Cell On Cell

Following on from my last bog post Zen Archer which was about the different types of photographer you have to be in certain situations. All of the following were used by me in one weekend;  A Reportage Photographer, Press Photographer, Classical Music Concert Photographer, Portrait Photographer, Rock Music Concert Photographer and Snapper. I wrote about the skills needed and to be developed to be a Reportage Photographer., so that leads me to my second type of photographer on the list. Press Photographer. The Above picture appeared in a double page spread in the London Evening Standard on Monday 7th December and the following link gives the online picture and review. Thunder & Light for George Crumb. Different pictures also appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday and in the Independent on Sunday

Press Photographer. This is not a term that sat comfortably with me at first. I remember going on my first press job and meeting other press photographers who worked for national newspapers and saw how quickly and efficiently they worked. They knew the shot that they were going to submit as soon as they had taken it. They were not just snapping away they moved the subjects around until they got what was required but they did it with speed and decisiveness. Lets be clear Press is not Paparazzi. I knew then that this was a different breed of photographer.


I also learned that it is a hard job with lots of knock backs. If you work for the London Evening Standard or the Times for example, the photographer may be out on 5 or 6 different jobs a day, process and submit work (wirelessly from your laptop) and still not get any of it in the paper that day. I took some great shots of musicians in action at the new Euro Star train station in London and then the news broke that Michael Jackson had died so no chance of getting anything in the paper that day and they were sent to many different press desks.

Press Photographers will not submit all the pictures that are taken they will only use the best 5 (sometimes up to 10 images depending on the photo editor at the press desk they are sending to).

It also helps if you are working as part of a well oiled machine. Press person will issue a PR release will follow up release with phone calls to arts/sports/news editors "haggle/nag" for space and will tell the editor that a "photog" has been sent to get THE photo and to expect it at whatever time was agreed. Sometimes it is difficult to manage expectations and this would be one of them.

So you have to think on your feet and get the shot. This is where "Every Picture Tells A Story" really counts. The more unusual the photo better. Style is important too. By looking at the different newspapers you will know that the Independent and Independent on Sunday are looking for very different arty shots, they encouarge angles and blurs, and they do a lot of arts coverage with more photographs than most. Other papers such as The Daily Telegraph like a less risky shot.

Apart from your camera, flashes, battery pack and other assorted goodies you need to have a wireless laptop, contact details set up, email address and phone numbers to hand. Once you have sent, you or the PR person should follow up and hassle to get the picture in the paper or online review. Get to know the press desks and who is who. I also shoot in jpeg for speed of processing.

Oh, and the above picture. I was not totally getting something different throughout this event/concert and I was conscious of time running out, so above the heads of the singers in the balcony I held the camera high and snapped away on the goings on below. There is definitely room for snapping.