Last week I did my annual talk to my "alma mater" -- the good ole Missouri School of Journalism -- to professor Jackie Bell's business practices class. As I've talked about before this is the sort of class that I dearly wish I had taken (it didn't exist then) during my time in school, and so its especially exciting for me to try to drop some k-nowledge.
My talk changes every year but there are a lot of similar themes... this year the idea was "What I didn't learn in photojournalism school." Previously when I spent a whole hour talking about contracts or something abstract I worried that even though it was important, it was the sort of shit that these kids aren't really ready to ingest and use... so hopefully last week I waded into territory that students can use as they begin to build their careers.
Here's the notes from my talk...
for those of you outside of the photojournalism school context, it might help to know that Missouri is one of the top PJ programs in the country, and in fact it's the spot where the word "photojournalism" was invented. Historically most Mizzou PJ grads went into newspapers, and the really great ones eventually went freelance or directly into staff positions at National Geographic, etc. Anyway, here it is -- I didn't follow it verbatim and definitely added a lot more profanity, but drink a few shots of espresso and you'll get the gist:
What I Did Not learn in PJ School . . .
Freelance photography is a Business
If you hate all aspects of the business side of things then either assume you're going to fail or plan on being so successful that you can hire people to take care of all of that for you. Regardless, to be freelance means that you own a business, and owning a business means you have access to credit, insurance, and equipment, etc. (It does not mean that you own every piece of gear in the catalog). A lot of old guys like to talk about how Flickr, etc. ruined everything, but you quickly realize that that is both untrue and irrelevant if you are actually a professional (and are offering your clients more than just snapping pictures in a half-way competent manner).
Know the tools of your business at least half as well as your camera gear
Contracts, model releases, evidence of insurance, mailing lists, usage calculators, public photography law, taxes/W-9 forms, how to get paid -- these are the things that a "professional" has together and is comfortable with, and therefore is ready to go to work in a responsible and real way for their clients when a job comes in. Not knowing this and especially not giving a fuck (oops, I can't even get a rental car - WTF) is the hallmark of the amateur. Respect yourself, respect your business, and respect your clients.
Learn how to say NO
It's hard to hear this because early on you want and may need to say yes to everything (a lot of us did, whether or not we even understood what the client really was talking about) -- but as you truly begin your career & business you must learn how to say no. If everyone can afford you, then you can't afford to be in business. Learning what jobs aren't worth it to you in time, money, or hassle and then learning how to say no without burning a bridge is a huge priority because not only does it demonstrate that your services are valuable, as well as not alienating the other photographers in your market, it begins to shape the sort of career and type of work you want to do. You will learn all too soon that the jobs you sort of felt like you should just say no to, are the jobs and clients that are the biggest pain in the ass.
Businesses are built on relationships and hard work… talent is not the main factor
When I was in school I just assumed that everyone who was doing the work I wanted to do was just super talented (a lot of them are). But as you start working you realize that problem solving and busting your ass is really the name of the game both to creating great photography and to cultivating and proving yourself to better and better clients. In this room right now (you don't have to point them out) there are people who you guys know are just really naturally gifted shooters… everything is almost easy for them. But there is a huge chance that if those same talented people don't also learn to hustle and push their work then they won't be shooting professionally in 5 years. It's not about what they lack but about what much of the freelance game demands.
Speaking of relationships… business is a marathon, and a sprint
I look at all of my clients as two-parted (or more) relationships… one with the magazine itself, one with the photo editor, and maybe one with other staff members also. Because magazines are living organisms -- often changing staff, styles, art direction and audience -- I both need to keep up and nurture my relationship to that client and to the individuals who will likely be moving to another magazine 6 months from now. My biggest goal is to create a bond of mutual respect between me and my editors that lasts for years and years. I'll happily give up the small job today for the hope of many jobs over the next dozen years as they move around and up in the industry.
But photography, especially in our current economy and moment in the history of publishing, is also a sprint. What that means that if you aren't hustling then you're not standing still, you're losing ground to people who are hungrier than you. They might be hungrier in their promotion or in their focus on personal work or in the personal relationships... but all around you people want your job and it's up to you to fight for it. So keep one eye on the horizon and the other on the ground directly ahead of you.
Speaking of talent… right now, today, you aren't owed a fucking thing
Not that many of you might think you deserve something... but let me just be the asshole who lets you know, whatever you've done and whatever awards you've won while in college... for the most part I don't and the freelance world doesn't give a fuck. You are at square zero and to move up you have to fight for it, demand it, and claim it for yourself. It'll be up to you to make the phone ring because it's not going to ring on it's own and you probably can't afford to wait either. So I really encourage you to try and take the ego out of the equation as you start your career.
One of the best things that happened to me in school was that I let a few different Associated Press photographers give me portfolio reviews. This was back in the day where you're portfolio was a page of 20 slides -- and these guys would find a picture that they didn't like or found cliched and they would just rip out the offending slide and literally chuck it across the room. "That one sucks." It felt like a total violation of my work, my "personal vision." But what really happened was that it helped deflate the magical bubble I had around my work and let in some fresh air and perspective. Your work today, and tomorrow, should not and likely will not exist in a vacuum. In order to be successful you'll have to care and understand how other people see your photography.
Don't be cheap
Yet again, it's hard to hear this when you're starting out and are broke, I certainly was… but honestly I find a lot of photographers are trying to position themselves as ultra high quality while at the same time being incredibly cheap about the way they present themselves, their work, and their brand. So don't be cheap about gear, about business cards, or about the way you present yourself to clients and your colleagues. Very likely you are not a professional designer; so why in the world would you think that whatever crappy website you can come up with over a weekend is good enough to get you really well-paying work? And guess what, whatever logo you came up with using a pirated copy of PhotoShop totally sucks. Though its understandable and fine to begin in this fashion, don't move forward bring cheap, and for god's sake if you're going to be out with a client or potential client... pull out that wallet and buy a few rounds yourself.
Don't be stupid and waste money
Every regular business starts off by defining their market or audience... and then researching that segment as well as possible so that their product and marketing can be targeted effectively. I say that because if you are getting out of school and you think you really want to work in advertising, then you have to learn enough about your potential clients in order to actually reach them. 95% of all of the dozens of photography contests out there will probably not get seen by your potential clients... and therefore are a huge waste of money. The same thing might go with many of the dozens of new "photography consultants" out there... do your research. Ditto for certain types of other promotion... a simple postcard mailer may be perfect and charming for some clients, but totally ineffective for others.
Generally speaking, in the newspaper world contests like POY, World Press, and BOP have a lot of clout... in magazine or advertising they can have next to no effect. PDN now has 537 annual contests, give or take... what do you think the efficacy of any single one of them probably is to a busy photo editor or art buyer? If you want to continue to shoot long-term documentary work then maybe you should spend your money applying for grants. If you step back it's easy to see that a lot of photographers decide they'd rather just make money on other photographer's - workshops, reviews, PhotoShop filters, lighting modifiers, etc. Some of them are great; a lot of the are a total waste.
The world of photography is way bigger than you think
When I was in your shoes it felt like everyone was headed into a particular brand of photojournalism; but then suddenly when I went freelance the magazines were filled with people doing all kinds of various types of photography. Beautifully, the world if photography has never been bigger and is filled with thousands of different niches. Don't be stuck in one or only be inspired by a few niches... breathe in the larger world and then look outside of the craft to find even more inspiration.
Additionally, most likely no matter what you do in the next few years you are not going to impress your parents with the amount of money you'll be making. So try to have as much fun and meet as many amazing people as possible along the way... you're absolutely not going to be making enough money to not enjoy the journey as much as you can.
. . . A few BIG things I did learn in photojournalism school
Nothing could be more important than your circle
The mentors, professors, friends and fellow students are the whole point of going to a photography school, so that you can learn and rub off on each other with your passion and mistakes. Try to share as much as possible with each other, argue and debate about things, trade websites and new work you find everyday. 100% I became the photographer I am today because of the community of really smart people I went to school with.
Exposure to many different kinds of photography, good or bad, is critical
I was lucky enough while at school to have a teacher named Kim Komenich whose passion is nearly matched by his giant collection of photography books. Seek out these people and get a library card so that you can bounce your brain off of anything and everything -- fashion, advertising, underwater photography… literature, art, architecture, dancing, cooking, whatever.
Cameras are technology are not a substitute
My favorite and Mizzou's greatest living PJ institution is David Rees, who began every beginning PJ class with his definition of a camera… as nothing more than a light-tight box with a close-able aperture. HD video or any other fancy technology or tool will never be a part of that simple description. So allow yourself to focus on the pictures and fit them to the tools you may need, instead of the other way around. Unless you are doing highly technical things, try not to get caught up in the gear-head mentality. Always remember that the people's whose work you love the most used the most simple tools to create it for the most part.
Some questions from the class:
How do you get an agent?
I really can't think of anything less important for someone starting at the beginning than worrying about step #26 "Get a rep". Focus on the pictures, focus on what you are trying to say through your craft. If in the near future you are so busy with assignments and work that you can't manage it all I can pretty much guarantee that an agent will find you.
How did you first start getting work?
Really in the same way that I restarted to get work every time that I moved into a new market... you get out there, get in touch with everyone that will talk to you, and try to make connections. In the beginning you have met a few people from college, or have gotten a few names from the people you know who have already started their career, who in turn got names from the people they knew who were a little ahead of them (this is where not having a huge ego or being a dick becomes important, because otherwise no one will want to share anything with you). Then you touch base and get an opportunity on something small. I worked for small magazines, newspapers, anything I could find for a couple of years... then step by step worked hard to move up.
Missouri taught me to always keep shooting and to always be thinking about shooting for myself in addition to whatever clients I was working for... that's exactly what I'm doing today and will keep trying to do. Probably the fastest way you could make an impact in any segment of photography is to create an intensely personal, incredibly unique, great body of work... that would be your ticket to the top. There are not a lot of tickets like that out there but I think they come from realizing that we all come from somewhere and all have stories. Be the person telling those stories.
What was the biggest mistake you made early on?
I'm honestly pretty happy for every mistake I made because that's how you learn. I make mistakes today for sure... and hopefully I can do better for myself and my clients. That being said, considering I was slowly moving into trying to be an editorial and commercial photography (coming from a journalism background), I wish that I was smarter early on at understanding the aesthetics and style differences between the different segments and audiences. Part of this comes from the fact that I never assisted and so I didn't really understand what the veteran editorial people were trying to do. Maybe I found something unique because of it, or maybe I just sort of floated around for an extra couple of years... either way it all worked out.
Our time down in Florida was punctuated by a cruise to celebrate my father-in-law's 60th birthday. We didn't do much but eat, drink, tan, swim, and talk about how we should really take advantage of the gym... but I did snap a few quick pics. The second the cruise was back at the dock I was scurrying off to Miami for a business shoot. I really dig the shot below because it perfectly encapsulates the fakey "elegance" of modern cruises, and I also love the glass shadow - going to try to shoehorn that into an upcoming new food portfolio on my website.
