Rangefinder

Issue No. 4

Gene Morris, top center, at Excelsior Springs Community Center. Gene takes his younger brother Al, who recently moved in with him after his wife died, to exercise every morning at 5 a.m. "If you don't keep busy you get old," Morris said. "I'm going the other way - I get younger every day." Photo by Nanna Muus Steffensen

Tom Brenner

Gabrielle Lurie

Alyssa Schukar

Tips for navigating the freelance world of photojournalism

By Irynka Hromotska

Wearing multiple hats

Going into freelance photojournalism requires time, patience, and the masterful wearing of multiple hats. “I would love most of my efforts to be applied toward making photographs, but in reality, that's like 10 or 15% of my time,” MPW. 74 Co-Director Alyssa Schukar said, who is a Washington, D.C.-based photojournalist, who works often for non-profit organizations like Feeding America, and journalistic entities like The New York Times.

She says not only do you have to work as a photojournalist, but you also need to simultaneously run the promotion of your brand, manage your finances and understand contracts.

Another Washington, D.C.-based freelance photojournalist and MPW.74 participant Tom Brenner agrees. “I have to pay quarterly taxes, I have to manage the invoices and make sure that my clients all pay me on time, I have to buy and insure my own camera gear,” he said. “I need to be really careful not to lose money on fees or things that I didn't pay close enough attention to.”

Another essential aspect of being a successful freelancer is maintaining a good online presence via a current website. Social media should look consistent and have accurate information about you. Brenner said, “Don't make it hard for editors or someone looking at your work to go from page to page and get lost trying to find simple things about you.”

Building trust

The photo industry is built on trust and good relationships and a good chunk of running a successful business is about establishing and maintaining relationships, promoting your work, pitching stories, finding people who will hire you and finding alternative sources of income when work is slow.

“The reality of the market is that there are only a handful of publications that you'll consistently work for," Schukar said. "It’s especially true when it comes to newspapers.”

Workshops, portfolio reviews and competitions are great places to build a professional network. “You could have the best work ever, but if you're sending it blindly, most likely no one's gonna see it,” said Gabrielle Lurie, a staff photographer at The San Francisco Chronicle who formerly freelanced.

To land a gig as a freelancer, you benefit from having established expertise in some area. “Show as much personal work as you can to present the uniqueness you have as a photographer, to share something that will set you apart from the rest of the group,” Brenner said. After the assignment, you might want to reach out to the photo editor for feedback and to discuss topics of interest you want to be associated with.

Nourishing the photographer-editor relationships is essential. Keeping photo editors up-to-date with personal projects you’re working on and keeping your name in front of them by, for instance, sending an occasional postcard of your own photography can be a good way to maintain these relationships.

The bread and butter

In starting out in freelance photojournalism it is a good idea to establish your bread and butter gigs — the work that will sustain you in seasons of scarcity. This might be stock photography, e-commerce, weddings, restaurant photography or teaching.

“I think in the beginning, you take whatever is flowing your way until you feel stable financially because if you're not safe, you're not gonna get anywhere,” Lurie said. “While building these relationships with photo editors, you eventually can have explicit conversations about your ability to take on more projects.”

Maintaining the balance

Freelancing often equates to non-stop hustling, especially at the beginning of a career. Remember the importance of self-care. “You have to realize that the industry will take from you as much as you will give it, so there's a point where you have to figure out how to create your own space and agency,” Schukar said.

Ultimately, the quality of your work will largely depend on your physical and mental well-being. “I really try to eat well and take care of myself all week to keep doing the work I want to do,” Brenner said.

Getting to the place where you start cherishing your personal resource is a journey. “I would tell my younger self to just like, "take a breath, calm down." Burning out is the last thing you want to do,” Lurie said.

Building a community

“I think it's a dangerous thing to view other photographers as your competition, you need to view them as your network,” Schukar said. “ The first assignment that I got when I went freelance was through people who recommended me because they couldn't do an assignment.”

Workshops can be a great way to start building your network. Aside from the longest, tried and true Missouri Photo Workshop, others include Prism Photo Workshop, Mountain Workshops, Santa Fe Workshops, The Kalish, Eddie Adams and NPPA events.

Freelancing can feel akin to life on a deserted island. “Your community is going to be your best place,” Lurie said. “You do have all these people at your fingertips. Not all of them will give you the time of day, but there might be one who will, and that might be all you need.”

Tips to prepare for a portfolio review

Advice from Sarah Leen and Jillian Kumagai

By Tanishka R.

Showing your work to seasoned photographers and editors can be an intimidating and daunting process. Think about why you are taking this risk:

•Are you looking for an assignment?

•Are you schmoozing for reinforcement, another pat on the back like FB gives you daily?

•Or are you looking for an actual critique that will help you grow as a photographer?

Here are tips from Sarah Leen and Jillian Kumagai to help you prepare for a successful portfolio review.

1. The approach

Gaining access to editors and photographers who you would like to connect with can be challenging. Various organizations and collectives offer portfolio reviews that you can register for easily. "There are lots of them [portfolio reviews] that are free, and there are some that you pay," Sarah Leen said.

If you have trouble "accidentally connecting" with a reviewer at an official event, spark the conversation by sending them an email requesting to meet. Keep your note brief and try name dropping the person who sent you their email address, something like “Referral by Dorothea Lange '' if the editor knows Dortohea well.

Note that editors are extremely busy and receive many requests and pitches. If they don’t respond, it may have nothing to do with you. In fact, your email may be buried, unread, forever in their inbox, so don't take that non-response personally.

Portfolio reviews are an excellent opportunity to connect because editors and photographers from various publications have set aside time to sift through photographer’s work. "They [reviewers] are totally dedicated to doing these portfolio reviews," Leen said. "And you can see multiple people."

2. Research

Review the list of editors and photographers who will be present at the portfolio review. If there are specific publications you want to work with, be strategic in meeting with editors from those outlets.

"Know the basics," Jillian Kumagai said. Know the reviewer you are meeting, and learn about the projects they have worked on and the publication they work with. Note their editing style and attention to detail. Does their editing speak to the work you’re hoping to create? The editor-photographer relationship is a two-way street.

3. Set an agenda

You usually have about 20-30 minutes to connect with a reviewer. Make it count! Know what you want to get out of the portfolio review. Here are some questions to ask yourself.

Do you want to show a project or get overall feedback on your portfolio?
Do you want to pitch an idea or get feedback on an idea?
Are you hoping to get feedback on your style or technique?
Do you have a second set of images you are considering adding to your portfolio? If so, bring a folder of those for your reviewer to peek at.

Knowing your goals will help you create a roadmap for the conversations and help you make the most of the time. "Now, the goal might shift depending on who you sit down with," Leen said.

If you go the project review route, prepare two or three projects you want to talk about during the critique. Lead with the work you are passionate about. "Editors are going to feel that energy," Kumagai said.

4. Prepare yourself

Sometimes nerves can get the better of you. You might not know what to say or end up talking throughout the review session.

"Practice," Leen said. Sit down with a friend, preferably a visual journalist, and practice showing your portfolio.

Make sure your portfolio is organized and easy to navigate. In the case of prints, make sure they are ordered in a cohesive manner. "It shows the seriousness of your intent for your work," Leen said.

If you plan to show an unedited project, bring a foldered selection of images.

Mentally prepare yourself for the review. "You most likely won't get feedback like, my God this is fantastic," Leen said.

Be open to what the reviewer says, even if you disagree with them. "There might be some nuggets in there that can make you aware of something," Leen said. "All feedback can be valuable.”

Remember that every reviewer has a different style of reviewing and providing feedback. You might encounter some tough reviewers who you might think are harsh. "That is their personality," Leen said. "It has absolutely nothing to do with you or your work."

Lastly, be respectful. The reviewer is taking time from their schedule to help you; the least you can do is be respectful to them and what they have to say.

Faculty and photographers putting their heads together during a nightly critique in Excelsior Springs. Photo by Hany Hawasly

“One idea, one picture": A look back at Wednesday's critique

By Anastasia Busby

As Night Four of MPW.74 wrapped up, co-director Brian Kratzer reminded photographers that they have only 30 hours left before the final card drop at noon on Friday. And counting....

Most photographers were in the thick of their stories by Wednesday night and had experienced several rounds of critiques from their faculty mentors. Expectations are high, and many photographers were feeling the pressure. Faculty noted the need for photographers to keep trying to perfect scenes they had attempted.

In a video recording of Bill Eppridge, “On ‘Criticism,’” Eppridge relays to the photographers his experience as a photographer at MPW.

“It was intimidating,” Eppridge recalled. The workshop had a reputation for being tough. He recalled how faculty expected a professional level of images, regardless of their degree of experience.

After his first day of photographing, Eppridge's faculty mentors "ripped me a new one" for shooting the streets of Columbia, Mo., from a nearby rooftop. The faculty noted his failure to show life with any degree of intimacy.

“Bit by bit it came to me, these guys have been in the business a long time, why in the world would they be picking on me as an individual,” Eppridge said. “Criticism ain't bad, if you listen." He went on to be a successful photojournalist for Life Magazine, Sports Illustrated and documented the Bobby Kennedy Presidential campaign that ended in his assassination.

Kratzer noted the privilege that comes with attending the workshop and being coached by visual experts. Forty photographers were chosen to be there, 44 applications were denied. “Cherish the fact that you’re here,” Kratzer said.

Nineteen new stories were introduced during the critique; Every photographer now has an approved story.

The faculty offered some advice as they went through their photographers' first and second days of shooting.

Becky Lebowitz Hanger reminded photographers to get a range of perspectives, and to encourage low or high camera angles - a diversified visual approach. “I don’t want to be able to tell how tall you are,” she said.

Co-directors Emeritus David Rees and Jim Curley graced the workshop with their presence. When asked if he had any pearls of wisdom for participants, Rees kept it short and sweet: “One idea, one picture.”

David Rees and Jim Curly at Ray's Diner in Excelsior Springs. Photo by Ray Wong

Memorable mishaps at the Missouri Photo Workshop

By Anastasia Busby

Most of the past 74 years at MPW have gone by smoothly. However, every so often a memorable happening goes down in workshop history, to be discussed in susequent years like stories around the Thanksgiving table. There's the time a crew member was robbed at cross-bow while camping in the woods, and the year a participant, who so just happened to be the daughter of a former President of the United States, lost a few of her negatives in a darkroom snafu.

Here are a few of our faculy's most memorable moments.

Kim Komenich recalls the smell of one of the worst darkroom disasters only a few years after becoming a facility member. That year, the crew spilled about five gallons of fixer in the basement of a hotel. The fluid was often kept in garbage bins and one had been knocked over, flooding the basement floor. "It smells kind of like rotten eggs,” Komenich said. The fire department was called and the hotel had to be evacuated.

After nearly 20 years of running the workshop, MPW Co-directors Emeritus Jim Curley and David Rees are no stranger to occasional chaos.

“We took over and the workshop was scheduled two weeks after 9/11,” Curley said. “So we lost a third of the faculty who had to cancel because they had to work.” Despite reduced attendance by photographers (32) and faculty who had to stay at their publications editing, the workshop was still able to come together in Kearney, Mo., just a few miles from here in Excelsior Springs. That year faculty teams were reduced from three to two, to accommodate the reduced faculty numbers.

In 2003 in Louisiana, Mo., on the shore of the Mississippi River, Curley recalls when a photographer was accused of child pornography. “We thought we were going to have to tell one of our photographers to beat it across the river to get out of the state,” Curley said. The photographer was doing a story on two minors and had taken photos of a boy in his boxers getting dressed in the morning. The uncle, who was taking care of the kids, started getting nervous about how he would be portrayed in the story.

“We were doing nightly critiques one night and there's a tap on the door,” Curley said. “And I go to answer it, and it's the sheriff. The sheriff says, well, we've had a report that you all are engaged in child pornography.” The issue calmed down after the sheriff vouched for the photos that he’d seen, threatening to quit his job if it wasn’t dropped.

David Rees recalls the year Susan Ford, Gerald Ford's daughter (who was President at the time) attended the workshop in 1975 in Nevada. Ford ended up pretty upset after crew members messed up some of her frames.

“We would load maybe 40 rolls of film at a time in these deep tanks, and completely in the dark. We didn't know whose film was whose, and hers was the only film that had any damage to it,” Rees said. “I think she suspected foul play, but there's no way it could have been foul play. It was just the luck of the draw.”

Brian Kratzer, Co-Director

Alyssa Schukar, Co-Director

Hany Hawasly, Technical Director

http://www.mophotoworkshop.org