Freelance photography for newspaper

[RTMiller]

Do any of you do any freelance work for your local newspaper? I was wondering how you are paid for your work. I assume you get paid by the picture. How much (circulation of the newspaper in question here is 144,000/week)? Do you receive any type of mileage allowance for travel? Does the newspaper issue you credentials for access to events? Any tips or pitfalls I should watch out for? Thanks in advance.

[Photodawg1]

Do any of you do any freelance work for your local newspaper? I was wondering how you are paid for your work. I assume you get paid by the picture. How much (circulation of the newspaper in question here is 144,000/week)? Do you receive any type of mileage allowance for travel? Does the newspaper issue you credentials for access to events? Any tips or pitfalls I should watch out for? Thanks in advance.

Congrats!
I have been shooting for our community paper for about 3 1/2 years. Last year they started paying me $10 per whatever I turned in that week. I was shooting with a N80 film at the time and the developing cost were eating me alive. Now that I am digital I don't charge them. I sometime contribute to the larger community paper that has it's stable of full time photogs, and I asked to be compensated by them back then, but he would only offer credit. I don't mind doing the local stuff for free. Figure it's exposure and has brings me business. I have started doing less than I used too, because I am finding more new, more lucrative horizons.

I am sure others will comment about more realistic compensation.

[NGrinerPhoto]

i've been shooing for newspapers for 6 years now. up until recently i was freelancing ... now i'm a staffer. i was getting paid anywhere from $150 to $200 per shoot and was paid the current government milage rate. right now it's $.445 per mile.

the biggest perk for being in the media is the credentials. sporting events ... concerts ... you name it. you'll have to get in good with the editor though. places usually ask for a letter from them to get the credentials.

[StealthLude]

Nice, id love to shoot for the paper haha.

[delhi]

it can get pretty hectic and high pressured if the assignment is on a tight schedule. I'd do it still though....freelancing of course.

[PhotosGuy]

Small Town Newspaper...
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=133274

[Gatorboy]

I do some freelance for a small county newspaper and they pay $50 per shoot. I send them 8-10 of my best images (captioned of course) and they select from those what they will use in the paper.

It's not uncommon during football season for them to want me to shoot the first half of one game and then run to another school to shoot the second half of another. That's two shoots, so $100.

[formula4speed]

RT, are you looking at any paper in particular? I seem to recall some months ago the Newark Post was looking for a freelance photographer, I never really looked into it, I just had a lot of people telling me I should apply. Might be worth talking to them, although I suppose they probably don't have much circulation.

[RTMiller]

RT, are you looking at any paper in particular?
News Journal

[damppaper]

I do some freelance for a small county newspaper and they pay $50 per shoot. I send them 8-10 of my best images (captioned of course) and they select from those what they will use in the paper.

I recently sent in a few pics to a local newspaper and they asked about the caption. I replied that they could caption them whatever they wanted. What is captioning and where do you put it. Could you give me an example?

Damppaper...

[Photodawg1]

I recently sent in a few pics to a local newspaper and they asked about the caption. I replied that they could caption them whatever they wanted. What is captioning and where do you put it. Could you give me an example?

Damppaper...
Dude...that happened to me. They asked for a cutline...I had to google it. You HAVE to get used to providing the 5 w's plus excellent cutlines or captions. A brief description accompanies pic and that adds additional information that hooks the reader. Papers expect you to do all that legwork.

[RTMiller]

What is captioning and where do you put it. Could you give me an example?
Ask them what software they use. The News Journal in Wilmington uses Photo Mechanic. It has a place for the caption, job ID, photographer credit, who-what-where-when-why, etc.

The software can also transfer your files to their server. It costs about $150.

[Steve Parr]

I do some freelance work for a small local paper, with very limited circulation. They pay only $10.00 for each photo they use. Thus far, I've had a total of five photos used in two issue.

I'm a long, long way from getting rich off of it, so I look at it as a resume builder...