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08/07/2005 12:41:40 PM · #1 |
I am looking to make a return on some of the money I have spent on toys lately and one option I am considering is being a freelance "stringer". Is this as simple as watching for upcoming events, going, taking pictures, and then emailing them to newspapers to try and get an offer?
A friend of mine is a photojournalist for a TV station. He sits and listens to police scanners and then goes to stuff to get video for the news. I am assuming this is how the local newspaper photogs do it also?
Anyone currently do this that could offer some insight? |
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08/07/2005 01:45:40 PM · #2 |
I have NO experience in this arena whatsoever, however my understanding is that newspapers will accept images from unknowns only if they have not been able to source them from their own team (either of permie or regularly used freelancers).
If you get there before their regular guys and get THE shot then you've a chance of it being used. If yours is just more of the same as they are getting from their regular team, I doubt they'd use yours.
I'd strongly advise searching for some of Skiprow's recent threads.
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08/07/2005 02:18:58 PM · #3 |
My paper takes anything i will give them - and i am guarenteed front page, but they dont pay me (or credit very much). But i dont care because iuse them as much as they use me - i only take photos for events i want advertised hahah.
You need to call up the editor and find out if they will even take that stuff Jordan, some papers have a butload of freelance photogs, and others (like mine) have only one guy that is capable of hitting the shutter. |
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08/07/2005 02:27:15 PM · #4 |
In a casual conversation, I asked the photography editor of our local Gannett Press paper about how they got and used photos from freelancers. (They do have several paid staff photojournalists already.) He told me that it was just like any other job. You apply to be a freelance photographer with the paper....in this case they exepected you to call to request an interview and be prepared with a portfolio representative of your work.
He wanted to impress on me that they regard their profession as journalism--with photos. It's not just about picture taking, but about telling the story, getting the quotes, and getting the names and contact information correct, etc.
And, unless you have a photo of an absolutely phenomal, newsworth event that no one else could possibly have, this editor wasn't going to even look at an unsolicited photo. These busy newspaper editors don't have time to review everyone and the Aunt Mergatroid's photos--so, by policy, they look at none (with rare exception). |
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08/07/2005 02:45:29 PM · #5 |
Jordan, I just got a job as a stringer at my local news paper last week and what they do is call me when they need me to take pictures. They have a set price for certian photos and I keep all of the rights to my pic. Say if someone wants the picture printed off the news paper tells them to call me to get the print. So anyway I hope this helps I haven't gone out and taken pics yet for them though.
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08/07/2005 02:56:56 PM · #6 |
| I can't believe I've found it easier to be a stringer for Getty than I have for my local poxy newspaper who refuses to consider any other freelancers than the ones they've been using for the last 20 years. Pah. |
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