Mobile Home Fire

[dblink]

Members of the Alvin Volunteer Fire Department respond to a mobile home fire the day before Thanksgiving.


Is this the kind of thing that local papers want? There are a couple more photos at http://ksmimages.com

C & C please.

Thanks,
Kenneth

[RandySmith]

Kenneth,

The editor of my paper would probably run the third photo. Anytime you can catch someone's face, or a photo that "tells a story" those are the keepers. The HOT trailer probably would be a suplement to the third, but, generally if you look at most pictures in the newspapers, they usually contain faces ... unless of course you happen to be the lucky guy that caught the blimp running into the radio tower ... all depends on the subject matter. Also, my editor is always reminding me and wants to know:

1) Location, time, date of the incident
2) Resident/owner names if possible
3) Was anybody injured in the fire, where were they transported to
4) Firemen's names
5) Fire department or other agencies name(s) that responded
6) Any other information that will help tell the story

Hope this helps. Good luck to you too.
Randy

[dblink]

Thanks, that is just what I need to know. I'm sure it would be better if I had the firefighter's names, but they were a little busy. :-) Do you think the caption is OK as it is?

Kenneth

[RandySmith]

Don't know how easy it would be for you to go over to the fire dept., but the local fire dept., where I live love it when they get recognized like this .... sometimes, they can recognize each other or themselves pretty quickly ... you might want to print out an 8x10 and ask them to identify the three firemen ... then give them the 8x10 ... you never know what kind of good will that will put you in with the fire fighters. Then you could use the caption "Firefighter John Smith turns away from the fire as firefighters Steve Jones & Mike Thomas" continue to monitor the flames" ...

Just a thought anyway ....

best of luck.
Randy

[Kar]

I shoot fires and have had them in numerous papers. The pic with the firemen is good; the other 2 even though there is massive fire, papers would not take. If the firemen had been using the hose or tools on the fire, that is the keeper. Personally for the papers including the Houston Chronicle names are not that important and I have never got them. Of course we have tighter deadlines than smaller papers and hey if you get them more power too you. I regularly sell my pictures to firefighters. Now if the fire was over or if it were a bad accident and I shot a firefighter or Police officer looking at the scene, then I would, but that picture would be more of an artistic than an action shot.

The fire shot I would never get names, but a shot that is more PJ-ish(although I hate that term) like the officers I would.

Most firefighters have their name on the bunker coat or helmet. I usually zoom in to get the name in case I needed it.

[dblink]

Thanks for the help guys! I called the Alvin paper and they are going to do a story about the fire this week. How should I approach them about using my photo? Do I need to take a print with me or would it be fine to just have the files on a CD? Also, what file format would the paper be expecting? I feel like such a noobie with all the questions, but I have to learn somehow!

[Kar]

Well they will always take a "courtesy" picture, which is free!

If you wanted to maybe freelance you would have to go there and if they wanted to have you sign a contract. It all depends when their deadline is if they can get it in. All the papers I have shot for I showed them some pictures and then signed up. Hopefully the have good budgets and allow stringers! (freelance paid photographers)

[RandySmith]

The local paper that I submit photo's to accepts my pictures via email. Unless it's a portrait of somebody in town, I usually resize the photo's to 5x7, with maximum dimension around 1500 pixels, at 300 dpi. The bigger newspapers might have other criteria but this works for the paper I work with.

Hope this helps.
Randy

[dreemes]

Originally Posted by dblink

Thanks for the help guys! I called the Alvin paper and they are going to do a story about the fire this week. How should I approach them about using my photo? Do I need to take a print with me or would it be fine to just have the files on a CD? Also, what file format would the paper be expecting? I feel like such a noobie with all the questions, but I have to learn somehow!

Now days I imagine most papers would prefer them in electronic form. When I used to submit photos of my dept in action they told me I could email them but I always burned them to disk as I live in an area with dialup only. This is really a question you need to ask the editor of your local paper.

[Kar]

Originally Posted by dblink

Thanks for the help guys! I called the Alvin paper and they are going to do a story about the fire this week. How should I approach them about using my photo? Do I need to take a print with me or would it be fine to just have the files on a CD? Also, what file format would the paper be expecting? I feel like such a noobie with all the questions, but I have to learn somehow!

E-mail or FTP in the future, but you actually have to sign a form so call them and they will tell you whats up!

Are you expecting to be paid or a courtesy photo?

[dblink]

I'd really like to be paid. I'm returning to photography after many years and would like to have my work pay for the investment in new equipment. During high school and college I worked at Skylark Camera (anybody remember them?). I also assisted some local photographers. A freelance job seems like a great way to start. What kind of pictures would an editor of a paper like to see in a portfolio? I assume it would need to be a variety. Thanks again for all of y'alls help.

Kenneth