Becoming a photojournalist

[steve_b.4]

I am planning to apply for the Photojournalism program at Loyalist

college in Belleville, Ontario, Canada.

 

well, my concern is that, because my English language skill is not as good

as Canadian native speakers, I am worrying that if I can be successful through

the courses and after the graduation. Of course, hard work will be the key

here, but I wanted to know how this matter can effect to me as a pj.

 

Thanks!

[orensztajn]

Don't worry I did my education in Sweden after 3 years living here (beeing my native lenguage spanish), and english can not be as hard as Swedish ;-)

Just follow your heart and everything will be fine, you'll see.

[d_gillespie]

Steve,

 

I think having command of more than one language will be a real asset to any career, PJ for sure. My wife is comfortable with five languages, (I am happy with my one) and her psychology degrees are from Poland and the US.

[scot]

If your spoken English is anywhere near as good as your writen English, you have no problems.

 

Robert capa spoke a bunch of languages, all of them so badly that his friends called the way he talked "Capanese." But his photos were great, so he was very succesful. (Not that I'm recomending that you step on a land mine whle working....)

 

scot

[leericks]

William F. Buckley, arguably the best English speaker of our times, did just fine in Journalism despite the fact that English is his second language. Spanish is his first.

 

Some of the most beautiful writing in English I have ever read was produced by the foreign press. Besides. You will have a copy nazi, that is to say editor, who will keep you strate.

 

You will do just fine.

[oscar_h.]

Steve, I assume you have a working knowledge of Photography. You'd be better served to invest your time and money (the most expensive commodities!) in Journalism. These courses will cure any ills you may have very quickly! These days you have to create your door. This is a penny-pinching, cut-throat, want-it-last-week business! Nothing less! If you can do BOTH you're the one to get the assignment. The days of sending a writer & shooter team is no more! Even heavyweight publications have gone to the cheap. TV is no different. Penny-pinching rules, dude! These businesses answer to stockholders. They want the best value for their money. Editors are their watchdogs! Editors who don't make budget are gone the next day. If you can shoot AND write you're lightyears ahead of the guy who can do but one. Please don't take this as a discourse. Some food for thought. I applaud your endeavour! Please read my other post on the subject of Photojournalism jobs by Leon Yousanov, there might be something for you. -Oscar H.

[35mmdelux]

If Wolfgang Puck can succeed in Hollywood, you sure as hell can succeed in Canada.

[nolefan32]

The bulk of shooters I've worked with over the years have had atrocious English, and they were all born in America. But the things they could do with a camera in their hands ...

 

In the end, what's important with photographers is your ability to shoot. If you can express yourself in pictures, you'll do fine.

 

BTW, your written English is good enough that I'm confident you should do fine in school, too.