In Focus: The Newsletter
A welcome to our newsletter, a look back at 2020, safety resources while covering social unrest, and much more.
Hello. It is Tuesday, January 26.
Welcome to the first issue of “In Focus” –– a newsletter bringing you photojournalism and photography-adjacent resources, news, and opportunities straight to your inbox. This edition of the “In Focus” newsletter is written and edited by Brian Munoz.
As trade publications have shuttered in the last several years, the Fellow Photogs team looks to fill the gap with this newsletter while helping connect those within the industry, domestically and afar.
This newsletter accompanies the Fellow Photogs group on Facebook. If you’d like to join our community, just click on the group link above. Do you like what you see here? If so, you can subscribe to the newsletter below and get it straight to your inbox.
News in a flash
2020 - Years in Photos from around the United States: Photographers across the country documented their communities incredibly amid social unrest, a global pandemic, and political turmoil. Despite the craziness of the year, visual storytellers still went into their communities to tell important stories. This list recognizes the work that each one of them completed this last year.
Winter is coming: As the temperatures drop, some members of the group offered their advice on what gloves to get for fieldwork. From latex to mittens, find your perfect photographer fit in this thread of advice.
NPS Case: A federal judge struck down a portion of the Department of Interior film permit requirements on Friday. The judge ruled that the “commercial filming” permit requirements violate the First Amendment and enjoined their enforcement. Read about the case in this article from the National Press Photographers Association.
Luxury Leica: Leica recently announced the Leica M10-P “Reporter” limited edition rangefinder camera as part of the company’s 40th-anniversary celebration of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award. The camera comes with a hefty price tag of $8,795, but, only 450 will be made worldwide.
Alpha 1: On a slightly more affordable front, Sony just unveiled the Alpha 1 –– a 50-megapixel camera that can capture stills at up to 30 frames per second, blackout-free, as well as 8K video. It comes with a $6,500 price tag.
The ReEdit: Will DeShazer, a photojournalist of over a decade now exploring commercial work in Nashville, TN, has a pretty stellar podcast where he talks to talented photojournalists and photographers such as the likes of Scott Strazzante, Brent Lewis, and Lisa Krantz. You can listen to it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
United Photojournalists of Canada: A new Canada-based photojournalism advocacy group is looking to speak to freelance photojournalists across Canada in an effort to create solidarity in negotiating for better contracts and rates. If this interests you and you’d like to be added to their email list, please send a note to freelancephotojournalists@gmail.com. Also, feel free to fill out their survey or read the group’s manifesto.
The Obsidian Project: The Obsidian Project is a new organization committed to promoting excellence in the production and marketing of photographic content. The group says they “believe knowledge, exposure, connection, and sustainability are the keys for the future of visual storytelling.” To learn more, you can visit their website here.
The Curious Society: Kenneth Jarecke, who was a founding member of Contact Press Images, announced the creation of The Curious Society, a membership-based, quarterly print publication for contemporary photojournalism.
The organization recently announced they have formed a new grant available for college students. Two $250 awards will be awarded every month (24 a year), to help and encourage students to make meaningful pictures in their own neighborhoods. Grantees will work with one of the group’s picture editors on their work.
If published in their quarterly magazine, they will also be paid the same licensing fee as other contributors. You can learn more about the endeavor from Jarecke’s recent interview with PhotoShelter.
Presidential recognition: Nick Ut, the photographer behind the powerful and iconic image of a young Phan Thi Kim Phuc during the Vietnam war, was recognized by President Donald Trump for his lifetime service to the industry –– notably working with the Associated Press for over 40 years.
The image won every major photographic award in 1973, such as the World Press Photo award, the Pulitzer Prize, the George Polk Memorial Award, and the Overseas Press Club award. For those who are unaware, Ut actually helped the girl receive treatment for her wounds and still keeps up with her to this day.
He also explains why he accepted the award in the midst of Trump’s second impeachment in a recent piece in Newsweek.Insurrection and Inauguration: After a mob of insurgents, largely supporters of President Donald Trump, stormed the United States capitol earlier this month, photojournalists are heeding caution in covering social unrest. The National Press Photographer’s Association condemned the attacks on the press and called on authorities for action regarding the events.
You can read testimonies from the insurrection from Amanda Andrade-Rhoades (Freelance) and many others in this Committee to Protect Journalists article. J. Scott Applewhite (Associated Press) also has recounted the events in this social media post.Nate Gowdy was on assignment during the events last week. On his way home after being on assignment for Rolling Stone, his bag full of equipment was stolen. The photo community instantly stepped up, helping Gowdy raise hundreds of dollars to go towards replacements. In a turn of events and a police-sting later, his gear was able to be located and recovered by police. While it doesn’t happen often, we’re glad to hear about this happy ending. You can read Nate’s full account of this on Facebook with a longer audio-interview with KBCS.
For those who are covering social unrest, the CPJ recently released this safety advisory covering everything from planning, clothing considerations, dealing with tear gas, digital security, and much more.Students: While resources and training to your newsrooms and visuals staff may be limited, consider localizing the story of the different events surrounding social unrest. Journalists recently offered their advice regarding whether people should travel to cover these events and instead, encouraged photojournalists to do impactful work locally within their communities.
Internship application tips: Gwendolyn Wu, a healthcare and business reporter at the Houston Chronicle, shared some helpful tips for students applying for internships after the publication received over 250 applications for their summer intern program.
Featured Jobs and Internships:
Team Photographer, Houston Astros (FT) | Houston, TX
Visual Multimedia Journalist, TCPalm.com (FT) | Stuart, FL
Deputy Director of Photo, San Francisco Chronicle (FT) | San Francisco, CA
Videographer/Editor, U.S. Soccer Federation Men’s Team (FT) | Chicago, IL
Multimedia Journalist, The Citizen-Times (FT) | Asheville, NC
Multimedia Journalist, The Southern Illinoisan (FT) | Carbonodale, IL
Photographer/Videographer, Newark Advocate (FT) | Newark, OH
Photographer/Videographer, Virginia Tech (FT) | Blacksburg, VA
Photographer/Videographer, Western Colorado University (FT) | Gunnison, CO.
Photographer/Videographer, McDaniel College (FT) | Westminster, MD
Find more jobs and internship opportunities on the Photography/Multimedia Internships and Jobs group, Jamie’s List, or at Fellow Photogs.
Other Opportunities and Resources:
ProPublica and The Pudding, which is a visual essay-based online publication, are offering $750 scholarships for students to attend an eligible journalism conference in 2021 and/or to contribute toward journalism-related expenses. The application deadline is Feb. 22, 2021.
Eddie Adams Workshop XXXIV is taking applications from any college student or visual storyteller with less than 5 years of professional experience for this year’s workshop. There is no tuition for the program itself if selected. As of now, the workshop is slated to be held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Founded by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Eddie Adams in 1988, each year the workshop invites 100 promising photographers to collaborate with more than 150 seasoned photojournalists, picture editors, managing editors, and writers from some of the world’s most prestigious news organizations.
UNESCO (United Nations) has an open call for images illustrating the topic of the safety of women journalists. The selected photographs will help to raise awareness of the working conditions of female journalists and the specific threats that they face.
Do you have a funding or support opportunity to share? Send an email to fellowphotogs@gmail.com with the corresponding information and we’ll share it within our channels.
Upcoming Events and Training:
Join Poynter's Joie Chen as she interviews Associated Press photographer Julio Cortez in this 30-minute session on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, at 11:00 AM CST. Cortez covered both the siege at the Capitol and the inauguration that followed two weeks later. Registration is required. (FREE)
The NPPA and the National Press Club are hosting a virtual seminar on Feb. 12, 2021, from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM on “preventing burnout, treating trauma, and ensuring equity.” Speakers include Nicole Frugé, Rich Glickstein, Michael Santiago, Edward Wilson, and moderator Akili Ramsess. Registration is required for this event. (FREE)
The National Association of Black Journalists' Visual Task Force will be hosting a video portfolio review. The review is free for NABJ members but all are welcome to apply. The review will be held virtually on April 10, 2021 beginning at 12:00 PM EST. (NABJ Members: FREE, $15 students, $25 pros)
The National Press Photographers Association held a virtual town hall on Field Security and Safety amid our turbulent times. You can find the notes from that session here.
The “Fellow Photogs” newsletter brings you photojournalism and photography-adjacent resources, news, and opportunities straight to your inbox. This newsletter is curated and compiled by the all-volunteer Fellow Photogs team. If you’d like to help with this endeavor, please email fellowphotogs@gmail.com.