In recent years, photojournalists have become victims of violence, many of them killed in armed conflicts around the world.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (cpj.org) reported that more than half of the 128 casualties in the Israel-Gaza conflict are visual journalists.
While all journalists are exposed to the daily violence and bombings, photojournalists bear the brunt of the casualties because they have to be on the frontlines.
Is it worth being a photojournalist?
In the Philippines, photojournalists are given few and occasional assignments. And the pay is low. Local publications pay 500 pesos per photograph for single news photos, which is high. There are still publications that pay 100 per photo, even less. For assignments, one would be lucky to get paid between 5,000 pesos to 10,000 pesos depending on the assignment.
The alternative is working on contracts for private events or organizations. Here you can charge 10,000 pesos to 20,000 a day. But did we say jobs are few and rare?
Photographers who manage to tap publications abroad can expect a better deal, between US$300 and US$500 a day. But as the journalism industry hits an unprecedented slump around the world, the assignments are dwindling.
If one gets a regular job, the pay cannot compare to the rates abroad. Starting salaries in the Philippines range between 18,000 pesos and 25,000 pesos a month.
Competition doesn’t help. With the advent of new technologies, anybody with access to YouTube is able to take decent photographs after an online tutorial.
Is there a future for photojournalists? The answer lies in those who continue to pursue it.
There are photojournalists like there are painters who continue to do their work with passion, the passion for storytelling.
Some individuals know their calling is not just to snap a photograph but to do it because only an image, taken well, tells a story.
Storytelling has also evolved in the digital age, but for photography, the language of the image still defines how an effective photograph differs from mere documentation of a scene.
Fortunately in the publishing world, despite the many challenges it is facing, there are still sectors that demand a standard that places their products above the rest. There are nongovernment groups that look for images that can justify why they have to be funded. There are foundations that produce seminal books that demand impeccable images. There are institutions that use images not as decorations but as essential in presenting reality.
Some sectors are still willing to invest in the invested. This is the vein that some photographers were able to tap. The key is getting yourself ready for the opportunity.
This is where training and preparation become vital. A photojournalist is a journalist. In today’s landscape, training in all aspects of storytelling is crucial to get the edge over the rest.
From November 20 to 24, 2024, more than a dozen journalists with a combined experience of more than 50 years in the industry will be holding a workshop in Borongan, Eastern Samar.
The Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines (PCP) will be holding its 16th Professional Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Workshop, the only five-day comprehensive workshop in photojournalism conducted by working photojournalists in the country.
Started in 1998 and now held annually, the event has become a venue for photojournalists to train the next generation of practitioners.
Veterans in the industry, such as Jimmy Domingo, Mark Saludes, and Fernando Sepe Jr. are joined by specialists in their field, including international journalists Rolex Dela Peña and Joe Torres, among others.
Topics ranging from composition, visual storytelling, documentary photography, photo essay, writing, ethics, and security will be discussed. Participants will have the chance to interact with mentors while working on story projects in the field.
Trainers, speakers, and the secretariat volunteer their time as members of PCP. It is their way of giving back to the industry in line with PCP’s mission to professionalize the practice of photojournalism in the country.
The activity is also made possible with the help of media partners ABS-CBN News, Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, and Manila Standard. Visit http://pcp.ph to register.
