How to Become a Photojournalist

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Part of the video series: Becoming a Photographer

Summary: Becoming a photojournalist requires an initial investment in good, professional equipment, such as cameras and lighting equipment, and taking classes in a journalism department or an getting an internship with a successful newspaper or magazine. Discover some sound advice from a professional photographer on what it takes to become a photojournalist in this free career video.

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By Franc Anderson
eHow Presenter

Franc Anderson is a Northern Irish photographer who has been living and working in Budapest for more than 10 years. He follows in the footsteps of the great tradition of Irish general...read more

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Video Transcript

"I'm Franc Anderson. I'd like to talk to you about how to become a photojournalist. The first thing you have to invest in is high end equipment. Canon or Nikon professional cameras, and high end flash, and maybe a little bit of lighting equipment. Secondly, you'll have to try to get onto courses in journalism, or perhaps get on a course in photography skill. From there, you need to get an internship with a magazine or a newspaper. This gives you a chance to get published work. And some people perhaps need to get several internships before they can get permanent work. You will also have to develop a portfolio. This should include single shots, for example car crashes, right up to photo essays about peoples' lives. Of course, magazines and newspapers won't always want to have published work. But a student portfolio can sometimes get you an internship. You'll also have to learn how to scan images, download and transmit them. And you need to get training with professional imaging editing software such as Adobe Photoshop. You'll have to learn to think quickly, and think on your feet. News events happen fast, and your ability to stay calm and make good decisions under pressure will have a great impact on your success with photographs. In every case, don't take the easy way out. You'll have to try to find the best idols for your story. And also you have to make sure that you give balanced reporting, seek out opposing viewpoints every time, just like every reporter would do. You're going to have to prepare yourself for mental and physical challenges. Every time you're going to be carrying heavy equipment, sometimes in different conditions. And you're going to be asked to cover events ranging from robberies, storms, perhaps even regional conflict, war. You're going to be under a lot of pressure, sometimes from your fellow journalists. For example, I remember crammed together with five other guys in a small office, with a Prime Minister who refused to shake hands twice for us all. You had about two seconds to cover the job. So all in all, you're going to have to hold up under sometimes, quite a bit of pressure. Editors' don't like it when you don't make the headlines. However on the other side, you're going to have a very interesting, very rewarding job which can in some cases pay very well indeed."