Before I attended photography school, I spent a good deal of time perusing the photos in Life magazine. Some of you young photography school students may not have even heard of Life magazine, but at the time it was in existence, it contained some of the most powerful photojournalism out there, and it's what sent me on my way, young and wide-eyed, to photography school, to learn, as I phrased it, "how to take pictures like that."
Photography schools are an excellent way to explore different aspects of photography, and you may find after entering, that the aspect you came to pursue is not the one you leave with. For me, this wasn't the case. I was always very sure of my path in photography as a photojournalist. That's not to say I don't experiment with different kinds of photography, I do, but photojournalism has always remained my biggest passion.
If you're considering studying photojournalism on your own or in photography school, here are some things to give you a better grasp of what's behind it.
Photojournalism basically entails using images that are newsworthy. With any type of photojournalism, you'll be seeking publication, most likely that means through newspapers or magazines (whether online or print), so your photographs will focus on news-related events. But it goes beyond this as well. I once attended a seminar, where a famous photojournalist called the process of photojournalism, shooting verbs. Many in the audience were slightly perplexed by this definition, but as I thought about it further, I thought how perfect the comparison was. As a photojournalist, you need to be able to relay the story (sometimes without words) and give your audience a sense of the event and energy. You can't do this through regular photographic still shots. You need to convey the action of the event, in language, that would pretty much equate to using a verb.
Photojournalism usually encompasses two types. The first is when an image is used to illustrate (or accompany) a story. The second is when images are the primary source used to tell a story.
In the first instance, the most likely scenario is that you'll be hired by a publication or featured journalist to take photos that accompany their story. In the second, you'll be out looking for your own story. The benefit here, although a little less secure in getting published, is that you'll have much more freedom, and it's your images that will guide and convey the story. If you know how to write, this will be an extra benefit when you're pitching your photos to the media outlets. And as a photojournalist, at the very least, you'll want to be able to write captions that will accompany your story. You'll also need to find the news before or when it happens, and you should get a good grounding in what's going on in the world today.
If you're in photography school and considering becoming a photojournalist, you'll also need to prepare yourself for the relevant dangers that photojournalism can bring. At its most successful, it's a pretty dangerous profession. No doubt you've heard of the many photojournalists and photographers who've died while on assignment. You'll be photographing these types of situations, and you have to be someone who's prepared for this aspect. Most likely in photography school, you won't have to deal with these conditions, but upon graduation, it's something you'll need to consider. On the other hand, photojournalism is one of the most rewarding photography careers around.
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