I'm a photographer. I shoot everything I see, and what I see, I like to keep. I love to shoot people, and capture the essence of an individual for that split second the shutter opens. I love motion and love to stop motion. The world is always in motion and photography is my way of slowing it down, one fraction of a second at a time. I travel whenever I can, and in the past year, I've had the opportunity to travel all over the US, Croatia, Crete, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, and Portugal. The experience of interacting with foreign cultures is amazing, and in my opinion, the best education a person can receive.
A career path in photography may lead a person in several directions. Many photographers work in commercial fields such as in a fine arts gallery or commercial news. Portrait photographers shoot pictures of people, usually in studios. Others take pictures for schools and weddings. Commercial photographers capture images used for books, advertisements, and catalogs. They take pictures of a variety of subjects, including models, landscapes, and buildings. News photographers take pictures of people and events within the community and submit them to their publications. These pictures include sports, politics, and people. Photographers in this field are either freelance or salaried workers. Freelance photographers contract their images with organizations or license them through agencies. These agencies, such as wireimage.com, allow magazines to use the photographs and pay the photographer for the sale. To access one of these agencies, a photographer must submit an application and portfolio for review. If accepted, the agency will then notify the photographer and ask them to submit a certain number of photographs per year. News photographers usually have heavy deadlines to meet, and when assigned, they must be capable of carrying heavy equipment for extended periods of time. When required, these photographers may also be assigned to work in dangerous environments, such as natural disasters, accidents, or military conflicts. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, photographers earn from $14,600 for the bottom ten percent to $50,000 for the top ten percent, while middle earnings estimate around $24,000. Numbers vary according to industry, where newspaper industries provide the highest salaries and scientific industries provide the lowest.
I enjoy being where it’s at, when it’s at, and am currently pursuing a specialized career in photojournalism. My ideal job would end with National Geographic, since they represent the best in the business and would grant me the opportunity to continue my travels, experience foreign cultures, and get paid to capture everything around me. National Geographic photographers have come a long way since starting off. In order to be considered, the photographer must already be a well established photojournalist. A bachelor’s degree is a minimum, along with ten years of professional experience in the field. As seen above, I've been able to establish a pretty decent portfolio throughout my military experience, and I plan to transfer into the school of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida to continue this process. I’m not sure how successful I will become, but I figure as long as I’m doing all I can, I cannot fail!
1. Professional Photographers of America, Inc.
2. NPPA, National Press Photographers Association
1. New York Institute of Photography
2. University of Florida, Department of Journalism and Communications
1. U.S. NAVY, Mass Communications Specialist
2. Trans-Ocean Photos Inc., Cruise Line Photographer
3. WireImage.com, Freelance Photographer
1.Basic Job Description
2.Bureau of Labor Statistics
1. Burian, Peter K. and Caputo, Robert. National Geographic Photography Field Guide. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 1999. ISBN: 0792274989.
2. Hollenbeck, Cliff and Hollenbeck, Nancy. Freelance Photographer’s Handbook. Amherst Media; 2Rev Ed edition 1999. ISBN: 0936262818.
3. Herrod, David. Photojournalism: An Essential Guide. Guild of Master Craftsman, 2003. ISBN: 1861083357
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