I wouldn’t be where I am – both in my growth as a person and in my skills as a photographer without a very key group of people.

Obviously, most people have their parents to thank. And of course, my mom played a big role encouraging me to pursue my passion – whatever that was, for however long it existed. But what teenage boy actually listens to their mom? Certainly not this one.

During the Lancaster Festival in Lancaster, Ohio, I nervously walked up to Ken Ritchie, a staff photographer for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette at the time who took me under his wing and introduced me to the other staffer, Bill Cannon. After that meeting, I spent as much time as possible at the newspaper downtown learning about composition, cropping, toning, and probably the most important aspects, ethics and people skills. Eventually, I would freelance for the newspaper covering sports from time to time. Both photographers would move onto greener pastures during my junior year in high school. However, during my band’s (I was the lead singer in a rock band with my best friend’s until they all graduated and I was left behind to finish school) final performance – ironically as the headlining band for the Lancaster Festival – it was also one of Bill’s final assignments before heading to Upstate New York. So, one of my favorite photos is that of myself signing on stage in downtown Lancaster, taken by one of my first mentor’s. I still have a couple laminated and digital versions of the newspaper article to this day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout college, I had a few teacher’s who were pretty important pieces to my successes as well – Katyna and Barry Lavery, Scott Spangler, and Jon Lisbon all were really helpful and pushed me through the homework and assignments. Actually, if it weren’t for Katyna, I probably would not be where I am today. She introduced me to the NPPA Northern Short Course workshop that happened to take place in Rochester, New York that year. I had absolutely no money as a student without even a part-time job so she and her husband Barry were willing to have me tag along on the drive to Rochester. I ended up getting a scholarship for the workshop and slept at my aunt and uncle’s place not too far from downtown. It was at the workshop, after waiting over an hour and a half, that I got the chance to speak to Al Bello, a staff sports photographer for Getty Images, following his speech. It was this opportunity that gave me the chance to apply for the Getty Images internship in New York City (I applied, didn’t get accepted, and was asked to reapply a year later, when I finally was accepted. Lesson learned here? Persistence – a lesson taught to me by my first set of mentors, Ken and Bill). Al Bello became an immediate mentor, and although I am lucky enough to say that we are a part of the same Getty Images team, is still and will always be a huge influence on me and my work.

Fast forward following my graduation from college at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, I was a passionate, driven freelance sports photographer living in Pittsburgh. I needed another push, photographically, and still had plenty to learn in life. After becoming frustrated with how slow the winter months can be on a freelance sports photographer with only so many sports teams in one city, I reached out to my friend Justin Merriman, who highly recommend that I swing by the studio he shared with Jeff Swensen, a fellow Getty freelancer (on the news side of things), who might be able to offer some advice. Jeff and I had worked on an assignment for the New York Times together, but had never really talked much since then. Come to find out, Jeff was exactly the fresh opinion and kick in the ass that I needed. Although hard to read at first, Jeff treated me like his own son – I felt like I had known the guy for years.

Soon after, I was invited to a party at the studio – ‘Chrishondrosmas’, a benefit for the late Chris Hondros who was killed in Libya while on assignment for Getty Images and who was a roommate of Jeff’s during graduate school at Ohio University. It was there that I realized how beloved Jeff was among his friends and how much they respected him. That night, although slightly intoxicated, Jeff asked if I would be a part of the studio. From then on, I spent a lot of time at 33 Terminal Way. Some days editing and doing work. Other days, just to kill time and sip coffee with whoever decided to come in that day, as we also shared it with Stephanie Strasburg, a very talented photographer and all-around awesome person, and Mickey Miller, a chill dude who can do amazing things both with a website and a video camera!

Every day in the studio I think I learned something new. Even if it had absolutely nothing to do with photography, it seemed to be what I always needed to hear. With Chris’ passing still very much on everyone’s minds, I think in a way, he was also a mentor of mine. Many days, Jeff’s advice or evaluation of a situation I was in would start with, “You know, if Chris were here, he’d say…”. It spoke of how important their relationship was to each other and made me see the bigger picture in life. I was certainly a very literal thinker until I met this ‘dude’ Jeff, who made me value relationships and life a lot more.

Mentors just happen to come into your life naturally – at a time in your career when you need it most. Thanks, everyone for all of the sage advice and honesty. I hope to one day have the impact that you all had on me, on someone coming up who is figuring out their life and passion with a camera.

 

***A special thanks to everyone else who also made my time in Pittsburgh enjoyable and who were always helpful along the way including: Andy Russell, Jasmine Goldband, Michael Henninger, Rebecca Droke, Brian Henry, Pete Madia, Chris Horner, Chaz Palla, Pete Diana, Phil Pavely, Don Wright, Kevin Lorenzi, Evan Sanders, Ben Filio, Bill Wade, Jack Megaw, Barry Reeger, Lake Fong, Eric Schmadel, Guy Wathen, and Jason Bridge.

3 Comments » | Tags: 2012, Boston, Boston Editorial Photographer, Boston News Photographer, Boston Sports Photographer, Getty Images, images, jared wickerham, Massachusetts, photographer, photography, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh editorial photographer, Pittsburgh news photographer, Pittsburgh sports photographer, sports, wick photography

Apply, apply, apply.

Anyone who has applied for an internship will tell you how hard they are to get. Sometimes though, it’s not so much about your portfolio as it about the intangibles. Let me explain…

Everyone knows how much talent exists in photojournalism and how many schools are churning out photography students (especially if you read the article about the school where I graduated from, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh). All of the best colleges and universities are having their students apply for internships. So how do you think you can win over the editors and photography departments of the respective newspaper/magazine/wire agency that you are applying at? By simply wanting it more.

I will use myself as an example here. I had three internships while going through school: Pittsburgh Pirates, Getty Images, and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. I know for a fact that the other students who applied for all three of these internships had much better work than I. In fact, I failed to get the internship with Getty the first time around. After working my butt off for a year and attending Sports Shooter Academy for a second time, I was asked to reapply and I did so with even more motivation.

Some are you are probably thinking, “Well, I’m not ready or think my portfolio is good enough for an internship yet”. Maybe you aren’t ready to get it THIS year, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply for it. You are not going to be looked down upon for applying for an internship earlier than you should. It actually can help you in many cases. Just like with the images you make – you have to do all of the little things to set yourself apart from the competition. So when the DOP or person in charge of hiring the upcoming photography intern every year sifts through the many applications and recognizes your name from the previous year(s), they are much more likely to set yours aside for final consideration because it shows your persistence.

For those of you who may think your body of work isn’t strong enough to nail an internship, think about this. An internship is your opportunity to take chances. As a young, student intern you are expected to make some mistakes. Learning from those mistakes is sometimes the best learning experience you can have. In my opinion, to be surrounded by a group of supportive veteran photojournalists in a real world environment will help you grow as a photographer more than a semester of any college course you might take.

Most internships will ask you to write an essay explaining why you think you deserve it. Even if they don’t – as was the case in one of my internships – send one along with your application and portfolio anyways. The mere fact that you spent time to write an essay and went above and beyond what they asked for will speak volumes in and of itself. Even more so if that essay expresses your passion for photography and your desire to grow as a photography intern, your chances of being picked go way up.

The one thing most students or recent graduates looking for an internship or job don’t realize is that how well your personality fits in with the company is often times the clincher. Even if it’s just for the possibility of steady freelance work, it’s important. If you don’t get along well with others, your talents may not be enough to save you. This is a small community – even smaller with social media. Your reputation will follow you wherever you go.

Although most internships are announced and made public on many online photography forums (SportsShooter, NPPA, ASMP, etc), some come from referrals by meeting the right person at the right time. If you put yourself in the right situations by attending workshops (i.e. Eddie Adams Workshop, Sports Shooter Academy, NPPA Northern Short Course), your chances for these opportunities are much greater. Another way to find internships and learn exactly what each is like is to read the blog of the students who have already experienced it. They will show you and tell you things that aren’t written up in the description of the internship. That student can also be a great resource to recommend you for the internship the following year as well!

All in all, apply for and do as many internships as you can. No matter where it takes place, I guarantee that you will come away with some of the best images and experiences of your life.

And as my favorite editor picture editor at Getty, Trudy Laltoo, always used to tell me before every assignment, “Don’t fuck up!”

Here are a few blogs of students from various schools who completed internships this past year:

- Joel Hawksley (Ohio University) – Seattle Times

- Patrick Fallon (University of Missouri) – Dallas Morning News

- Patrick McDermott (Brooks Institute) – Getty Images Sport

- Brooks Canaday (Boston University) – Moline Dispatch & Rock Island Argus:

No Comments » | Tags: 2011, 2012, arizona, Cleveland, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Columbus, Detroit, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, images, jared wickerham, Major League Baseball, Miller Park, milwaukee, MLB, NBA, New York City, NFL, nlds, NYC, Ohio, Opening Day, photographer, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh editorial photographer, Pittsburgh music photographer, Pittsburgh sports photographer, Pittsburgh Steelers, PNC Park, Progressive Field, sports, tennis, US Open, wick photography

Millions of people are photographers. Thousands have staff positions. And a growing number in this economy, including myself, are becoming freelance photographers.

Freelance photography is a two-part profession. The obvious part is the photo making part. The other half is where that same photographer must also become a businessperson who can successfully market themselves and their work.

There have been a lot of people who have talked or written about what it takes to be a successful freelance photographer. There is no right or wrong path as this is all still fairly new to everyone, including myself, but there are certainly things that have found proven to work. We all have our own personal experiences so I’m here to offer my own along with advice that I hope can help those starting out.

To give everyone reading a short back-story on myself and my experience, I’m an (almost) 23 year-old who specializes in covering sports in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. I’m a fairly recent graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. During my time in college, I was blessed with certain opportunities that I took advantage of including internships with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa) newspaper, and Getty Images in New York City. I now freelance full time for many clients including Getty Images and The New York Times.

When I first moved to Pittsburgh to pursue my degree in photojournalism, I started a job at a local restaurant cleaning dishes. Although this famous local chain paid fairly well, I couldn’t handle having a “normal” job doing something I didn’t love. After three days, I quit, and from there on out I knew that I would have to really hustle and work hard to pay the bills with my photographs. But in my mind, there were no other options and nothing else to fall back on. I essentially told myself that I would not work retail or in the food industry like the rest of my friends.

I also knew that starting out, assignments would not pay a lot and be few and far between since I had yet to establish myself. Since I was in college, I didn’t have a ton of bills to pay, which was the perfect way for me to start out. My photography would just be paying for my food and transportation. But I knew that six months after graduation, my mailbox would be full of letters demanding money from some woman named Sallie Mae (on top of rent, car payment, insurance, utilities, etc).

After becoming a SportsShooter.com member and regularly posting images from recent local high school and college sporting events, I received a phone call from an editor at ESPN. He told me that he found me via my updates on SportsShooter and asked if I would cover local high school football star, Terrelle Pryor, on National Signing Day. That phone call, three months into college, made me the happiest (and most nervous!) I had ever been! I have never prepared more for an assignment more in my entire life than I did for this. Even though it was just a press conference, I was going to have it covered from every angle. This was my first taste of the real world. I was hooked and I wanted more.

I see a lot of photography students only begin to take themselves seriously upon graduation. If you don’t take yourself and your work seriously, then why should an editor? The key to me not having to work a regular 9-5 job is because I started marketing myself while still in college. It takes time to make that transition to full time freelance. You can’t just wake up, quit your job, move to a city, and assume that you’re all of a sudden going to get a ton of freelance work. It takes time – so don’t get frustrated when you’re not immediately bombarded with assignments. The reason I’m able to pay my bills with pictures is because of years of relationship building and networking. And I don’t just mean just with established professional photographers either. Some of my best assignments (including one tonight as I write this) have come from other fellow recent photography graduates in the area who have another assignment that they’re already covering. The same goes for me if I am already booked on an assignment. That trust that they have in me to make the client happy and complete the assignment successfully is the reason that they call me. If I show up late or don’t produce images to the client’s expectations, it’s ultimately the photographer who referred me who looks bad. And they will most likely never receive assignments from that client, nor help me out, ever again.

I first created my photography website my senior year in high school. I also made sure to have business cards my first quarter at college (albeit poorly designed by my graphic designer roommate). Nonetheless, they had my information and a way to contact me. It was that lame website and poorly designed business card that I now have the amazing mentor that I do in Al Bello over at Getty Images. It’s the little things in your images that set you apart from the photographer next to you. The same goes when marketing yourself and looking for work.

Just because you specialize as a photojournalist doesn’t mean you can’t cover the occasional wedding or event either. I may cover primarily sporting events but in the past week I’ve covered just as many events as games. You’ll learn after your first year as a freelancer, which months are the slowest and where you need to work a little harder on picking up assignments. Those events earlier in the year can help get you through those months by putting aside some money for rent in case the work just isn’t coming in.

And finally, this may be cliché but it couldn’t be more true in the freelance world – what you put into it is a direct result of what you get in return. You are your own boss so you need to be independent and self-motivated enough to set aside time every day to email prospective clients, network with other professionals, and work on your portfolio.  At the same time you have a hundred other bosses that you must make sure are happy with the quality of your work as well. Don’t be afraid to be a go-getter, put yourself out there and take some risks. Be patient and don’t get discouraged too quickly. There is plenty of work out there if you know where to find it and are willing to work hard enough to get it.

No Comments » | Tags: 2011, 2012, AFC Championship Game. Hines Ward, Cleveland, Cleveland Indians, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, images, jared wickerham, Major League Baseball, Maloof Money Cup, MLB, NBA, New York City, Newport Beach, NFL, NHL, NYC, Ohio, Opening Day, photographer, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh editorial photographer, Pittsburgh music photographer, Pittsburgh sports photographer, Pittsburgh Steelers, PNC Park, Progressive Field, sports, Sunset, Surf, wick photography

Every year, I dread the months of January, February, and March.

Football has ended and baseball won’t start until the first week of April. And to make matter’s worse, the University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball team disappointed many fans this year, making them not nearly as newsworthy to photograph as in previous seasons.

But this year started off much better than last. While ringing in the New Year with my girlfriend, I had the chance to photograph Pittsburgh’s own, Rusted Root, as they performed on the Highmark Stage in downtown Pittsburgh. Music has actually been a passion of mine long before I discovered photography but I never gave it much thought in adding it to my repertoire until recently. I was actually in a band in high school with my group of best friends called Pointless Endeavor. I was lead vocals and I’m sure a poor live recording of my voice is floating around the internet somewhere. After giving music photography some thought, I realized how similar to covering sports shooting live music was and that I could easily make some great images with it. Since then I have been shooting many more music assignments including Canton, Ohio’s A Minor Bird, Colter Harper (Rusted Root guitarist), as well as Donora and TeamMate, both signed under Rostrum Records.

 

And a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity, for the second time, to photograph Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush as they performed at Fox Theatre in Detroit, Michigan for their Better With U tour. I had also previously shot their state fair tour stop in Lewisburg, West Virginia over the summer. Despite the thousands and thousands of screaming teenage girls, I had a blast shooting the always crowd-engaging, choreographed show.

What better way to spend my typically slower months than by covering live music events and meeting great local musicians! Tomorrow, in fact, I head to the studio of Donora to document the recording of their new EP album followed by their show in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday night.

You never know where photography will take you next but I’m quite excited about these new possibilities!

No Comments » | Tags: A Minor Bird, Better With U Tour, Big Time Rush, Brillobox, Canton, Colter Harper, Columbus, Detroit, Donora, Fox Theatre, Great Seal, Michigan, Nickelodeon, Ohio, Pittsburgh editorial photographer, Pittsburgh music photographer, Pittsburgh sports photographer, Rostrum Records, Rusted Root, TeamMate