I had the opportunity to attend a "career day" event as a panelist today at a nearby school, talking specifically about being a newspaper photographer (just one part of my mutli-faceted job as editor). It was a lot of fun, and I was in the "liberal arts" room with a special-effects illustrator, a voice-over guy, a writer for a non-profit health-related organization, and a lawyer. The seventh-grade kids had some good questions, too.
This is a rundown of what I told them ...
• Don't put cheese in your camera.
• Photography is fun.
• You get to meet a lot of interesting people, like a guy trying to create the world's largest ball of barbed wire, and then see his collection of slightly erotic antique glass monkey statuettes.
• The kind of camera is less important than the ability of the photographer.
• I only took one photography class in college, but I've been taking pictures for a long long time. Practice is more important.
• The camera I used as a newspaper reporter during my first job after college was my grandmother's Olympus OM-1. Listen, it makes a nice little cur-plunk when you release the shutter.
• In life, it's more important to find a job you love than one that solely pays a lot of money.
• I think I stepped in something on the way in. Didn't realize wild horses roamed your campus.
• Where was I?
• If you go to the government/public service discussion group, make sure you ask the police chief how many people he has shot.
• If you work at a paper for more than a year, you realize you end up taking similar photos each year. The trick is to take something a little different, like this one of two first-graders at Halloween making jack-o-lanterns. Instead of taking a standard pumpkin shot, I waited until they were flinging the booger-like, seedy innards of the pumpkin around the room and laughing hysterically.
• Did I tell you the one about developing some film while I was drunk?
• I don't miss the "darkroom days" because my pants always ended up being stained.
• No, I'm not drunk now.
• The problem with my digital camera is that I can take 200 pictures just by sneezing. Grammy's Olympus made me take my time, carefully wait for the moment and then take a picture. I was a much better photographer then.
• One thing many amateur photographers do wrong is stand so far away from their subjects. You've got to get in real close, especially if it's people, to get detailed facial expressions. Even if they have raging b.o.
• The best moment wasn't necessarily taking the photos, but rocking a printed photo back and forth in the developing tray and seeing something neat come to life.
• If you love photography, just take your camera and shoot lots of pictures. Make sure it always stays fun. And uh, stay in school and say no to drugs.
sounds like some good advice...you are always full of that though. you could have inspired some young minds! isn't that fun?!
That's cool! I'm sure they got a lot out of you being there! :)
From this photographer to you... I have to agree. I would also add
* Some the best expressions are those without a smile.
* Capturing a memory is more important then the pose
* Never be afraid to just raise your camera above your head, aim down and shoot... you might be suprised at what you get and the preception from the camera will be different.
I should send this to my budding news photographer sister. She's terrified of declaring herself a journalist instead of an artist (which she has trained her whole life for). I tell her it's the talent that matters, and boy does she have it.
T-bone, how did I miss the fact that you're a journalist? Me, too!
Dear "food-lover",
I'm a journalist working for TF1, the French 1st TV Channel. I'm preparing a report on competitive Eating, and more especially on Steak, T. Bone or even Hamburger eating. Maybe have you heard about such competitions, or do you know how I could get in touch with people who could help me.
Thanks in advance for your help ( and please forgive my poor english), and congratulation for your web site.
Sincerely yours,
Matthias Favron