by Stacy Pearsall
- Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War by Brennan USMC (Ret), Thomas J.& Finbarr O'Reilly
- Truth Needs No Ally: Inside Photojournalism by Howard Chapnick
- Peter Read Miller on Sports Photography: A Sports Illustrated photographer's tips, tricks, and tales on shooting football, the Olympics, and portraits of athletes by Peter Read Miller

Education / Internships:

Internships (sometimes called "Fellowships") for aspiring photojournalists give them real world experience, look good on a resume, and may offer networking opportunities. If you research the careers of photojournalists you admire you will find that indeed internships can lead to permanent jobs with prestigious news / photo outlets. I have witnessed this a multiple of times watching the careers of interns I have come in contact with (and no, I do not offer internships).

Education / Software:

- Photo Mechanic - From personal observation I think about 98% of photojournalists use this software. In short, get and learn it well (including the "code replacements" feature).

- Photoshop / Lightroom - Some photojournalists know and use one well and others know and use both. It's obviously best to know both but my personal preference is Lightroom. Also, make sure to learn Bridge. I can't recall meeting a working photojournalist that did not use Photoshop and/or Lightroom.

- Filezilla - A dominant (and free) FTP client used by many to file images.

Marketing / Social Media:

- Instagram - If you are posting your photojournalism on only one social media site then this is by far the one to do it on (and you should do it). This is the one where "creatives" post to be seen by those in the industry. It is also the best one to follow those photojournalists you admire to learn from their work.

If you do multiple types of photography (i.e. wedding and photojournalism) then I would recommend you have a separate Instagram profile for your photojournalism work. Also, if you have a personal Instagram profile then I also suggest it not be the same one you use for your photojournalism work.

Marketing / Websites:

Yes, you should have one. It doesn't have to be whiz-bang fancy but at least a place to show off your best work and talk a bit about yourself. PhotoShelter and Zenfolio are two popular photography website hosting services. And get a professional sounding domain name (or even just your name) to use for your website. If you do multiple types of photography (i.e. wedding and photojournalism) then I would recommend you have a separate website for your photojournalism work.

Marketing / Contests:

Contests can be a great way to get your work seen (if you win an award) and be noticed.

Be careful! Some contests are simply "rights grabs". Entering these contests (where you will pay them for the "privilege" to do so) is a way for them to get rights to your images for any purpose they wish. In other words, they can license your images to anyone and not pay you for doing this and do this forever.

Here are some reputable photojournalism contests (in alphabetical order):

- Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar
- NPPA Best of Photojournalism
- NPPA Northern Shore Course
- NYPPA Annual Contest
- Pictures of the Year International (POY)
- White House News Photographers Association Eyes of History Contest
- World Press Photo Foundation

Marketing / Portfolio Reviews:

Be careful in signing up for portfolio reviews. You want to make sure that your portfolio will be seen by those who can give you worthwhile advice and / or can hire you. Having said that, I can recommend the portfolio reviews run by the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) at the Northern Short Course, Women Photojournalists of Washington (WPOW) (open to people of any gender) and the New York Times New York Portfolio Review.

Advice for portfolio reviews;

- In the past photographers bought prints to show. Nowadays most bring a tablet (or sometimes a laptop).

- There are basically two types of portfolios to show reviewers; One is a group of "singles", amazing images but little or no connection between the images although they may have a theme (i.e. sports). The other is "stories", a group of images making up a story. Also note that reviewers sometimes like to see personal projects.

Marketing / Other:

- Business Cards - You may think this is so "yesterday" but having them to give out is very practical in many cases. Skip the free generic looking templates offered by Vistaprint and others and design your own (and upload jpeg's for each side of the card). I do this via Vistaprint. Another more expansive / fancier option is moo.

As for what information to have on your business card I suggest you have your name, email address, phone number, website address, photojournalism social media profile name(s) and if applicable a brand name. I suggest leaving your home / office address off the card - the presence of it will not likely be helpful in any way and could constrain perception of you (i.e. that you are constrained to a specific area for work).

- LinkedIn - Get a free listing for yourself and populate it carefully. This is basically a supercharged resume.

- Students - If you are a student then you need to decide whether to list on your website, social media profiles and LinkedIn whether it is an advantage or disadvantage to say you are a student. If you want to judged by your work then leave it off. Saying you are a student might put you in a "box" in terms of perception.

Personal Projects:

Pursuing personal projects can be personally rewarding and can generate material for your social media, website, portfolio reviews and job interviews. It might even get you a gallery show.

Press Credentials:

If you do not work for a news organization that issues press credentials then I recommend getting a "Photo ID Card" from NPPA when you join it. It will not guarantee that you will get access to the event you wish to cover but it does work in many cases.

Cameras / Lenses Etc:

If you can afford it then IMO the minimal kit for photojournalists are two full frame camera bodies (preferably mirrorless), 24-70/2.8 and 70-200/2.8 lenses and a flash. In alphabetical order, Canon, Nikon, and Sony are the three brands that dominate and that I recommend. Alternatively, some very successful photojournalists use the crop sensor Fujifilm system.

If buying a kit with the latest and greatest equipment is financially a challenge for you then I recommend the following strategies; 1. Buy excellent condition used or refurbished equipment from reputable places. 2. Buy one generation old equipment. 3. Buy a third party (i.e. Godox) system flash instead of major camera name brand flash. 4. Buy good quality third party (i.e. Sigma, Tamron) lenses instead of major camera name brand lenses. 5. Buy upper end but not top of the line camera bodies. 6. Buy crop sensor camera bodies from the three full frame manufacturers named above. In any case, I strongly recommend sticking with the four camera manufacturers named above for camera bodies as they will be better long term investments - you don't want to be switching camera systems as that would require also buying new lenses and flahses.

Starting Out / Building a Portfolio / Website etc.

If you are not a student working for a student news outlet then how do you create photojournalism images to populate a portfolio, website and / or social media profiles? If you are interested in shooting sports and can't get a press pass for college or professional sports then see if you can shoot high school or club sports. If demonstrations interest you then many images can be made as just someone in the crowd. If parades or other public events (i.e. state fair) interest you then go as an attendee with a camera. If politics interest you then be an attendee with a camera. If there is a natural or man-made disaster and it is legal and safe for you to be there then go. I think you get the idea. And, some images do not require a press pass at all. Please note that if you are in or on private property or at a private event then you might need permission to take photos.

Miscellaneous Advice:

- Email Address - Get yourself one that sounds professional. If you have a website then its domain name is probably the one to use (i.e. yourFirstname@YourWebsiteName.com ).

- Mentors / Seeking Advice - Photography can be a lonely profession as many photographers work on their own and are not part of a larger organization with peers and those who they can ask advice. There are a multiple of ways to address the professional loneliness of being a photographer. 1. Join local and/or national photojournalism organizations - and attend meetings / activities. 2. Form groups with fellow photojournalists. This might simply take the form of a message group and / or a monthly getogether either in person or online. 3. Directly seek out the advice from photojournalists you meet and / or admire from afar. 4. Contact former teachers and portfolio reviewers and ask for advice.

- How much can I earn as a photojournalist? There are different paths that a photojournalist's career can take. One can work as a full time staff member for a news outlet or wire service / photo agency, as an independent working on assignments, by working "on-spec" where a wire service pays you when a photo is licensed for use, or one can try to sell images directly to a news outlet.

Is it possible to earn a living as a photojournalist? Yes. Is it easy? Most would say no. Is it possible to get rich or wealthy working as a photojournalist? It is very very unlikely.

Resources:

Check out my other articles and some videos relevant to photographers here.

Michael Brochstein is an independent photojournalist based in Washington, DC and New York City.