Interview with Bill Frakes by Nicole Crisp

1. Please list your full website address so our class members can view your work online?

(This can be your personal site, but if you have examples of your award-winning photos on a website, could you include those as well please?)

www.billfrakes.com

2. What’s your one best piece of advice for how a college photographer can prepare now for success in the workplace/marketplace after graduation?

 Learn to do research.  Prepare for everything you do.  

3. If there was one mistake you could take back in your career path, what would it be?

There was a short period when I was concerned with making money.   If you make the images you want to make, and do it to the best of your ability then the money should follow.  

  4. What technical skills for photographers will be valued in the coming decades?

Same as always.  Whatever skills you need to tell the story you want to tell.  

First and foremost the ability to think.

To see. 

To listen.

To read.  

To do research.   

To write.  

To photograph.  

To do video.  

To do audio.  

 5. With so much devoted toward new technical skills these days, how can photographers also focus toward strong, meaningful content? 

This is a very funny question.   Things are so much easier technically now that focusing on content should be simple.

By posing the question the way you have indicates a lack of understanding of the dedication to craft necessary to be truly good.

You make images with your heart, your eye, your mind, and your soul.  The physical tools are just what you use to get what is inside you to whatever the viewing mechanism that you choose to use to share your vision with those that you want to share it with. 

You should learn the cameras, lenses, lights and computer programs so that you can make them a seamless extension of your mind.   Then you can concentrate on doing the creative work.   

The cameras now focus for you, they calculate exposure for you, they allow you to collect audio and you can review the images instantly to see how the light is working. You can capture so many images on a CF card, and you don't have to find a darkroom to process the film and make prints.   All in all it's

 pretty easy now.  

The best thing that could happen to many new photographers would be to spend a year working with manual focus, manual exposure film cameras.   Things are so non technical now that it may be too easy to capture an image, and too many new photographers are intellectually lazy and don't devote the time to understand, and then master, the process at level where they drive the technology instead it driving them.  

  6. What are the names of two or three photographers (and agencies/affiliations/ employers) whose work you presently admire?

James Nachtwey-VII.       Howard Shatz-Shatz/Ornstein Studio    David Burnett - Contact Press Images

7. When you look at portfolios of up and coming shooters, what do you look for?

Unique and committed vision.  Diversity.  Fluency with the technology--and that means being able to use it so that it doesn't show.  

 8. What do you feel is the current role of photojournalists working in the traditional newspaper role and freelance? 

Communicating.  In whatever format they and the people they are working for and with decide is the best way to deliver the information.    

9. How difficult was it for you to start up your own company (Straw Hat Visuals) and would you recommend this path to others?

If you love the work, have the capacity to drive yourself extremely hard, are willing to make all of the necessary sacrifices, are committed and have talent.  Then yes, it's a good path.  

**Above are the questions and responses sent to Frakes through e-mail on March 29, 2011 and are posted in their complete, unedited state except for formatting changes.   

Larry Schiller Interview: Matt Walsh

  1Please list your full website address so our class members can view your work online?

"I don’t really need a website."

"the sixties" 

"Contact Press "

"Tomoko in Her Bath"

2. What’s your one best piece of advice for how a college photographer can prepare now for success in the workplace/marketplace after graduation?

He said, The most important thing for photographers is to find out what they really love about photography. What do you about about photography? It took me a while to figure it out, but once I learned that for me it was all about experimenting with different angles and using light in different ways, it helped me hone in on what I was trying to do. You have to develop your eye to the point where your composing things in your mind without a camera—subconsciously. 

The other thing, is that you have to work really, really hard without becoming a machine and loosing creativity. You have to put yourself out there more now than ever before because you’re competing with millions of people. It’s much different than it was ten years ago. hell, its much different than when I started. There were like 200 other photographers then. That’s why I moved into film.

3. If there was one mistake you could take back in your career path, what would it be?

“I think sometimes, I hustled too hard. There were times when I was too hard on people when making deals on assignments and I think that really hurt because I burned down some bridges. I should have spent more time out with the other guys—at the bar.”

  4. What technical skills for photographers will be valued in the coming decades?

He said he moved to film for a reason. When TVs became popular, magazine sales dropped hugely.

“I moved because it was something new I had never done and because that’s where technology was going. You always have to adapt. I did back then, and had to stop because I had a heart attack on the set of a movie I was directing a few years ago. I was dead for 70 seconds Or something. After that no one would insure me to do films so, here I am doing PR, and when I see fit, taking photos.”

 5. With so much devoted toward new technical skills these days, how can photographers also focus toward strong, meaningful content? 

“You have to shoot what you love, if you love it will be meaningful.”

  6. What are the names of two or three photographers (and agencies/affiliations/ employers) whose work you presently admire?

“I love Marry Ellen Mark, I published her first book with Annie leibovitz. I also like Contact Press Images.”

7. When you look at portfolios of up and coming shooters, what do you look for?

“When I look at a shooter’s portfolio, I really look for good composition and their use of light. I also look for depth in their stories or in a series. Right now we work with photographers who have been working on stories for months and sometimes years. “

 8. Do you think that with the emergence news organisations getting content from Eye-reporters and social networks our jobs as photojournalist will change?

“I don’t think anyone knows where this is going. But people can now take photos with their phones and it is certainly creating a lot of competition. “

Interview with Michael Stocker by Shemuel Arrindell

      Mike Stocker is a photojournalist for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1986 and has been in newspapers ever since. He started with the Sun-Tattler and moved on to the Miami Herald where he worked for 10 years. He then replaced Joe Raedle as the traveling photographer at the Sun-Sentinel and had been there ever since. He is married to Susan Stocker, Sun-Sentinel photographer, and together they do wedding photography aside from working at the Sun-Sentinel. He is a three-time Pulitzer finalist and in 2007 he received the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Award.

       1. Please list your full website address so our class members can view your work online?

http://theedge.sun-sentinel.com/graphics/AIDSOrphans/

Other Works:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/broadband/theedge/specialcoverage/sfl-edge-holocaust-survivors,0,1613568.flash

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/sfl-0109israelprojectgallery,1,6095307.photogallery

2. What’s your one best piece of advice for how a college photographer can prepare now for success in the workplace/marketplace after graduation?

To become a working photojournalist today and in the future you should learn to shoot video and edit content with FinalCut. These are extremely important working as a photojournalist because our jobs now include shooting video.

3. If there was one mistake you could take back in your career path, what would it be?

While working at the Miami Herald I covered a case involving the sensitive subject of a kid being shot. From a parents perspective I should have been in contact with the parents sooner.

  4. What technical skills for photographers will be valued in the coming decades?

Everything from writing and reporting to shooting pictures and video and editing. Photojournalist that are able to do everything well will keep their jobs and get ahead.

 5. With so much devoted toward new technical skills these days, how can photographers also focus toward strong, meaningful content? 

It is very easy to get wrapped up in new technical skills and technology but we have to remember that we are storytellers and we have to focus on highlighting the subject and telling their story.

  6. What are the names of two or three photographers (and agencies/affiliations/ employers) whose work you presently admire?

Joe Raedle and Roberto Schmidt are very good friends and great photographers who's work I admire. On Friday March 18, they were reported missing while covering the unrest in Libya. It was later reveled that they were arrested by soldiers so we are hoping for their release.

Articles about them missing:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/20/2124845_south-florida-based-getty-photographer.html

http://channel6newsonline.com/2011/03/afp-getty-images-journalists-arrested-by-the-libyan-army/

Joe Raedle's Work:

At Getty Images

At LIFE 

Roberto Schmidt's Work:

At Getty Images

At Guardian.co.uk

NOTE: We will keep their safe return in out prayers. 

7. When you look at portfolios of up and coming shooters, what do you look for?

Portfolios must have a vision. The images have to be saying something for themselves of through the subjects. Things from composition to lighting can add a lot of information and depth to an image and that's also things that I look for. 

 8. Do you think that with the emergence news organisations getting content from Eye-reporters and social networks our jobs as photojournalist will change?

Yes. And all of journalism also. It's the up and coming journalist to be able to provide better quality content and better storytelling to stay relevant. You

Interview with Patrick Farrell By:Paige Lacy

    Patrick Farrell has been a photojournalist for more than 25 years, he is currently working at the Miami Herald as a staff photographer. He graduated from the University of Miami in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in TV and Film Production and quickly moved into newspaper work starting at the Herald in 1987. Some of his most recent work is from his coverage of the devastation of Haiti. His work has won numerous prizes including the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography, First Place in 2008 for feature photography in the Overseas Press Club and First Place in spot news for in 2009 Picture of the Year International, among others. 


    1. Please list your full website address so our class members can view your work online?

http://www.patrickfarrellphotography.com/

2. What’s your one best piece of advice for how a college photographer can prepare now for success in the workplace/marketplace after graduation?

Students need to decide early in college if they are serious enough about photography to pursue it as a career and then shoot non-stop. Showing that you have interests and a vision will give you a step up on the competition. Every photographer must constantly work on their story telling and continue shooting because those good shots will eventually make it through your lens. 


3. If there was one mistake you could take back in your career path, what would it be?

I wish I had decided earlier in college that photography was the career for me. I would have then come out of school more prepared. I would have had a better portfolio and vision of where I wanted to go with my work.


4. What technical skills for photographers will be valued in the coming decades?

Combining video with pictures is becoming the new way to tell a story. Photographers that can shoot amazing pictures as well as capture video will be the most valued because that's the way the industry is going.

 5. With so much devoted toward new technical skills these days, how can photographers also focus toward strong, meaningful content? 

There is still a lot of power in a still image and knowing how to present these photos is key. There are so many different types of formats for you to present your work, and you must choose where your photos will look the best.

  6. What are the names of two or three photographers (and agencies/affiliations/ employers) whose work you presently admire?

My idol has always been James Nachtwey. I also like the work of W. Eugene Smith and Sebastiao Salgado. 
The use of light draws me in and how they set up composition in the photographs.The work of these photographers are too good not to be seen by young photographers.

Nachtwey's website: http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/

7. When you look at portfolios of up and coming shooters, what do you look for?

I always look for the use of light and composition. At a certain stage of the interview process I will be able to notice the photographer's style to their shots. I can also tell a lot about the photographer by the way they shoot ordinary situations. I really like to see unusual angles and layering which adds more to the simple photograph. 

 8. What types of assignments do you like to shoot the most?

Issue reporting is my favorite type of assignment I get at the newspaper. I love shooting things that are of current relevance that can go in the paper the next day and make some people aware of an issue they might not have heard about before.