Camera kit for photojournalism

I'm a portrait and editorial photographer for 30+ years. Been through Leica M for many years and Canon digital to this day. But I'm experimenting with the Olympus OMD, some small primes and soon a zoom. The results from the 25mm Panasonic "Summilux" is astounding. The other primes are very good. Camera body is too small, but worth the savings in weight and space. This could be another way to go for PJ?
 
Phil_F_NM said:
Like others have said, you want flexible and fast.
Salgado can shoot whatever he likes, gear-wise but that's because he's established.
Getting action with a rangefinder or manual focus anything is hard and if you miss it, you miss it.

You're going to want to get into freelancing first to get your feet wet and network. That might be all that is available for years, so don't quit your day job. These days there is not much to go around and with a lot of pubs closing you're going to have to struggle against folks who are already established in the field.

Learn not only to write a cutline but just to write, period. These days, there aren't really many photojournalists left. Everyone is a general reporter that shoots, writes, does some editing, pitches and possibly a bit of web work. If you're in school, fight tooth and nail for an internship. Anywhere with any publication on the editorial side. You'll network there and your job prospects will be better than if you didn't have an internship.

Good boots are a must. I've worn out the soles on a pair of Alden 406 boots once in just over two years. This is a shoe that lasts an average of 10 years before that kind of service. I walk a lot.

Back to the kit though. The X100 is ok for a wide-normal but last year my would-be editor said she'd rather have me shoot film with a pair of Nikon RFs than have me with just a fixed lens X100. There was a good amount of sarcasm in there and that wasn't a green light to shoot film, it meant "get a DSLR."

You also want something that is durable. I have a history of destroying cameras and putting them through hell (combat in Iraq) so you want a durable camera and you want a backup if this is your bread and butter. If you can afford the best, get the best. If you think your camera is going to get thrown into the front seat a lot or left on the roof once or twice before you see it in the rear view mirror, you need a pro series body. I shoot a 2 generation old pro Nikon right now because it is durable as hell, and cheap as far as pro gear goes. I took one of these to Iraq in 2004 and it worked just fine through my whole deployment. So, maybe slumming it with older, cheaper pro gear is the way if you know what you're going to be shooting.

Get a zooming point and shoot like a Canon G11 or G12. Something decently reliable with a good lens and a good zoom range. Pocket camera as well as backup.

You need a durable and reliable car. For years I had a bicycle and public transit in one of the nation's largest cities with excellent public transit and I couldn't get a single paid assignment because I didn't have a vehicle. Make sure your car works, you know how to do simple repairs and all your legalese is good to go. This is more important than your camera.

Learn to eat as healthy as you can, as cheaply as you can. No ramen. Eat beans, rice, sriracha, frozen veggies, fresh veggies when you can get them. Yogurt, oatmeal, peanut butter, jelly, bread, frozen berries, fresh fruit when you can get it. Becoming a freelance photographer and living off of it is like preparing for the zombie apocalypse almost. (Hyperbole)

There is always the option of the military as well...
This is what I did and it's the best as well as the worst job there is. The hardest job because you have to bear witness and the easiest because you love what you do. Not everybody can become a military photographer though and definitely not everybody is selected for independent augment or Joint Combat Camera.

Good luck.

Phil Forrest
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This is great advice. Thanks a lot.

And, just to elaborate, I'm more interested in documentary and social issue work. I also have a strong interest in environmental issues and how they effect people so possibly focusing my work on some of those themes as well. I was thinking of trying to get in with some ngo's. Not sure of the best route.
 
Also look into the Missouri Workshop.

If you're going to be doing longer documentaries, then you practically have no requirements: shoot what works best for you within your budget. However, be prepared to supplement your income by other means.
 
funkydog said:
Don't be the guy who shows up first day in PJ 101 class bursting to show off his big bag of cool camera gear.
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That's really not me. I honestly just don't have a digital kit that I would feel comfortable working with. I am actually trying to be practical here and get something that will enable me to get the work done.
 
PKR said:
Every kid in every PJ school in the country thinks that they will work for NG. I can tell you that you must have a couple of well done stories under your belt (published) before they will take you seriously. Speaking several languages is a plus and being an expert on a section of the world - that is of interest to them - is also helpful.

Almost all of the younger NG folks are very knowledgeable on world environmental issues. You might look at how some of the NG photographers who are working in the 3rd world live when they are on the road. One of them is currently complaining that he hasn't had a shower in 5 weeks.. Africa.

pardon me of NGO = news gathering org? And Not NG organization.
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Yeah, I meant "Non-governmental organization." Although NG does sound great, I am a realist and don't expect anything near that for a long time.
 
Also, thanks to everyone with the workshop leads. These seem to be good and affordable workshops. I've been wanting to do a workshop for a long time, but I don't have $4,000+travel expenses to shell out to some of the ones I've seen.
 
You want to be a photojournalist when the media world is turning in the opposite direction, looking to the public for media feed?

It is a brave move, and so without any irony would suggest you get an iPhone as your first journalistic tool. It is the perfect stealth camera nowadays, and is used by photojournalists for this very reason. And you will be at least on the same level as the public who may be trying to send similar pictures from similar phones, and response time is often crucial. But you need a DSLR as well, and any from the top three or four in the Nikon and Canon ranges will be an ideal camera, but one with video is better than one without. Don't get hung up on the minutiae of lens quality and needing backups and all the stuff that people recommend based on seeing Dennis Weaver in Apocalypse Now, they are fantasy photojournalists in their minds. Keep it simple, keep it replaceable, be fluid.
 
Q: What's the secret of good photojournalism?
A: F8 and be there!

Truly, if you're just starting out, keep your gear simple and reliable and mainstream. Don't obsess about what you own. Two Canon or Nikon DSLRs and two zooms. Master them. And be there.
 
Comfortable shoes.

During a discussion about kit, a couple of old newspaper / magazine hacks I knew many years ago said the most important kit they had was a pair of well-fitting, supportive and comfortable shoes.

As for cameras, anything that is supremely reliable, built like a tank and has the capacity to accept a wide range of lenses and wi-fi your shots straight to the editor's desk. You may not need this straight away (or ever) but the old addage of "what will do a lot will do a little" saves a lot of time in the long run. Oh, and make sure it's the sort of camera you can get replacement parts / new lenses / repairs done quickly and anywhere in the world you happen to be.

Have a mechanical / film back up for if all else fails.
 
Getting work is really hard in a new digital world.
Publications gone, top Pros doing workshops to put stuff,
onto plates at table,the Public thinking Photos are free..
Get work first. Learn to write data for editors..
Keep your day job! i did photography on side for decades..
PJ is great, Weddings made more money. Now that is doubtful..
 
-doomed- said:
I'm no photojournalist, more like a reporter who is a decent photog.
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Bingo.

To the OP:
Most of the images I see in newspapers's press and online editions are just that: An image. Usually pretty good, but not always, and sometimes spectacular. Often merely trite or cliched (sp). Newspapers only rarely have the time or space to actually tell a story visually, periodicals might be a better target.

If you decided to tell a real story, like Eugene Smith's Minimata you could take your time. Develop a path for the narrative, use whatever equipment you want. But then you have to cultivate buyers willing to look at your work for purchase. It could be very fulfilling but there might be a lot of pretty lean times; I can't speak to today's economics. Twenty-some years ago I shot enough to put myself through college but it's a different world now with a different appetite for a different imagery. (I've always thought European periodicals were much more 'educated' about what they looked for on behalf of their subscribers.) The Internet lets you show your work to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Let your agent handle that...

If you're thinking of going into spot news it's SLRs with some video capability (or video with still capture) all the way, as others have posted. And for the hotspot work, a kevlar vest. 🙁

I've never been a fan of doing what I loved for a paycheck; it changes the dynamic too much. But you might hate yourself if you never try it out. Good luck!

s-a
 
andrewnelles said:
The best kit is the one that works well for you. Just find what is the best balance between your personal tastes and what is needed to cover your subjects.

I'm a full-time photojournalist, and even though I love rangefinders, I work almost exclusively with Canon DSLRS for my work. DSLRS are a necessity for the wide variety of subjects I can cover in a day. Feel free to send me a message if you have more questions.
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What a nice gesture and what a remarkable portfolio.
 
Some great storytelling has been done by "amateur" photographers who have a day job. They pick the stories they're interested in, spend as much time as the story requires, and can still sell it to an outlet (with enough hustle). Personal choice of gear, too.

Just another option for a "thoughtful" photographer who prefers a 401k or medical coverage to the gypsy life of a freelancer. It won't provide the adventure* though.

*definition of adventure: something you wish was happening to somebody else.
 
Without seeing your work my experience is that most people don't effectively use very wide lenses in photojournalism. There are tons of exceptions of course but I think the 35mm is usually more than wide enough for most jobs. But if you are tied to the 28 then the M8 might not be for you.

In my opinion, as someone who used to shoot with a 24mm for years then went to the 35 and settled at 50mm I think wides are overrated in documentary work. most people fail to effectively fill the frame. Only you know if this is true in your case.

https://picasaweb.google.com/114727909233222260357/PentecostalismInEurope

Most of this work was shot on an M8 using a 35mm (so about 47mm) https://picasaweb.google.com/114727909233222260357/PentecostalismInEurope the rest with a 90mm

Everyone is different. But I found my desire for the rangefinder format vastly outweighed my need for wides and ultrawides...

Dunn said:
I have definitely thought about it, but I tend to favor wide angles and I just don't think that the crop would work well with m-lenses as well as the slower speed of wide m lenses.

I don't know though. Maybe you could share your experiences with that. 28mm is one of my favorites. I almost feel like I could do anything I would like to work on with a 28 and 50 which is another reason the x-pro is appealing.
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Agreed, though Eddie Adams and Missouri are hardly your typical weekend retrea--I mean workshop. You work round-the-clock that entire week you're there.
 
No doubt though the exclusivity means that even very good photographers won't get in. I also feel that a week isn't nearly long enough for most people to really learn new habits or ways of seeing.

28mm said:
Agreed, though Eddie Adams and Missouri are hardly your typical weekend retrea--I mean workshop. You work round-the-clock that entire week you're there.
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