Waiting for the Man

In my opinion the long-term project, documentary or otherwise, is the most important and difficult form of photography. Hence my passion for them, and Blueeyes, etc. etc. But as hard as I believe projects are to create and work on as a freelancer -- getting access, finding the time, the money, the motivation, getting solid feedback, pushing yourself to go back again and again, not giving up, making images that mean something, etc. -- what has been consuming my mind lately is the arguably even more challenging/frustrating task of pitching your ongoing or completed project, your labor of love, to a client for publication.

What makes this a huge sticking point for me is that I don't believe photography is valuable unless it is seen by as many people as possible. Photography as a means of mass communication can only be powerful if it completes its role as such. And I'm not interested in being involved with photography outside of a role where its effects are powerful... fuck that. Photography shot and then never shared is worth absolutely nothing to anyone other than the photographer, who may have learned something from the experience and journey taken. Strictly speaking, and I think we've gotten further and further away from this as there has been so much less editorial space given to long-term project work in magazines and newspapers, photographers must and should do everything they can to get their images seen.

But what does that entail... how many compromises, or absolute injustices, can be allowed for until the project, finally published, is only a shadow of its original form. If we all want as many people to see our work as possible, does that mean we should all pitch everything we have to the Associated Press? The New York Times? To People? To some internet zine who may allow for the most editorial control, but pay nothing? What is the fucking answer?

These questions make my head spin, but what I've come up with for myself is a varied approach that allows for the project to remained focused, but its parts to be used in multiple ways. That sentence probably doesn't make sense -- but what I mean is that when I begin working on a big project (which is pretty much the only kind of projects that I'm doing currently) I immediately break that project down into pieces that represent different segments and issues. Within each of these segments I often find that there are specific stories that may be very pitchable to one of my clients, even if the entire project would get no attention at all because the idea is just way too big for them to consider. With the Everglades project there are more than a dozen different segments that I'm working on, and I've broken each part further down into a couple of specific story ideas that can be spun in any number of ways to a business magazine or a lifestyle client. The sum result, if this is done smartly, I hope, is to create ways for your personal projects to be supported and profitable (at least in some small way) while also becoming a resource for interesting new story ideas for your client.

And that's the name of the game. As I've come to see it, the currency in the photography industry is not talent nearly as much as it is relationships... and relationships are often flamed and formed based on unique and well researched story ideas. Instead of waiting by the phone for someone to call with a really great story to shoot, finally, many of us decide that we will find our own ideas.

Over the past several weeks I've been pitching several story proposals, both through my agency and by my own efforts, connected to segments of my personal projects which are newsworthy because of an upcoming event or anniversary. I wish that I could report that I've found a home, or multiple homes for each proposal... but that is not the case. However, finally this week I was able to land one of my ideas with Newsweek and will be shooting it for them as the story develops. I knew that pitching stories was hard, but I was shocked to hear one of my editors at Newsweek, who helped me pitch it, tell me that mine was the first pitch of his the editor has ever accepted that came from a photographer. Holy shit. I would feel proud if that idea wasn't so depressing. I know the reasons have way more to do with the role of writers vs. photographers (staff vs. freelance) and who is expected to come up with the stories that fill each publication... but its obvious that photographers at large need to be more serious and more determined to find stories that are smart, timely, specific, and original for their clients. Maybe then it will be easier for all of us to get our projects some love and respect.

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