Brian von Glahn Photography Blog

Our final day as a group and it seems like this week is over far too fast.

This morning we had the opportunity to speak with Time magazine. I was very excited to meet Kira Pollack, Director of Photography at Time Magazine, after working at Life.com last summer. I had heard a lot about what Life was doing with their online content and I enjoyed getting to see a preview of their to-be-released content. Over and over, we heard that when submitting a portfolio or pitching a story idea the most important step is to research the company you are submitting to. Without good research skills a photographer can not submit relevant content or even understand what they are supposed to be photographing.

Time magazine was our last official stop but we also got to go to the International Center of Photography to see the Weegee exhibit. This was a nice treat and a great way to end our week together. I’m not sure I am ready to go back to Rochester yet, being in NYC is so nice. I can’t wait to be back here this summer and hopefully doing lots of multimedia.

Day four and our trip to NYC is almost over. This has been an amazing week and I have met some absolutely incredible and inspiring people.

First up, Bloomberg, not my first thought when I think of photography jobs in NYC but that is no longer the case. Their photographers may have some of the hardest jobs I can think of. I have no idea how they make great pictures from the absolute driest headlines, but they do it and they it looks great. They gave us some great business advice on knowing your client and organizing your portfolio to match their needs.

Second stop was the New Yorker. If any of us had thoughts of editing, talking with the editors at the New Yorker may have helped to solidify that path. Their business advance was similar to some of the other places we have been but they kept revisiting the idea that photographers need to find their specific market and key into that. They spoke a lot from the role of an editor and gave some suggestions on how to cultivate the editor-photographer relationship.

Our evening ended with a combination of the AD and PJ students getting to have drinks with alumni and other individuals in the industry. It was an amazing chance to speak one on one about our work and what we can do to improve. This industry is all about networking and this event was a perfect opportunity.

Wednesday marks the third day of our amazing trip to New York City; we begin our day in the Bronx.

Frank Fournier was our first stop. He is a strong advocate of finding your own story within the masses of people covering some the same topic. His advice of avoiding the shot everyone else is making and take a chance with something that shows your personal style can set you apart. Mr. Fournier’s other important point, in my opinion, was that even a good concept needs refinement and needs to worked further to reach the “real” story. The act of mentally flushing out a shoot allows you to find the best hook to bring in the audience. In order to be able to even take these photos, a photographer needs to be respected and able to become invisible. This skill certainly does not happen overnight, it requires skill in attitude, body language, and how one hold him or herself. Content will come, says Mr. Fournier, when you are able to work well with your subjects.

Heading back into the heart of Manhattan, we visited one of the places I have always wanted to go, The New York Times. The talk was mainly led by James Estrin but we were fortunate enough to talk with multiple photo editors as well. They like many of the other individuals that we have heard from spoke about the ways to stand out in this industry and how to impress a photo editor. There was also a lot of talk about the do’s and don’ts of an assignment, the keys being proper communication and creativity.

After a little, much needed, relaxation we all met up at Liz’s apartment to have dinner while listening to John Makely, Senior Multimedia Editor at MSNBC.com, and Robert Elder. John Makely was very interesting to speak with, from my perspective, as I want to work extensively in multimedia journalism and web publishing. Mr. Makely gave me some great business advice as well as a few new ways to think about using my time and deciding when to opt for stills or multimedia. Mr. Elder spoke about his style of shooting from the hip, a completely different approach than most classes would teach. Despite his difference in style, one message was clear, a photographer needs to have a deep understanding of the project he or she is undertaking including current events and past history in order to create a full and complete narrative.

Halfway home and it’s now 10:40pm, this was certainly a long day but the same energy that everyone had yesterday certainly carried through today. This was our first full day, packing in four visits in total: The Wall Street Journal, Getty, VII, and Clay Patrick McBride.

Compared to yesterday, today was a wider cross section of the photography industry. We started the morning off with a talk from RIT alum, Jack van Antwerp, Director of Photography at the WSJ. He gave advice to those of us who want to freelance: communicate! The single most reoccurring comment he made was that photographers need to communicate, wether it is with their editors, clients, or prospective jobs, communication and the ability to explain one”s self is important. He also mentioned that many young photographers forget that even when they get an easy job like photographing a building, they should put as much effort and creativity into it as photographing their dream job. Doing that will make any young freelancer stand out.

Next up was Getty, which was quite different in comparison to the AP. We got to hear from five staff members, including RIT alum and staff photographer, Mario Tama. Here too, everyone seemed to echo the idea that communication is key just like at the WSJ. There was a lot of talk about never surprising an editor with photos that may not be exactly what they assigned you to do. Also, the more curious you are about the world and the more you talk with others, the more effective you will be.

VII very different compared to all the other places we have visited so far, being a photo agency which represents 23 of the top photographers around the world. Alina Grossman spoke to us about the business of photography and how we can make money even after the photo is taken and filed with the client. One big thing I took away from her talk was that you need to keep your archive organized so that you can resell images as stock, etc. in the future.

Last but certainly not least we went to have dinner with Clay Patrick McBride in his studio. He was by far the most energetic individual we have had the chance to speak with this week. Despite his in-your-face approach and somewhat intense personality, he had a great desire to teach younger photographers. He too echoed many of the things we have heard from Professor Snyder these past months. If anything can be taken from the night in his studio it is that a photographer must be confident and able to speak about his or her work. The idea that the only way to get better is to make lots of photos and even fail at trying new things was one that I can not stop thinking about; I may have to get my own brick now.

Our first day as a group began as a bit of a surprise for some, we were all early and well prepared for the day.

Our first stop was The Associated Press to meet with Vice President and Director of Photography, Santiago Lyon, for a interesting talk about the current and future roles and requirements of a wire service photographer. He spoke about the need to be talented in a wide variety of areas of photography and even audio/ video. This multifaceted nature was reiterated when he outlined his ideal applicant’s portfolio: containing breaking news, sports, features, and longer stories.

Despite having to do so many things, the idea that keeping your focus concise is also of paramount importance. Being confidant, having character, being aware of current and past events and generally intelligent are also key characteristics of a good staff or freelance photographer. The constant message from Mr. Lyon was that to succeed as a wire photographer, you need to be good at everything and great in one specific area to stand out.

After visiting the AP, Human Rights Watch seemed vastly different. While both organizations are very focussed on the importance of ensuring your facts are always correct the role of photographer differs greatly. Emma Daly, Communications Director at Human Rights Watch, explained the major differences between wire service photographers and those working for NGOs. She told us that photographers often have weeks to do assignments and are also usually accompanied by a researcher. The role of photographer seemed to emphasize the well written and thoroughly researched briefs on injustices around the world.

The ability to work in sensitive situations and act professional and operate discretely was one of her important points. The other major point that I took away from the talk was that in this industry, our reputation and accuracy are everything.

That wraps up day one, more to come tomorrow.