Photojournalism. Is it on it's deathbed?

~JohannesLaaksonen Sep 19, 2012 Hobbyist Photographer

Hey!

Are there any people around who are interested in photojournalism or are already working in the field? Would love hear from you how the work is and how you landed that career. Would also like to start a general conversation on the state of photojournalism. Do you guys think it's a dead-end career, because cameras are readily available nowadays and also easy to use. Everybody is a photographer. Do you believe that professional photojournalism still has its place?

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~RestInMotion Sep 24, 2012

Who cares if it's a dead-end career. Do what you want.

Also, there will forever be things to take pictures of. So it is in no way a dying field. Actual art will die before photojournalism. Meaning - It will never die.

~Maulok26845 Sep 24, 2012 Hobbyist Photographer

As a career it's harder to be a photographer these days. There is less money for each photograph and the quality demands have gone down. These things combined results in cheaper photographs, which can be made by amateurs. So there's less work to be done for the professionals, resulting in a smaller chance to make your career out of it. This is the case in The Netherlands anyway, as I see it. The newspaper we read at home has only one PJ, which makes most of the photographs worth looking at. The rest of the photographs, chosen by the newspaper, are half-baked in my opinion.

~easwee Sep 24, 2012 Hobbyist Photographer

"Do you guys think it's a dead-end career, because cameras are readily available nowadays and also easy to use"

It is actually easier for you if you are a photojournalist or want to become one - since you will have more time to work on quality and content of your shots instead of bothering with camera setting problems.

And on a real scenario.

You are on a concert with your point and shoot in auto mode - you take a picture of the lead singer singing on his head with the microphone in his mouth. No one has ever took a picture of this performance.

How do you expect your picture turned out (keep in mind you used auto mode on a concert)?
How many magazines do you think would offer you to post that picture?

*JackMolotov3 Sep 24, 2012 Hobbyist Photographer

aat the same time, your skills are no longer needed. the editor or writer or a story can take the pic they need themselves since it became that easy.

The skill required previously made years of tradecraft among professionals degraded.

~easwee Sep 25, 2012 Hobbyist Photographer

Yes but the editor and writer usually don't have time for that. Maybe the writer since the photojournalist is often also the writer.

*JackMolotov3 Sep 25, 2012 Hobbyist Photographer

usually, but when it gets so easy you can snap something on your iphone and instagram it, and the majority of the public won't know the difference, they do have time for it.

I ran into a professional photographer(remain nameless), on the streets of a major city, who confessed to be he uses a small mirrorless camera for most of his pro work, and the big SLR on his webpage(which he does own), is mostly for show these days.

While I am sure he survies based on reputation, and gets paid handomsly for his work, its only going to be a matter of time before they figure it all it and he is replaced by someone making less than 1/10th what he does, operating a small mirrorless camera.

~tsblo Sep 23, 2012 Professional Photographer

Studied photojournalsim in college for a little bit. I think the traditional role of the photojournalist is dieing but not the field.
Photojournalists now have to be able to be proficient in video, audio, journalistic writing and interviewing as well as just still photography. The photojournalist is blurring lines with the journalist, allowing them to have stories on wire services, or into the editor faster, with enough quality to keep readers and viewers interested.

=deviant-garde Sep 20, 2012

How about journalism in general? The news is intolerable.

*tacosteev Sep 20, 2012 Hobbyist

Pencils and brushes have been available for centuries. Have those fields died? Just because the tools are readily available doesn't mean folk automatically know how to use them in a meaningful way.

There are riots and natural disasters happening world wide. I highly doubt photo journalism is dead. Like with anything photography, being at the right place at the right time is the tricky part.

~JohannesLaaksonen Sep 20, 2012 Hobbyist Photographer

You should see what we discussed with Aapis, because I think you are making the same point as him

Thanks for joining the conversation!

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