Shooting as a freelancer

Since that thread seems to have been deleted I would like to offer a suggestion to the original poster. Below is my last post which I was working on when it got deleted I guess

CanonXtiDude wrote in post #4434943
Everyone here is speaking way off the cuff. I did not email this guy for a job. I merely wanted to talk to him about opportunities that exist in photojournalism. I am a hobbyist and am exploring my options. I own a air conditioning company and am a multimillionaire, making a living off photography is not really a concern. The ONLY job of a director at a newspaper is to hire and recruit and develop talent. By insulting the talent out there this guys way off base. He deserves to be put in his place and you people who always claim to work hard blah blah blah and that people need to work their way up. I tell you what. At the company I own I hire based on talent not on how long you've been in the business. Anyone who disagrees with me is just bitter and not a good businessman.

Obviously it is you who is speaking way off the cuff. You want to shoot for his paper, are you going to do that for free? Of course you don't need the money so why would you want to take away an opportunity from someone who may depend on photography for his/her living?
If asking about being freelancer for the Chronicle, or any freelance job for that matter, isn't asking for a job, then I am greatly misinformed about what constitutes being employeed as a freelancer.


If your a hobbist you don't need to shoot for the Chronicle. You want to be a shooter and aren't worried about the money? Find the poorest high school district in your area, make an appointment with their AD and go in and offer your services as a sports photographer for the school. Chances are there isn't any money to be made or someone would already be doing it, instead they went to a school with a little more money in the income area of the parents.
You could offer to let them use the photos for their website, make prints available to the players. Maybe print, or have printed, 50 photos from each game and hand them out at the end of the season at the sports banquet. If they don't have a banquet, offer to sponsor one for fall sports, winter and spring as well. Maybe you could even start a photography club at the school. Donate a few decent cameras and a couple of different lenses, probably would be a tax write off too if you did it thru the business.

Trust me you would get a lot more experience and probably have a much better time doing that than trying to freelance for the Chronicle.
To freelance at the Chronicle you would probably be assigned no less than 2 football games on game night, maybe 2-3 basketball games and cover the end of the bigger wrestling tourneys in town. You won't get to know any of the players because you won't be around long enough. However if you did the poor high school thing, you would get to know the kids and maybe mentor some young kid who has an interest in photography and give them a path to do something with their life. I see a GOLDEN opportunity here that you could get more satisfaction and experience out of than any freelance job you would ever have.
The ball is in your court, what will you serve up now?

I am not sure about the law in Texas or in Houston but in Indiana I am reasonably sure it is illegal to have a police scanner in your vehicle and unless it is less than a mile from you, the paper probably will have someone there or on the way.
Second point, unless you have press credentials issued by the local jurisdiction you are probably asking for an obstructing charge. Sure you can shoot from behind the crime scene tape but, you can't just run into the paper with a photo and say I got a shot of a murder scene. You need info for a cutline and without it your not gaining any advantage by being there quicker than the paper.
Chances are if it is a big enough event, crime wise, the paper will also have someone who monitors the scanner and calls a photographer to see if he can cover it.
So I guess my answer would be no, I don't think it would be a worthwhile venture. Besides, how much do you expect to make off of a spot news shot? My guess is you won't make more than $25, if that.

Hey Dude here in Shreveport the 911 system updates onto a website in realtime (http://www.caddo911.co​m)... no need for a scanner! You can watch the homicides and armed robberies update on the website right before your eyes. lol

You might want to check to see if Houston offers something similar for when you might not have the scanner handy (ie. you have your laptop with you connected to wireless at a cafe but your scanner is at home.)

I don't know if they're legal but most photographers that do freelance work for the newspapers have portable scanners. How else are you going to know about breaking news? Anyway thats the way they used to work a few years back.

Scanners are illegal in cars in all 50 states. They also usually have someone on staff that covers those events that they trust and knows the do's and don'ts of covering such an unfortunate occurence. Besides putting that just below being an ambulance chasing attorney that is, not many photographers want to do that but have to at times and try to save some dignity for the poor people involved. Newspapers pay $15-25 a shot usually - sometimes more but not usually. And hey, they can always take the still frame the video and publish it to from the local news!

airfrogusmc wrote in post #4435663
I don't know if they're legal but most photographers that do freelance work for the newspapers have portable scanners. How else are you going to know about breaking news? Anyway thats the way they used to work a few years back.

According to the local guy they cant do that anymore (but who knows if some do). They have a cell phone that they get the assignment on from the paper immediately.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #4435691
According to the local guy they cant do that anymore (but who knows if some do). They have a cell phone that they get the assignment on from the paper immediately.

Used to know a guy that had a fairly small one he wore almost all the time with a earpeice. He was freelance and actually sold several images becasue he was the only one that got the shot. He told me allot of the freelance photographers used scanners. Thats was a while ago. He would go and shoot and hope more than one paper would pick up his images. One heck of a way to make a $$$.

The laws changed fairly recently, perhaps a patriot act byproduct?

All news room swill have fixed police scanners with rooftop aerials for them. Usually it is sitting on the local/police beat reporters desk. Larger newsdesks will have a paid employee who listens to the scanner all day, as well as monitors local television. They will dispatch via phone/text and pager.

Also, most local papers will require you to be able to do a modicum of reporting as well. A bare minimum of the 5 Ws for your caption.

CanonXtiDude wrote in post #4435555
I dont care if i'm taking food out another persons mouth. If thats what I want to do and I am able to be more competitive than him well then you know ...

So you talk like this, but he was "insulting the talent?" Pot, meet kettle.

If I was that editor and someone like this applied to me for a job, I'd point to the door and tell you not to let the door hit you on the ass on the way out. I don't care how good you are or how cheap you are.

CanonXtiDude wrote in post #4436361
thats because youre not a businessman youre just a photographer. You wouldnt know how to run a paper just how to snap pictures.

Sure thing, Sparky. Or it could be that I just don't like blowhards with more bark than bite.

I somehow agree... I don't care if someone else loses job because of me. But, and that's big but, I still want to play fair. I might be naive, but I still do hope world is mostly friendly and fair. So yes I don't care if someone loses job because I'm better, and for at least same or even higher price. It's free market and it's business on the end. But going there, offering job for free or for 50% of normal price, just because this is fun for you, and you don't need to earn money, is not way to go.
I might be in different business, and shooting sport (or any other PJ work) might be different then I don't know... shooting beautiful ladies in studio, shooting perfect landscapes somewhere in middle of nowhere etc. But at least with sport and politics, you are surrounded with other photographers all the time. And when not playing fair, you will will have 20 enemies standing next to you. And I guess you can imagine how much pleasure such working conditions will give you. Not to mention all the missed shots you will get out of this. You have to count, other people are not stupid either

Do you have ANY idea to whom you are talking, 'Dude? Several of the people replying to your thread have been shooting professional images longer than you've been alive. Others have actually run businesses worth more than you will make in your lifetime. A couple have done both.

You might want to try and listen to the advice you're getting. You could find out that some folks actually know more than you do on a few topics

Have you ever heard this quote:

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt"

Words to live by.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #4435684
Scanners are illegal in cars in all 50 states.

Actually, thats not true at all. MA, MS, WV, CA, VA, VT, SD, OK, NJ, NB, to name a few, all allow their use while mobile as long as you are not using it during the commission of a crime, hindering public service, etc. In RI its illegal if you are a convicted criminal, and using it while mobile. SD its illegal if you are a convicted felon with the last 10 years. There's 12 that can be dropped off the list right away, and I know there are plenty more if I dug further. NY, MI, MN, KY, IN, FL do ban them outright, and again, I'm sure there are a few more.

HAM radio operators, which I am one, are exempt in all states if you have a valid FCC license (easy to get) with the obvious exception of use during criminal activity, hindering public service, etc.

sfaust wrote in post #4439134
Actually, thats not true at all. MA, MS, WV, CA, VA, VT, SD, OK, NJ, NB, to name a few, all allow their use while mobile as long as you are not using it during the commission of a crime, hindering public service, etc. In RI its illegal if you are a convicted criminal, and using it while mobile. SD its illegal if you are a convicted felon with the last 10 years. There's 12 that can be dropped off the list right away, and I know there are plenty more if I dug further. NY, MI, MN, KY, IN, FL do ban them outright, and again, I'm sure there are a few more.

HAM radio operators, which I am one, are exempt in all states if you have a valid FCC license (easy to get) with the obvious exception of use during criminal activity, hindering public service, etc.

darn internet lied to me...but it was reported several times they are illegal in cars in all 50. Maybe was a temporary thing? No clue, I can't stoop that low to go chasing someone else's misery.

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #4439581
darn internet lied to me...but it was reported several times they are illegal in cars in all 50. Maybe was a temporary thing? No clue, I can't stoop that low to go chasing someone else's misery.

The internet always lies. I thought we all understood that by now

I don't chase mysery either. My HAM radio has the ability to scan most bands, so I have a lot of the public service bands programmed into it. Mainly for two reasons. One, I'm nosey and like to know whats up when I see blue or red lights whizzing past me. But more importantly, since my HAM radio is also for emergency purposes, I need the other bands programmed and ready to go if needed.