News Camera Work - What to expect?

nailer

Member
Hi, I'm interested in doing news camera work but was looking for some further info on what to expect. I presume its long hours and stressful but probably rewarding as well. I'm just guessing so if anyone can throw further light on it for me (particularly those who've worked in the UK) that would be great.

Thanks
 

MMrozinski

Well-known member
Hi, I'm interested in doing news camera work but was looking for some further info on what to expect. I presume its long hours and stressful but probably rewarding as well. I'm just guessing so if anyone can throw further light on it for me (particularly those who've worked in the UK) that would be great.

Thanks
I think what you are trying to say is, you're interested in becoming a Photojournalist or a News Photographer. I'm not sure what it is like in the UK. I know that in the US it is very tough to make it in the begining. It's tough to make it in general. Starting wages are generally very low... $20,000 or less. You have work your tail off to get good enough to move up. We start in very small markets that have little money. You find yourself as a jack of all trades. It's miserable and many people get turned off after the first job.

The business can be very high stress. Lots of deadlines and lots of pressure. It is just like any other job, it has it's days when you hate it and it has it's days when you love it.

On the bright side of things, very few people get to travel, meet people, and see life at the frontlines of human nature at it best and worst the way we do. It's definitley and adventure.

Don't do it if you don't have a passion for it. And if you decide this is for you, learn to do it right. Seek out critique and join organizations that will teach you to become a great visual storyteller and will teach you ethics.

Hope that helps. If you have more specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
 

zac love

Well-known member
You have to have a passion for it, that is rule #1.

I've run into a bunch of people that have said "I've thought about being a TV camera guy," assuming that a photojournalist position is one that is hired off the street.

I'd also say that many people here have a 4 year college degree. I can't tell you how many people were surprised to hear that & usually follow up with a "what was your major?" When I answer "Mass Communication / Journalism," they usually have a silent & slightly embarrassed "duh" look on their face.

Biggest selling point I have for being a photojournalist is that every day is a field trip.

This isn't a career for people who want a corner office with a view. This is a career for people who want to be lugging 50lbs of gear around that exec's "view."

Read some posts, introduce yourself, watch the award winning packages & then try to copy them, but better.
 

nailer

Member
Thanks for the responses.

Could someone tell me what the average hours are like? I do long shifts fairly regularly in my current job but I heard the basic shift is usually 12 hours.
 

MMrozinski

Well-known member
In the U.S. a typical work day is 9 hours with a hour lunch break that you never get. Some work 8 with no lunch break. Some work 8.5 with a half hour lunch break that they never get.

If you work special events and travel you may work for 2 days straight.. haha. It's whatever the job entails. But for most crews that is a rare thing. If you freelance or work for a network you may see more days like that.

You can expect to work a lot of extra hours and have some long days. It depends on where you work and the amount of resources they have.
 

zac love

Well-known member
Here is the US you'll probably start something where you work the weekends & slowly work your way up to a better shift was you gain seniority. Most shifts are roughly 4am-1pm, 10am-7pm, 3pm-12pm & 11pm-8am. Shop to shop they'll differ slightly depending on when the news casts are.

Also keep in mind that while you might have a schedule, don't think of it as a schedule. There were many occasions where I was 15min away from leaving for the day & I'm was asked to go shoot a fire two counties over, meaning I got home about 2 hours later than I was expecting.

The second place I worked at had 4 10hour shifts w/o a lunch break. (There is always time to eat in the car or edit bay, so you still eat, just never a "I'm on my break, can you bother someone else" break.) The plus side to this was that every weekend was a 3 day weekend.

When I started that job I thought I'd never leave due to the 3 day weekends.

Though after they cut overtime, health insurance went up & I was looking for a second job to make up for the lost cash, I realized that I no longer was going to have 3 day weekends & moved to a bigger city 70miles away w/ a nice raise.
 

photoguy603

Well-known member
Do you enjoy holidays? Because at least for the first few years you can pretty much forget about them....unless they happen to fall on your regular days off. The shifts are crazy and you can be called anytime day or night day off or not to come in if something big is going down.

You'll see the worst of the world, murder, fires, destruction, a lot of graphic stuff that never makes air. but on the other hand youll get to do a lot of cool stuff that not many people people get to do....hang out in team locker rooms at championship games stuff like that.

I do this not only because I love what I do but I know I'd go crazy behind a desk all day. Just be prepared to not live a 9-5 life like most people....
 

A Step Above Productions

Well-known member
The job is great. As already said we see the best of the world and we see the worst of the world. Every day is different. Just remember… just because you have a camera and think you know how to us it – you don’t. You have to understand the basics of shooting and editing. Sequencing, getting nat sound, getting wide medium, and tight shots, knowing how to conduct interviews, coming up with story ideas, and at times writing and possibly going on the air if you are the only one on a breaking news scene.

This job is a lot more than just taking pictures.
 
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