Photographer Interview: Break into Photojournalism

Jamie De Pould of Cleveland, OH, is in the summer between college graduation and graduate school. Already a working photographer, he has enrolled to earn a MS in photojournalism. He may be young, but he already has experience behind the camera - and behind the scenes - that is useful for young photographers itching for that first break into paying photography work.

"I always had a fascination with photography," says De Pould. "To some extent, it's the gadget-y nature of photography and cameras that attracts me. I'm rubbish with pencils and paintbrushes, and the camera lets me create art without relying on my ability with a brush (or lack thereof)."

De Pould started in photography with his mother's K1000 before investing - money and ambition - in a Nikon D50. In the past two years, he has developed his skills in freelancing and PR work, and was the chief photographer of his college newspaper for three semesters until he graduated this past May. Following his MS degree, he would like to work in the journalism field.

De Pould answered questions about what it takes to get your foot in the door at news office.

"I really got started by replying to an ad in the school paper, from there it was mostly networking," says De Pould. "I got in with the university's PR/Marketing department, and one of the people in that office is married to the photo editor at the local network of newspapers, where I started doing freelance work. The PR gig was good for me; it raised my visibility to the point where I was the first called whenever anyone needed photography on campus. I got an e-mail from the chair of the communication department, who then hired me to do some work for them, including promo material for all the theater productions."

His advice to would-be photojournalists includes developing your writing and editing skills. He mentions the ability to write and communicate effectively speaks volumes for the quality of your work.

"It amazed me the number of people in college who couldn't communicate through writing or speech," says De Pould. "I'm not saying everybody has to be Hemingway or Kennedy, but some basic skills are essential. The ability to communicate clearly will give prospective clients and employers a lot more confidence in you right off the bat, before they even see a portfolio."

To develop photography skills, De Pould recommends heavy-duty reading. Read articles and books on "composition, gear, processing, light, RAW, and who knows what else." Read all of this before you buy the camera.

"When I finally got the camera, I had a solid basic understanding of how to use the camera, and didn't have to rely on auto or scene modes," says De Pould. "I'd strongly recommend getting a DSLR - used D50s are an excellent value - and start shooting in program mode, then moving up to aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual modes when they're comfortable using the camera."

Jamie De Pould's photography is available at http://pbase.com/jdepould as well as on Flickr at user name jdepould.