Bio and Credits
There's no guarantee that you'll make a living taking pictures of beaches, but you'll have a great time.
It's not who you are but what you can do.
Photography, Writing, Website Building, Marketing, Public Relations and Chef
Coming out of college with a degree in Photojournalism, a minor in Advertising and graduating with honors did not land me my first job. The portfolio and pictures did it. Students are told that they will have a better chance of landing a job in their field by being versatile. However, one of the biggest mistakes in trying to get a job in photography is being all over the board. If you want to be a journalist, don't share your advertising images. If you're looking for a public relations assignment from a new client, show photos relating to that. If you don't have any, take some and put them in your portfolio.
I have worked in the coldest climates in the nation as a photojournalist. My fingers and toes have frozen to the point of numbness and my mind has equally numbed being sent to many sites where people have died with the order to point and shoot pictures. I won't name the newspaper but a question by an editor was my "a-ha" moment in which I changed course. I wanted to climb that ladder in my field, of course. This editor sitting comfortably at his desk while I squirmed on my chair asked why I would not cross a fire line to take pictures and get the best breaking news shot. I simply didn't think any company is worth laying my life on the line for. I spent a week at the beaches of California contemplating crossing that line and breaking the law to move up in my job. I called my boss and told him I wasn't coming back.
With no job lined up I packed my bags into my little Toyota Corolla and moved to California. I temporarily became a chef while I looked for work in my field. Do you want your eggs scrambled or sunny side up?
