I hope at a minimum you're getting paid by the hour.
Yes, although it is not as much as I make at Sears, but then again, I've been there for 7 years
I hope you'll>be getting more than $.25/mile reimbursement,
$.37/mile
If you're not actually on staff,
I haven't actually started yet, but when I do (after the 1st of Sept, by my choice) I will be on staff
"not working at least 35 hours a >week with benefits,"
30 hours maximum per week per my choice in order to stay at Sears also.
Finally, you will shoot 80 shots per assignment, maybe, and then two will get into print.
Usually one will get into print....its a very small paper.
>Join the National Press Photographer's Association and its
discussion list. http://www.nppa.org Take advantage of their courses and weekend workshops.
will do
Now, on to the job. With any luck you'll be stuck shooting grip 'n' grins. Try to avoid, both by creative means and by researching assignments ahead of time, shooting such stuff. It's advertising and you should be being paid much more for that sort of work. The same applies to the annual menu guides, business guides and similar things that every newspaper sends its staff out to shoot. That work is for advertising. It should be shot by freelance pros, or at the very least for a real-world fee by the advertising department at the paper. And you can bet the paper will have a well-paid advertising department. Advertising is what newspapers are about, not news.
Not sure yet how they handle these...will find out soon though i am sure
If they >don't provide you with adequate equipment,
Nikon D1h and Nikon D1x Photoshop 7
Try not to be offended by the brutality of HS sports. Ice hockey is unspeakable ugly, brutal to the body, football is hardly any less so.
I shot HS sports several years ago for a studio i worked for who had contracts for yearbooks for all the local High Schools...Now have 2 kids who are in athletics in middle and high school....and you are right, can be down right nasty
Shoot at least 5-7 shots per situation, not per assignment, per individual situation.
I figure with digital, I will shoot much more than I ever did with film.... >
Get good at burning CDs and learn how to set up actions in Photoshop, so your color adjustments and IPTC info inputting goes faster. I'm assuming you're not just going to shoot and turn in your card for a blank one. You're going to be in there at the computer,
yes, I will put in my share of computer time.
As junior staff you're going to
shoot Football on Thanksgiving, big snowstorm on Christmas Day, car accident with local mayor's inebriated under-age son on Saturday evening etc.
I can't wait! Isn't that the whole point?
Wear your press pass visibly at all times. Introduce yourself to the Police and Fire people and do it before you need their cooperation to do your job.
The beauty of living in a small town...most of their kids go to school with mine, and we already know each other
If they try to boss you around, be
cooperative but resolve infringment of free speech issues quickly. Try to get your paper to back you up.
according to the other 2 photographers, this has never been a problem.
Read all the newspapers you can take the time to read and look at how the captions are composed.
been doing that already
It's a blast, but newspaper work is the bottom of the pay and rights totem pole. Especially as a part timer the beancounters at the paper will see you as a cog in the wheel and one they can always afford to use on the cheap. Lower than Sears portrait studio.
But with the possibility of "moving up" the food chain...something that is just not available at Sears.
Thanks to all of you for such excellent advice, who knew I would draw so many responses...thanks! I will keep you all posted on how it goes.
Angi
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