Some More Photojournalism Q's and A's

What kind of education would a person wanting to go into photojournalism need?

There are some good 2-year programs in photojournalism available at community colleges, and many universites with 4-year programs, the best of those being the University of Missouri at Columbia (my alma mater). Mizzou was the first PJ school and the program there was founded by the man who coined the term photojournalism, the late Clif Edom. When I attended there, 1973-75, it was the only school in the country to offer a Ph. D. in photoj, but there's not a whole lot of demand for that, other than in academia, and not much there.

The main difference in 2-year and 4-year programs is the awarding of BA degrees from 4-year schools, but in all those, you will spend the first 2 years in general studies before starting the journalism school classes. As for getting a job, a BA has more clout than an 2-year degree, called an AA, associate degree in arts, but a good 2-year program is better than a mediocre or poor 4-year program, so look at each individual program.

After completing the education needed, how would a person get into photojournalism?

After graduation, getting a job depends to some degree on which school you go to. At Missouri, we had job recruiters on campus talking to the top graduates, at smaller schools, you will be more or less on your own.

What is your background experience and education?

I had the usual background when I went to Missouri as to education, high school, two years in a community college, then transfer to MU. But my biggest help was my background as a photographer, buying my first camera at age 13, and spending 4 years in the Navy where I bought my first Nikons and got more serious about photos.

Coming out of college, what would the starting pay for a photojournalist be?

Starting pay varies, but in most cases, particularly with newspapers, it will be little more than what you can get flipping burgers. I spent 21+ years in newspaper photojournalism and while I loved the work, it paid very poorly. By luck of the draw, I took my first job as a staff writer who could also take pictures, rather than as a staff photographer who could also write, and that unplanned move led to a career as a writer and also as an editor, where the pay is a bit better but still nothing to plan a career on, if you like money.

What is your typical work day and routine like?

In newspaper work, the hours are long and the pay is low. For magazines, or in some other fields, such as PR or advertising, the working conditions would be better and the pay also, but those fields are very competitive. Fashion photography is probably one of the better-paying fields, but even more competitive.

Does being a photojournalist take away from your personal, family, or social life?

Yes, if you will allow it to. I made a decision early in my career to go to weekly newspapers rather than dailies to allow for more family life, as I was already married and had two children rather early. I don't regret that decision at all, but I forsook the glamour trail by making that choice. Now that both of my children are grown and I have two beautiful grandsons, I'm even surer that I made the right choice back then.

Is there a lot of travel involved with photojournalism?

Depends on the field. If you're going to work for National Geographic, which is the apex of the photoj profession, yes, there will be a lot of travel for virtually every job. For newspapers, travel is a lot less, mainly because only the major dailies send people very far from home, small papers are too cheap to do so.

Do you receive any vacation time or special benefits?

Very little of either, expect for the intangibles. If doing work you love is a benefit, then it's great.

Is it possible for a photojournalist to get a raise?

Yes, but the question is how much of a raise. Again, newspaper pay raises are few and far between, but the bigger the organization and the more lucrative the field, the more frequent raises will be. Smart organizations will do whatever it takes to attract and keep the best people in the photojournalism fields.

What are your most and least favorite things about being a photojournalist?

The best thing about photojournalism is the thrill of seeing something in your mind's eye, capturing it on film, then seeing it in print, or in my case now, on a website. The least favorite thing is taking a great photo and then seeing some halfwitted editor crop it badly, run it too small, or otherwise just screw it up. That's another reason I left the large papers to go to the smaller ones, editorial control of my own work. And the Internet is the ultimate extension of that editorial freedom, a publishing platform with few if any restrictions. If it gets any better for a photojournalist that having your own web site to publish your photos and writing as you see fit, somebody tell me and I'll try that, too.