any newspaper photographers online?

[photopro234]

My name is Ralph Gantz and I reside in Wadsworth Ohio with my wife and our dog Charlie. I was wondering if there were any newspaper photographers online.

 

[o hey tyler]

My name is Ralph Gantz and I reside in Wadsworth Ohio with my wife and our dog Charlie. I was wondering if there were any newspaper photographers online.

I am. Or was, and am occasionally.

 

[IslandShooter]

My name is Ralph Gantz and I reside in Wadsworth Ohio with my wife and our dog Charlie. I was wondering if there were any newspaper photographers online.

I am. Or was, and am occasionally.

I am curious about this. If you don't mind answering how you got into it, what's the work like, pay, etc. Thank you!

 

[o hey tyler]

I am curious about this. If you don't mind answering how you got into it, what's the work like, pay, etc. Thank you!

With the photographic climate as it is today, the pay was not great. Unless you're working as a full time photojournalist and constantly have gigs in your area for a large newspaper, it's really not particularly lucrative.

I live in Maine, so the frequency of high action stories was really low. Sure, you get into events for free and get to do some really cool things. Going to Monhegan Island was the highlight of my photojournalistic career in this state.

The reason I got into it was because I was already the graphic designer for the newspaper, so I decided to help them out and pick up some PJ jobs.

Most papers are looking for whatever they can get for free, so people submitting photos are pretty much putting pjs out of work. It's sad, because the quality suffers. But print media is dying unfortunately.

 

[runnah]

I live in Maine, so the frequency of high action stories was really low.

Sheep missing for 2 weeks found, caught by Orrington authorities ? Bangor ? Bangor Daily News ? BDN Maine

 

[o hey tyler]

Sheep missing for 2 weeks found, caught by Orrington authorities ? Bangor ? Bangor Daily News ? BDN Maine

Case rested.

 

[Rafterman]

Sheep missing for 2 weeks found, caught by Orrington authorities ? Bangor ? Bangor Daily News ? BDN Maine

If I didn't know better, I'd say that article was straight from The Onion.

 

[curtyoungblood]

@islandshooter

I am on staff at a daily paper. I got into it by going to school for photojournalism (this is increasingly necessary), and doing several internships/ doing time on the college paper to gain experience. Then I sent put hundreds of resumes over a couple of years until someone finally gave me a chance. In this industry, it is tough if you don't know someone. In fact, I got beat out at several jobs where I did know someone, but they knew someone else better.

the job is awesome, you get to meet a lot of reals yinterestimg people, do things that few people get to do, and spend your days taking pictures.

The pay sucks, and there isn't a lot of prospect of it getting any better. And don't forget that at many entry level jobs, you're going to need to provide your own pro-level equipment (2.8 zooms and at least a 7d).

 

[Fox_Racing_Guy]

First thing I would do is move. I thought I heard the Plain Dealer was going to only be printed 3 days a week in the next year. The "Leaking Urinal" I predict will be right behind them. Printed media is on the way out I'm afraid.

 

[Derrel]

I live in Maine, so the frequency of high action stories was really low.

Sheep missing for 2 weeks found, caught by Orrington authorities ? Bangor ? Bangor Daily News ? BDN Maine

Man--where are the PHOTOS to go with that thrilling tale of animal rescue? Huh? Huh?

I thought this was a funny line: "The driver called police and reported seeing an alpaca."

 

[photopro234]

Dear Islandshooter,

I'm not in the industry yet. I have my resume completed and I am working on my portfolio.

 

[imagemaker46]

Dear Islandshooter,

I'm not in the industry yet. I have my resume completed and I am working on my portfolio.

Looking at the gear you have listed on your profile, you will have to upgrade a long way before having a chance of getting into "the industry" There is a lot of competition out there for the rapidly vanishing jobs at papers. The biggest paper in my town has a freelance list of about 20 names, and a staff of 6 full time photographers. The freelance list has 3 or 4 good shooters and the rest are all in school, or just out of school, they get the "go take a picture of the tree the cat was stuck in" jobs. The smaller paper in town used to have a staff of 7 full time really good shooters and now has 3, they have a freelance list of none, but a few numbers they call as a last resort. The pay is less that $100 for a shift, which could be one 10 minute shoot, or 20 shoots in an 8 hours shift, that's not much money. They have no photo editor at either paper, so jobs get handed out by who ever happens to be sitting on the desk at the time. I know that this is pretty common in a lot of cities.