Visual Journalism

Being aware of your surroundings is critical in photojournalism. We work in dangerous locations where emotions run high, so knowing your place in space is important.

Turns out, the same is true for other photographic realms …

Wow, that sounds like a really bad airport hotel seminar, doesn’t it?

But success does take preparation. You can wish to be lucky all your life, but it probably isn’t going to happen. (“But have you noticed how that luck happens to the same photographers over and over again?” Edward Steichen)

Over on the Luminous Landscape site, Jack Graham talks about preparing for daily success – and a lot of it goes with the ideas of routine and ritual I’ve discussed in class.

Preparation to me is getting your mind in the right place, understanding, appreciating, thus enjoying the natural environment of where I am about to set out too.

New York Times photojournalist Damon Winters has been in Haiti for several days now covering the tragedy. He’s done two behind the scenes interviews which are up on the Lens blog. In the first he talks about his initial impressions. In the second, he talks about some of the problems with aid delivery to the area.

The photos in the two galleries are haunting but powerful.

This is one of those things that pops up from time to time that some folks will erringly fixate on and drive themselves insane - it’s a listing of 200 jobs, ranked from best to worst, according to a study released by CareerCast.com to the Wall Street Journal. Why will it drive you insane? Because the best career in America is being an actuary.

Yes, they predict when people will die.

Really? That’s the best job in America?

The worst, according to this, is “roustabout,” which I had to look up …

Why am I posting this? Because photojournalist is on the list … at number 189. Eleventh from the bottom. Hopefully if enough people read that list, they’ll all decide not to do what we love, leaving more work for us.

So, shhhhhhh ….

I love this New York Times story about Louis Mendes and how he’s shooting Polaroids with a Speed Graphic on the streets of New York. He even talks about craft …

“They’re not really photographers, more like picture hustlers,” he said of the shooters who hire the barkers. “They just push a button. They don’t know aperture priority from shutter priority. This, this is me priority. All manual. I set it.”

My kind of guy …

This is well outside the realm of what most of our readers do, but the Library of Congress is looking for a photographic conservation intern. They’re looking more for a conservationist with an interest and skill set that abuts photography, but maybe that person is reading … and if not, maybe someone wants to get the training because this could be really cool.

Jamie Rose over at Jamie’s List, the site that had the most vocal outcried over the unpaid internship being offered by James Nachtwey’s studio, has the first of what should be a few follow up entries. In this one, several industry folks talk about internships. John Harrington’s comments are particularly interesting, offering some suggestions on ways the studio could find funding for the internship.

Posting again, because they sent it again …

Greetings from the White House Internship Program! The summer 2010 program has been posted, and we encourage your students to apply. A complete submission will include an application (with several short answer questions, two essay questions of 300-500 words each, and a one-page resume) and three letters of recommendation. The final application deadline is February 7, 2009.

- Read the blog post by the White House Internship Director, Rachel Haltom-Irwin.

- Visit the White House Internship website.

- Apply to the White House Internship program.

- Learn more about the selection process.

A White House Internship provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. This hands-on program is designed to mentor and cultivate today’s young leaders, strengthen their understanding of the Executive Office and prepare them for future public service opportunities.

Our mission is to make the “People’s House” accessible to future leaders all around the nation and cultivate and prepare those devoted to public service for future leadership opportunities. Encourage your students to take advantage of this incredible opportunity!

Sincerely,

The White House Internship Team

It’s not reporter, columnist or editor – according to Forbes.com, it’s social media director.

I guess we need another new class … oh, wait, I think I proposed that once already.

I met Michael King last week at the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, but didn’t get to talk much with him. (I think I awkwardly stood near him as I tried to figure something out in my head … sorry, Michael.) I did talk with him on the phone once before, where I learned his boss is my old boss (and the one I respected more than any other – a damned good news guy, if you’ll pardon the phrasing).

He has a post up on the National Press Photographers Associations’ site and it’s really worth reading. He talks a bit about our friend Dave LaBelle, but more about remember why he’s a journalist. This part rings so true to me:

What’s making us less and less relevant to our readers is our neglecting to see every assignment and every person as worthy of our coverage.

It’s not about us. It’s about the people in the communities we cover.

How true.