Comments on: [Video] Photojournalists Reveal All in “Chimping”

By: Jon Diener

Jon Diener — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:31:00 +0000

Todd Maisel… Any relation to photo legend Jay Maisel? Personality seems similar. ;-)

By: Jon Dize aka DIZEMAN

Jon Dize aka DIZEMAN — Sun, 06 May 2012 21:29:00 +0000

I guess the most shocking for me is that several of the industry’s top photojournalists who’ve earned Pulitzers and Emmy Awards for their work tell you how their $80,000 a year income has been reduce to $30,000 and words like “Over dramatized” are being used to describe the video. I’ve been a professional photographer for the better part of 40 years, a photojournalist, freelance and staff for much of that time and my observation mirrors that of those in the video. I remember when professional photographers were respected like many other professionals in the community, not unlike engineers, teachers, lawyers and today I don’t see that kind of respect any longer. Shooting assignments or contributing images and words for photo credits and by-lines cause a deterioration of the industry as a whole and make it harder for anyone to make photography as their sole employment while expecting to earn enough income to live a reasonable an respectable life. I would suggst 80% of photographers/photojournalists today live off the earnings of a spouse, because they cannot earn enough from photography to own a home, have a couple new cars and put their children through college, it’s very sad, but photographers have done it to themselves and that is perhaps the saddest part of all. At 58, having become a professional photographer at the age of 18, I am glad my career in photography ran it’s course during a time when photographers were, well… PHOTOGRAPHERS!

By: Jerry Epkin

Jerry Epkin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:41:00 +0000

As an ex-photojournalist, I feel I have to comment on this (2 weeks late) – the biggest threat aren’t the huge swaths of amateurs picking up DSLRS, but our coworkers and friends. The reporters who are now being taught, by us, how to use cameras. And unless we learn how to write, why should the newspapers pay for two people when they can just pay for one?

Ditto goes for video. Very few people are solely photojournalists now.

To vaguely quote someone from the AntiPhotojournalism exhibition, “Anyone can get lucky and take a good photo in the right place at the right time. Photojournalists have to do that every day.”

By: Sho Shots

Sho Shots — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:49:00 +0000

That building fire was in Brooklyn NY happened on the second floor of my building on 02/28/12 , I thought about grabbing my camera but the shock of the fire and the misery of the people involved was to gripping. I takes tough skin to shoot situations like that day in and day out..

By: Roman

Roman — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 06:12:00 +0000

Everyone can be a photo-reporter with iPhone or even 1d but not everyone can be photojournalist. It is not good any more to just machinegun with 1d. But if photojournalist has story to tell and know how to tell it, he/she will find publisher who will buy it.
The market is not as forgiving any more, and having camera and knowledge to develop film is not enough anymore.
The big picture is actually very positive:
1. Everybody have camera in a packet and can report situation from first minute.
2. We will see less and less low quality images from hi quality equipment in news papers ;)

By: mfmg

mfmg — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 04:53:00 +0000

Great story. I especially enjoyed the interview that accompanied the still image slideshow. It’s sad to think of what’s happening to this field, but those who survive are going to be producing work that is not likely to be achieved by an amateur or an enthusiast. Quality in this field takes time and commitment. So many stories would be lost if there was no such thing as a full-time photojournalist.

By: Anthony Hayes

Anthony Hayes — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:43:00 +0000

the bang bang club

By: GOKHAN CUKUROVA

GOKHAN CUKUROVA — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:47:00 +0000

this was a great find guys..

By: James

James — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 06:09:00 +0000

over dramatised and depressing

By: Night Life Photo

Night Life Photo — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 04:48:00 +0000

Excellent post and video. Amazing how the industry has changed over the years to the point where anyone with a camera can call themselves a photographer.