Breaking into photojournalism: pros give their business advice

Photojournalism plays an important role in helping us to understand the ever-changing modern world, and has generated some of the most startling and memorable images ever created.

Building a photography career can be tough, however. Competition is fierce and there are fewer paying outlets due to the decline of traditional media and reduced editorial budgets. It's important that new photographers know the realities of the work, how to make their images stand out and how to sell themselves as photographers.

It's also vital to tell stories that matter to you personally, points out top photojournalist Mads Nissen, who delivered a lecture to Canon Student Development Programme (CSDP) 2023 students: "I always try to remind myself why I came into this world. What do I want to do? What is important to me? And what do I believe in?"

We asked Mads and some of the other world-class photographers who acted as CSDP mentors to offer tips and advice on how to break into photojournalism and how to make a successful career from it.

"You have to be curious," says Francis Kohn, former photojournalist and Photo Director of Agence France-Presse. "You want to transmit something – it's your job – but you have to be curious, and being curious is a learning experience. Curiosity and an open mind lead to better stories and a better understanding of yourself as a photographer."

Widening your social group is a good way to broaden your views and to find new stories. "A lot of young photographers move to a city like New York and only socialise with other photographers, which limits their worldview," says Canon Female Photojournalist Award 2018 winner Laura Morton. "I began [my project] Wild West Tech because I was interacting with early-stage start-up founders socially and realised that this was a story that wasn't being told in the narrative around the tech boom."

There's no getting away from the fact that this can be a challenging career, and sometimes the only way to succeed is to take matters into your own hands.

"Having a natural ability to put people at ease" and being "quiet in your approach and not too forceful" will open doors, says war correspondent Ivor Prickett. "Being gentle in my approach to photographing people, because it's a huge ask, is how I've done a lot of what I've done."

"I wasn't the most technically gifted person in my class," says Ivor. "I was probably at the lower end of the scale, but I was told that's something you can learn. Your natural ability, your interpersonal skills and your work ethic are not things you can develop in such an easy way. The technical side of things is easier to master, but it takes time, and it's really important for making quick decisions, and doing good work on the ground."

That doesn't mean, however, chasing technological trends – you can still do great work with older cameras. "There is always something new and better," says Angela. "I say work with what you have, master it and then you will be able to produce great work."

A career in photography can go in many different directions. Mads suggests using the start of your career to try things out and not to get too set in one way of thinking. "If you're just getting started, you're still learning the language. Have fun with it. Do things that are meaningful for you."

A great way to help your development is to volunteer at relevant organisations. "Volunteering can open a lot of doors," says Angela. "I used to volunteer at Madsoc Theatre in Lilongwe, Malawi, taking videos and pictures. It was there that I got introduced to some people who later gave me paid assignments. I have a good network, which I gained from that experience."

Dutch photojournalist and Canon Ambassador Ilvy Njiokiktjien has some practical advice on this matter. "Practise on a daily basis," she says. "Go to photo festivals. Do internships. Try to find a mentor. Reach out to editors before festivals to see if they will do a portfolio review, or sign up for a portfolio review. These are all ways to get into the industry. In the end it's about having connections to the people who will publish your work."

There are many ways to promote your work. Naturally, social media is one of them. "It is a very useful tool if you don't have a website," notes Angela. "I have also found that being a member of the African Photojournalism Database (APJD), an initiative of the World Press Photo Foundation, is quite useful in promoting your work. They feature the work of members online, and their platform has millions of followers."

Ilvy believes that pitching is key to getting your stories noticed by editors. "Ask other photographers how they do it and ask editors how they would like to see stories coming in," she says. "If you know how to pitch a story, you will be able to make photography into a true career."

Ivor urges up-and-coming photojournalists to focus on the work above all else, and to apply a selective approach to networking. "Networking is an important part of the job as a freelance photographer, but essentially it all comes second to making good, individual work," he says. "Target the people that you really want to work for, and focus on specific magazines, newspapers and institutions, because not everyone is suited to every publication or organisation. We all have our style and speciality, so work out where you fit in and go after that."

"Don't let people tell you that you should be covering this thing that everybody else is covering," says Laura. "I started having success when I started doing the things that weren't being covered. A lot of people thought I was crazy to photograph people basically sitting at computers, but that's when my career really took off.

"The best way to stand out from other photographers is to have unique story ideas. If you are photographing something that no one else is photographing then you have an edge."

Your subject might take place in another country – or simply a street or two away from you. "It's important to be immersed in your community and remember that ideas can come from anywhere in your daily life. Curiosity about the world is key."

Keeping well informed is another way to make your work cut through the noise. "I do tons of background research for my projects," explains Laura. "I'll read stacks and stacks of books about a subject before I start photographing. Knowing the background not only helps you take better photographs, it helps with access when you can really show individuals you want to photograph that you've done your homework."

"Afrikaner Blood was a story I made in 2010 about a youth camp in South Africa, where a racist group was operating," says Ilvy. "I was there with a writer and we created a short video and submitted it to the multimedia category at the World Press Photo awards. It won the first prize, which was crazy. I also took second prize in one of the other categories with one of my pictures from the camp."

Winning these awards opened doors for Ilvy, changing her career practically overnight. "I was working on a local Dutch newspaper and all of a sudden, the New York Times and all the international papers were calling," she says. "It was published in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Japan, England, everywhere. I don't think I would be a Canon Ambassador now if that had not happened."

Many photographers have similar tales. It just goes to show that you never know when your big break might come, so do the work, promote it, and never give up.