Finding a story.

[_larky]

Hello all.

It's time I shot a story, a sequence of images. I'm looking for stories to shoot.

Over the last 8 weeks I've contacted over 400 charities in London, every crime scene cleaning company, training firms for tower cranes etc - everything I can think of that could be slightly edgy or personally scary for me to shoot.

I've had no responses, apart form the charities who said, in nicer words than these, pi$$ off and donate.

So how do you go about finding these stories? I'm confident enough to talk to anyone, about anything, I don't really care about stuff like that. I'm happy in dangerous situations, I'm luckily very stupid and don't realise what I'm doing can be considered dangerous. So, of you have them, throw in the more manic ideas.

I thought about boxing clubs etc, but one guy I spoke to who runs one said I'd have to get written permission from the parents of every member, just in case they turn up. Thanks for that government folk :-\

 

[GSNfan]

I'm happy in dangerous situations, I'm luckily very stupid and don't realise what I'm doing can be considered dangerous.

I don't know if the second part of your sentence is a question or a statement, but a story generally means it has a narrative arch an some structure. So, video is best for doing visual stories.

If you want to take still images of dangerous situations, any gang/rough neighbored will do if you want some adrenaline-pumping dangerous shooting experience.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I don't think it works like that.

You don't say, "I'd like to take pics: what can I shoot?"

You say, "I really care about this and I WILL shoot it."

It's a bit like the old wildlife thing: "Biologist first, photographer second."

Cheers,

R.

 

[dave lackey]

Hello all.

It's time I shot a story, a sequence of images. I'm looking for stories to shoot.

Over the last 8 weeks I've contacted over 400 charities in London, every crime scene cleaning company, training firms for tower cranes etc - everything I can think of that could be slightly edgy or personally scary for me to shoot.

I've had no responses, apart form the charities who said, in nicer words than these, pi$$ off and donate.

So how do you go about finding these stories? I'm confident enough to talk to anyone, about anything, I don't really care about stuff like that. I'm happy in dangerous situations, I'm luckily very stupid and don't realise what I'm doing can be considered dangerous. So, of you have them, throw in the more manic ideas.

I thought about boxing clubs etc, but one guy I spoke to who runs one said I'd have to get written permission from the parents of every member, just in case they turn up. Thanks for that government folk :-\

Well, over the last two years, I have found that NO ONE wants your volunteer effort. Not a single entity that I contacted, save a developer who needed someone to coordinate an art show after 9 months of pestering, not one group, church or other entity would take me up on my offer to hellp do anything! All they wanted was money donated.😡 A**holes all. Even a man I know who is a pastor wanted to invite me and my wife to a free dinner at a very nice restaurant. I declined asking only that they pay me instead to shoot their event or something else. He never accepted the offer. All he wanted was to try to suck us into their particular church community, you know, grow their church, obtain more tithes, etc. They did NOT care about helping us , they had another motive. This is not an attack on religious beliefs. I only mention this as the most recent example. I have found this true everywhere.

Remember one important fact in life. What is freely given is rarely, if ever, respected or appreciated.

This is a sad state of affairs in this world we live in. But it is reality, so deal with it with the knowledge ahead of time that if they aren't willing to pay for something, they don't want or need it.🙁

 

[antiquark]

Do you have a friend, or a friend of a friend, who is involved in something vaguely interesting? Maybe just follow them around for a few days with camera in hand.

 

[johannielscom]

Start your own project and stick with it. Over time, you will have shots to show and your own story to tell about your work, and the organisations you contacted will come to recognise that and contact you to ask for shots they can use, consider your requests more seriously and eventually come to ask you to shoot stories.

It's a long way, and often it starts with funding your own trips in the beginning.

Consider this: it's easier for an organisation to ask you for shots once you have told them that you 'will be doing this and that, there and then', instead of have them do all the thinking. Telling several organisations or media that you will be doing something might get you multiple assignments from the same trip and help cover your costs.


Look at Kadir van Lohuizen, Pieter Jan de Pue and Eddy van Wessel, to name some Dutch and Flemish shooters who did it and made it.

Good luck!

 

[MickH]

I'm confident enough to talk to anyone, about anything, I don't really care about stuff like that. I'm happy in dangerous situations, I'm luckily very stupid and don't realise what I'm doing can be considered

You're in London. Why not take in a few Millwall home games. Shoot in and outside of the ground. 8th March and particularly 9th April could be interesting.

 

[antiquark]

Here's an idea: walk around your local pub district after closing time, like this guy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/maciejdakowicz/sets/1391696/

This set has garnered a lot of recognition for the photographer, Maciej Dakowicz. He's got some witty pics in his stream:

(note that he's enabled remote sharing, i.e. this is not a copyright violation!)


oops - Cardiff Wales UK by Maciej Dakowicz, on Flickr

 

[Roger Hicks]

Quote from Tendzin Choegyal, youngest brother of HH Dalai Lama (lightly paraphrased, and from memory -- it's almost 30 years ago):

The first time you're here, we're wary. We get so many people who 'want to help' but either don't or can't.

When you come back with some pictures, we take you a lot more seriously.

Cheers,

R.

 

[_larky]

Some great advice, I'm going to Millwall 🙂

 

[sar-photo]

What you need is another G20 larky!!

Simon

 

[PatrickONeill]

companies and organizations are terrible places to look for a story.

you need to connect with people.

listen to Photo Radio's interview with Matt Eich, he talks about how his "Carry me Ohio" essay started at a car wash, and went from there.

 

[_larky]

"What you need is another G20 larky!!"

Ye, or a revolution. 🙂

I'm going to listen to that interview. I think I just need the summer and to go out and chat to people. And work less, I work all the time sat behind a computer. But keep the ideas coming, this is good 🙂

 

[hexiplex]

companies and organizations are terrible places to look for a story.

you need to connect with people.

listen to Photo Radio's interview with Matt Eich, he talks about how his "Carry me Ohio" essay started at a car wash, and went from there.

Thanks for that link! I've been thinking about stories to photograph, or rather ways to accessing peoples stories... It's no small matter to ponder over, and I've been stuck in the rut of thinking about contacting organizations to gain access for so long, even though I've known all along that it's not the way to go about it.

Very interesting interview.

 

[Dave Jenkins]

What is freely given is rarely, if ever, respected or appreciated. . .if they aren't willing to pay for something, they don't want or need it.🙁

Truer words were never spoken.

 

[tbarker13]

I just look around for things that interest me.
For a while, my kick was community theater. I basically approached a small theater company and asked if they'd let me be a fly on the wall during a couple productions. I could pretty much come and go as I pleased.

Then I found a group of old vets who were retooling an old WWII bomber at a small airport in the area. I'd go out and spend Saturday mornings with them for quite a few months.

The one I'm finishing up now is a project on the women roller derby. I've spent parts of the past 6-7 months, attending practices, games, a draft-night party, etc.

Next, my plan is to follow a member of the local burlesque community as she prepares a new act that she'll debut at an upcoming festival.

They key, really, is just finding a way to connect with the group/story. Approach them with samples of your work. Show them what you want to do and be very honest about the kinds of photos you'll take and what you hope to do with them.
I always make it clear that they'll be able to use many of the images for their own purposes.

 

[Gray Fox]

I don't know how it is across the pond, but here in the States, anytime you venture onto anyone's property where there is anything remotely dangerous going on, whoever is in charge starts thinking about possible injury and liability issues. I used to do construction progress photography and my personal liability insurance ate me alive. I knew all phases of major commercial construction and loved getting on the job site, even climbing rickety ladders half way up 50 storey buildings as they were pouring the slip forms two floors above me. this was just as every job site super began to have a 1.5 meg camera in his pocket that instantly made him a pro photographer. Still have a bright yellow hard hat hanging on the wall with "Wilson Photography" on the front (a bird built a nest in it last summer, so I guess you could say that job was for the birds).

Dave, all these organizations have numerous "pros" in them now, too. I don't know if there ever was a right place and right time for this stuff. JW

 

[Neare]

I'm heading up to the Buddhist monastery tomorrow to start a project over the next few weeks. I rang the monasteries office and had them direct me to the 'best' person to speak to about this. I was given the contact details to the head of the trust and emailed him. I had no response for a week so I resent the email asking for a confirmation that he had received it.

Now a few emails later, we have prearranged copyright details and terms and conditions. All this because I am effectively offering the Buddhist sect outside exposure and they would like this.

What can you offer the organisation your contacting from your photos and also, who are you speaking to? A secretary is not going to answer your "can I take photos?" emails. Follow the chain to the people who make decisions.

Just like that, I'm heading up there tomorrow to start.

 

[hexiplex]

A secretary is not going to answer your "can I take photos?" emails. Follow the chain to the people who make decisions.

Very good point! I've done a fair few interviews with corporations and organizations in the course I am taking at university, initiating these interviews and getting the answers you want to get is always much easier if you know who to contact when you ring the place up. Sending an e-mail to a info@companyx.com address will not be as effective as ringing companyx and asking who you should talk to about making reality of what you want to do.

Even if the answer you get from that person is "no", you have an answer, and a person to call and pester until you get what you want. I called a politician 20 times in a week, the first 19 times he refused to be interviewed for my essay, but the 20th time he caved and gave me five minutes of his time and answered my simple questionare.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I'm heading up to the Buddhist monastery tomorrow to start a project over the next few weeks. I rang the monasteries office and had them direct me to the 'best' person to speak to about this. I was given the contact details to the head of the trust and emailed him. I had no response for a week so I resent the email asking for a confirmation that he had received it.

Now a few emails later, we have prearranged copyright details and terms and conditions. All this because I am effectively offering the Buddhist sect outside exposure and they would like this.

What can you offer the organisation your contacting from your photos and also, who are you speaking to? A secretary is not going to answer your "can I take photos?" emails. Follow the chain to the people who make decisions.

Just like that, I'm heading up there tomorrow to start.

Exactly. That's the most important part. And that's how the Tibetan Government in Exile picked up the tab for some of my expenses, once they knew I would deliver good, usable pictures.

Cheers,

R.