Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/03/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 10:22 AM 3/8/98 -0400, you wrote: >As a full-time, well remunerated, freelance photojournalist who has worked >in the past as a staffer for a major wire service and major newspapers and >freelances out of choice I take extreme offense at this statement. You misunderstood what I was saying. It is the rare photojournalist who can do pure photojournalism full time as a freelancer. If you are one, you are indeed fortunate. Most of us who are full time staffers at newspapers often envy people like you. It's not that freelancers are bad, but we are not willing to make the sacrifices you folks do to do it your way. At times I'm still tempted to give it a try. But the lure of a steady paycheck makes that a difficult leap. But, the fact remains that many photographers who happen to be freelancers make money at commercial and "celebrity work" because they cannot get the financing to do the projects they want to. The commercial work pays a whole lot more than that work they wish to do, but it makes possible what they want to do in spite of the lack of support from publications. If Life magazine still paid well for a long-term project, you can bet Mary Ellen Mark wouldn't be doing commercial work. Bill Allard would have never tried shooting for Marlboro - and in fact got fired in the process when he mouthed off to the art director. Photojournalists tend to be a tough breed who doesn't take kindly to direction from less competents. :-) And they don't really enjoy the time it takes to shoot advertising and other stuff that has nothing to do with why they picked up a camera in the first place. If that offends you, talk to them, I have nothing to do with how they feel. But that's often the way it is. They don't mind doing the work, but it's not what drives them to be photographers. There is NOTHING wrong with freelancing! (Just in case my point is still in doubt.) As for shooting a wider array of assignments than newspaper photographers, there ain't no way. ========== Eric Welch St. Joseph, MO http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch IRS: We've got what it takes to take what you've got!