Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/09/24

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Subject: Re: Interview questions-off topic sort of.
From: Harrison McClary <hmphoto@delphi.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 17:31:10 +0000

Donal Philby wrote:

> Besides, how often do photographer get treated as important and worthy
> of someone's attention, instead of being introduced as "my
> photographer"
> by a writer (another of my pet peeves).

My response to this: How often do people page through a magazine to "just read
the articles." 

You make an interesting point here.  As a photojournalist we are responsible
for bringing back the photos of the event we are covering and in many
instances we are the only "on scene" person so we have to provide information
for the wordsmiths, and in many cases write the story.  This is really true if
shooting for a wire service/agency where you are providing ALL of the
information with your photos.  I have never seen a writer capable of doing all
of this (most writers I have worked with can't even handle a point and shoot
camera!), but we are the ones looked upon as a ragtag second thought to the
journalism world.  It is a proven fact a weak story with excellent art will
get better play in publication.  After all most people only look at the photos
anyway! 

- -- 
Harrison McClary
http://people.delphi.com/hmphoto