It’s best not to underestimate how intimidating it can be to walk up to a stranger and ask them if it’s okay if you take their picture or walking into an event with no formal invitation and just start snapping away—but as a photojournalist, it’s required.
Walking into the 2nd Annual Sustainable Detroit Forum here on Campus, I was nervous that I might be asked to leave. I stumbled upon the event while strolling through Campus and figured what better event to take photos of for class then this.
The speakers were in the middle of their panel discussion on building sustainable businesses in Detroit, and the auditorium in the student center was full of professionals buzzing around, sitting eating lunch, networking with one another. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get in a few shots.
Doing feature stories, you are likely going to find yourself out of your comfort zone from time to time. That’s OK—actually that’s perfect! The more uncomfortable you are than probably the better the story.
The key is quieting that anxious voice inside your head that tries to bully you into pulling out of the situation. Though that voice—your anxiety—might be trying to protect you, it’s almost never correct in its assessment of the situation. The truth is, there are 6 billion people on this planet and most of them don’t actively care what you are up to. It’s important to keep this in mind and use it to your advantage as a photojournalist.
Besides that, most people who you do interact with will probably be open to you, and the few that aren’t should be dismissed as the exception.
So, really the thing I learned taking my feature photos is not to worry so much and to just have fun with it. The best part of photojournalism is that it is your job to insert yourself into new situations and environments you maybe wouldn’t have ventured into if it wasn’t required of you.
As a photojournalist, you are required to chase down stories and, occasionally, figure out creative ways to gain access to them. My experience taught me that the first—and perhaps most daunting—obstacle to get over is my own anxiety.