Photojournalism Training

To become an amateur photojournalist, all you need is free time and a camera. To become a paid professional in this field, however, most employers expect you to have completed at least some level of photojournalism training from an accredited program.

Photojournalism Training

In an age where most cell phones have cameras, it seems that everyone is a photojournalist. Within minutes of major accidents, political events, or entertainment scandals, you can find images, videos, and commentary online for the entire world to see. Does one truly need photojournalism training at a time when both local and global events can be instantly documented by ordinary people?

The answer is both yes and no. Photojournalism training may not be necessary if you simply want to dabble in the field as a concerned citizen or amateur reporter. However to secure paid positions within the journalism or photography industries, formal education is usually required.

What Can You Learn from Photojournalism Training?

Photojournalism training is a unique field that fuses both the creative and technical aspects of traditional photography with the strategic and ethical of traditional journalism. Technical aspects might include:

• Composition
• Lighting
• Framing
• Editing

You might also explore disciplines such as:

• Fairness in reporting
• Privacy concerns
• Communications
• Research and statistics

Many programs also stress fluency in foreign languages since photojournalists are often expected to travel internationally for stories.

Photojournalism Training and Career Outlook

Demand for the wider photography industry is expected to be favorable over the next decade, with some estimates placing overall growth at 12 percent from 2008 to 2018. However, competition for many of the top jobs could be incredibly high, given the natural allure that photography seems to enjoy. Exotic travel, fame, civic responsibility, and professional independence are just some of the main attractions of this career field. While it is possible to enter photojournalism with on-the-job training alone, the most successful professionals tend to be those with bachelor's degrees or higher from an accredited program. This is especially the case with positions at established news agencies in print and video media.