Photojournalist - Canada & Worldwide

Can you tell us about your work as a freelance photojournalist?

Four years ago, I left my job at a daily newspaper because I wanted to tell the stories I was passionate about, stories that tend to be humanitarian, or environmentally-focused. The first big freelance story I covered was in a rural community in southern Turkey along the Turkish-Syrian border. There, a former school had been converted into a medical centre for Syrians who’d been wounded in the conflict in Syria. The centre served those who were on both sides of the conflict. It was a place for healing. I met some women and children, but mostly men, who were dealing with severe injuries, including lost limbs and full-body paralysis. Last year, I travelled to Lelu Island in northern British Columbia to cover the story of the Lax Kw’alaams First Nations people and their struggle to protect their indigenous territory from a liquid natural gas pipeline. In my work, I definitely aim to give voice to people who aren’t generally given a voice in the media.

How did you end up here? Please tell us about your career trajectory – what skills and experiences contributed to where you are today?

I started travelling extensively when I was 18 years old. I learned Spanish and spent a lot of time living and interacting with local people in Latin America. Those travelling experiences really cemented my desire to do something more than simply travel through people’s lives. Several years later, I began to reflect on how I could make a positive impact on the people and places where I’d been privileged to travel. I’d always written prose and I was quite visually artistic, although I’d never yet picked up a DLSR camera before. I found a school and program that seemed to support my ethical and artistic needs; the program, ‘The Written Image’, was offered at the Western Academy of Photography in Victoria, Canada. It was the only program I could find in Western Canada that combined photography and written journalism. Sadly, the program has closed today due to low enrollment, although there are still a few options in eastern Canada, including Ryerson School of Journalism.

After graduating, I wanted to improve my writing skills. I wanted to experience the daily grind of being a journalist, so I applied to a variety of newspapers, prioritizing daily newspapers. I was hired by the Prince Albert Daily Herald in northern Saskatchewan. For two winters I worked there. It was a very challenging experience learning to work under the daily deadline of a newspaper. There, I learned how to hammer out articles and make deadlines. It was a very valuable experience, as far as solidifying my basic journalism skills. However I never forgot that I didn’t originally go into journalism to work at a newspaper, no matter how great, or not great, or well-paid, or not well-paid it was – so I decided to move on.

What do you most enjoy about working as an international photojournalist?

To be a good journalist, or a sensitive documentarian, it’s important to go beyond regurgitating facts. I’m drawn to tell very human-focused stories. As a photojournalist, I’m biased, just by what I choose to photograph. It’s important to be cautious about that bias, but at the same time, there’s a reason I’m drawn to tell certain stories. For me, the privilege of being allowed into another person’s world and someone opening up to me is something very personal. But it also gives me the opportunity to take what I see and translate the story for a broader audience of people, many who don’t get out and see other cultures, or understand of what’s happening to the environment. I love that it’s my job to help people understand, draw connections and care about the lives of others, not simply on an intellectual level, but on an emotional level.

What are some of the challenges you encounter in your work?

Gaining access into people’s lives can be really challenging, particularly if you’re working on a story about a vulnerable population with a long history of being colonized by outsiders. It’s not easy. I’ve failed more times than I’ve succeeded. All you can do is go in and try to connect with people on a very individual level, with a strong degree of humility. Building trust with individuals and communities is the only way you’ll be able to tell sensitive stories. You need to be cautious and respectful. You need to spend time with people. It takes a lot of energy to get to know people, to go into their homes and personal spaces. As a photojournalist, you have to make people feel comfortable with you. If you’re doing a personal story, you need to capture people in their most unconscious moments.

Beyond access, there are the day-to-day challenges that are particular to where you’re working, whether it’s in a city, or the great outdoors. If you’re in a remote area, or a place where there’s minimal electricity, you’ll need to make sure you have batteries, extra SIM cards, and the equipment you need. If you’re working in a high-risk area, you need to have an escape plan. If you don’t speak the language, of if you’re working in a potentially dangerous situation, you’ll need to hire a fixer. A fixer is a local guide and translator. You’ll also need to take their risks and safety concerns into consideration, as well.

What are some of the challenges of being a freelancer?

The reality of the journalism industry these days, particularly if you’re interested in doing documentary and long-form journalism, is that it takes time, money and commitment. The money you get back is negligible, if any. I’m doing more and more freelance work, but I can’t pay my bills with it. Sometimes you care deeply about a project; you put your whole heart into it, but you can’t find a publisher. It’s deeply frustrating. Financially speaking, I do other jobs on the side. I’ve been a tree planter for 11 years, and I’ll continue to do that on a seasonal basis. Will I ever have to work for a newspaper to write stories I don’t care about? Maybe. That may be an option I’ll have to turn to. Currently, I’m hammering away at my freelance work. It’s not easy.

What abilities and qualities does it take to succeed in your work?

People skills are really important. Though, some people would disagree about that: there are some amazing photojournalists who aren’t terribly good with people because they’re better observers. With the kind of intimate journalism I’m trying to achieve, however, it’s important to have the ability to make people feel comfortable with you. The only way you can do that is by being genuinely compassionate, humble, curious, and showing people that you’re there to learn.

Apart from that, you need to be stubborn. People will say no to you. It’s important to be humble with our subjects, but we need to be less humble in the way that we interact with bosses, media, the world around us. Not arrogantly, but with persistence. When your work gets shot down and rejected, you have to keep putting it out there, again and again. It’s not ego-driven. If your work is important, you have a responsibility to share it with the world.

You’ve attended a number of international photography workshops in recent years. What’s the value of participating in these workshops?

A few years ago, I attended a Foundry Photojournalism workshop. Foundry has a great ethos because they hold their workshop in a different location every year, which allows for a different local population to attend. The greatest value of these workshops is that they help you build a community. Photojournalism, particularly if you’re a freelancer, can be very isolating. When you work at a newspaper, you have your cohorts. You go out for a beer after a long day and debrief together. You keep each other excited about the work. But when you’re a freelancer, you’re on your own. It’s highly competitive in the world of freelance. Attending a workshop that brings together a wide spectrum of people with a passion for photojournalism is incredibly powerful. It has made a big difference for me. If I take images, I have peers to ask for help when it comes to selecting and editing my work. Last year, I assisted at Foundry’s workshop in South Africa. It was a great opportunity to connect with other instructors, whose work I really admire. It’s a great way to challenge yourself. It’s all about challenging yourself to do better work.

Do you think having a specific degree or type of education is important or relevant to getting work in your field?

One way or another, you’ll need an education. You’ll need to learn not only on how to use your camera and equipment, or how to write a paragraph, but also how to interact with people, how to conduct an interview. Also, if you’re not working in your hometown, you’ll need to research and be aware of different cultural and social situations around the world. Attending a university to study sociology, or political science, or even psychology could be incredibly valuable to becoming a journalist. Mostly, it’s about learning how to do research. If you want to work at a large media outlet in a permanent role, you’ll need to get a Bachelor’s degree, and probably also specialize in journalism. You’ll have to jump through the hoops of graduating, doing internships, and maybe you’ll get hired. To be honest, it’s more likely you won’t be hired. More people are getting fired from journalism these days than they are hired. As a freelancer, you need to be smart, resourceful and educated in some way. You need to be constantly exposing yourself to a new information. Most importantly, you need to know yourself. Some people can learn in a self-directed format, but that’s not me, so I enrolled in a photojournalism program. Be honest about what you need to do to improve your skills.

For people who are either just starting out in their careers or looking to move into this kind of work, what’s your best advice in terms of tangible steps a person could take to move in that direction?

Finding the right school, or course – even if it’s just part-time – can be a really positive thing. Even if it’s only once a week, you’ll be working on photo assignments, talking to your instructors and other students, and learning from them. It’s a commitment you make to yourself and the work you want to do.

In terms of specific skills, I think that videography is really important. Moving into the future, there will be more video and probably fewer still photographs. Even if you do get hired to write an article, the publishers might only give you 600 words – and that’s what? Two to three paragraphs? That’s barely anything, it’s just an introduction. The reality is that media outlets are paying less money for fewer words. On the other hand, video and film are continuing on the upswing. I would seek educational opportunities in that area of journalism because it’s going to be an important skill to have.