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May 2006 | Edition Four |
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Hrvoje Polan
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Our next expert is Hrvoje Polan, who knows what it is like to work for big agencies and says that the way to get noticed is to improve your skills.
After seven years as a stringer for Reuters in his native Croatia – getting started during the war there in 1993 – he has now spent three years working on staff for Agence France-Presse.
Hrvoje says: “Be familiar with your camera, with your computer, with software, communications and language. Give yourself freedom to experiment with light and angle – the best way of learning is to learn by your own mistakes.
This will help you develop your own personal and recognizable style and avoid cliché, seen so many times in our business.
When you are going on assignment – give yourself time to prepare. Study maps, learn about the situation in the field and a few words of local language. Find out about the locals’ habits. That will make your life easier and people should be friendlier.
All these things will improve your skills and chances of working with a major agency. And you will probably learn a lot about yourself.”
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Tsvangirayi
Mukwazhi
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Freelance Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi is a former chief photographer of Zimbabwe’s now defunct Daily News, which was closed down by the government there (see Galleries in this edition).
Says Tsvangirayi: “Agency work means your photos have to appeal to an international audience, not just locally. Examine the work of other wire photographers to see the type and style of images that work. Be consistent - regular high quality page-one photographs in your paper will get you noticed. They will help people to have confidence in you.
While building a relationship with a wire agency, it’s important to attach yourself to one. If it is Reuters, stick with them and don’t ever jump ship or deal with a rival at the same time. Many budding wire photographers make the mistake of serving two masters - this is unethical and will only damage your chances of a successful career in agency work.
Having a personal, regularly-updated website is important so people can see your new work. This helps to establish you as a self-starter and maintain a good flow of images.” (See also Cool Kit in this issue).
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Aladin Abdel
Naby
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Our last expert is Aladin Abdel Naby, who has been a senior photographer for Reuters in Egypt for the last 20 years.
Says Aladin: “Wire services are hungry beasts for pictures and, during big stories, may need input from other than their own staff, so if your are looking to join or work for a wire service, make sure you have the name of the person who is in charge of pictures for that service in that region.
Wait for an important event, which means always staying on top of the news. Then go and shoot interesting pictures, images that have both quality and content.
Look for where the wire service may be weakest on the story – they will be going for the obvious angles and may miss some interesting sidebars.
Maybe nothing will come of your efforts. But, if your pictures are good, the wire service may make note of you and ask for assistance in future. Luck can have alot to do with this. Keep in touch with the service and offer to help in future, otherwise they may forget you. But do not pester. They are busy people.
A last point – do not expect a staff post as most of the major wire services are cutting back on their staff numbers. Better perhaps to establish a contact and get work occasionally at first, then more often. If you are good they will use you. Good luck.”
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| Copyright © 2006, all rights reserved by the photographers |
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