Ken,
I don't know if I can help with the studio input too much. I've only
worked with folks doing the studio stuff, I'm not that creative and
methodical to do that on a constant basi, but I can give you some
background on newspapers.
I started out as one of two photographers of the county daily paper in a
small town in Illinois. Circulation was ~5000. We covered it all, wrecks,
tornadoes, groups at the bowling alley, this and that board meeting.
Always going, always busy. One night, when the county fair was going full
blast, I met myself coming in the door as I was leaving to go out and take
some more photos of blue ribbon 4H whatevers. But, it was fun.
When I went to college, I was the photographer on the college daily paper.
Not as much with the wrecks, but more political stuff. Got some great
photos of Barry Goldwater running for president (does that date me?),
crawled under the train and shut up into the crowd. Goldwater stopped for
a while and talked to me about the neat perspective, and I was on Cloud 9!
Are you ready for some football?!! and basketball and baseball and ....
because you'll be covering all those sports, at night and getting it all
ready for tomorrow's paper, tonight. Even when its raining and snowing
and...
But geez, is it fun, and hard. I chose to go a different path than
photography for a vocation, but I sure miss that part of it.
If the income's good and everything else feels right, maybe it's the thing
for you. Sounds like there could be some additional "diversion" with
Photoshop, etc. That could help. The big thing is, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO
WHEN YOU GROW UP? We all face it, well most of us do. Try to do what you
like, especially if you are getting paid well for it. If you've got a
talent, think seriously about using it for employment. Also consider that
you might also lose your hobby.
Good luck,
Brian Huber
-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Norton [SMTP:image66@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Sunday, April 11, 1999 12:06 AM
To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [OM] Interesting week in the land of the unpayed
Well, as some of you may remember, I got spun-off from the merry-go-round
of employment back in November and have been working in a partnership of a
startup data network company. Unfortunately, as startups go, they never
happen in the timetable planned, nor with the funds required to feed a
family. So with $16 left in the checking account I decided that I best be
looking for ways to splat spuds on the dinner table until and if this
turkey flys.
Last week I made a bunch of calls on a number of businesses in the biggest
city in Iowa and found out that a certain major "fish-wrapper" is hiring a
photographer! Well, can't say that I've ever done any serious
photo-journalism before, but hey, I'm a quick learn. So off goes the
Resume, via email, in about 2 nanoseconds. Of course, my portfolio doesn't
include any good news worthy shots, as I've pretty well stocked it with
inanimate objects that don't breath, cry, bleed, get drunk and in fist
fights or get arrested. Of course, the wedding shots are exceptions to all
of the above... Anyway, I've quickly restocked a few pages with some of
the event shots and a few pages of slides of sports work I've done.
Regardless, I'm a bit concerned about a 45-60 minute commute for a job that
barely pays enough to live on and puts you under contract that you can't
have a side photography business. I don't care WHO the employer is, if the
the contract ain't right, it ain't right! I'd probably end up working for
the first couple years glued to Photoshop anyway.
Yesterday (Friday) we had a party at our house and many of the guests were
going nuts over my photography (dozen pictures hanging on walls around the
house) and started asking questions. I'm getting a wedding job in
September as a result and also I got a major inside lead on a company here
in town that needs a staff (full-time) photographer--IMMEDIATELY as the old
dude up and retired on them with too short notice in a town of 18,000 that
has an unemployment rate of .000055 percent (one person-me).
Well, before I started burning the ribs and chicken in the afternoon I did
a visit to the local city daily newspaper and pitched my wares. This
smalltown newspaper has a new publisher and is dumping serious bucks into a
new computer system, full facility renovations, Olympus digital cameras,
and has put upon the organization the requirement of a 30 0ncrease in
circulation in 1 year. Just so happens that they have an IMMEDIATE need
for a photographer/photoshop/quarkexpress person. To make things even more
interesting, I asked for a sales position too! (I'm greedy and a sucker
for punishment).
One month ago, none of the above existed. I may have to make a decision
between studio product photography and photojournalism. Seeing that I've
never done the later, it sounds just like the challenge I need to keep me
from getting bored. However, handling the photography for 700 products and
possibly getting some latest technology to work with might also be good
too.
Obviously, I have neither job right now, and it could swing either way or
neither way, but I'd like to get your input on the advantages/disadvantages
of what working for a newspaper would be. (note, the contract with the
paper would not put me under any restrictions). I am a newshound and love
a good disaster now and then and I love being outdoors and travelling
around. On the flip side, product photography is a challenge (if you try
to push the envelope), but would primarily be studio work.
The product photography would be seen in catalogs, advertisements, web
pages and POS displays and would be used for commercial purposes. The
newspaper photography is used to illustrate poorly written articles and
ends up as fish wrappers the next day.
Working for the small-town daily (6000 circulation) would also mean that
I'd be a big fish in a small pond (they currently have no photographers per
say, just reporters sporting cameras desparately trying to get beyond
grip-and-grin) and would usually be getting pictures published on a daily
basis.
If wages/benefits were equivelent, and I had a decent equipment budget, I'm
not sure which way I'd lean at this time, but the PJ job sounds
interesting. Maybe I can get them to buy me an F5 to sweeten the pot.
Ken (alms for the poor) Norton
Kenneth E. Norton
Image66 Photography
image66@xxxxxxx
(515) 791-2306
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