i just got a call from my old friend Karen Mullarkey, formerly picture editor at Newsweek, Day in the Life projects etc etc…she has been impressed with the community here and is ready to perhaps hire a few of you with qualified portfolios….

i am NOT acting as an agent, just as a friend, but Karen assured me that these assignments were well paid,  photojournalistic in nature, black & white, and photographers would retain all copyrights and use (i would endorse nothing less)…

the locations for shooting are: Shanghai, London, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Memphis..if you live in or near one of these cities and are interested please contact: ME!! 

it would give me pleasure if even one of you was chosen for this work…but, i have no stake in it whatsoever and will NOT be able to answer any questions that you might have…..i am just a messenger….i will say that i trust Karen and have known her for many years as a highly qualified picture editor….

our profile is obviously growing here which is flattering to all of us…the fact that a working picture editor would use this forum now as a potential assignment  source is pretty amazing…. of course, i will always pass on any freelance work that i may know about which i think would be appropriate for you….

40 thoughts on “pro work…..”

  2. Katia Roberts

    I live in Seattle but I would certainly be willing if they (she) covered air costs!

    This is wonderful news for all of us.

    Thank you, David.

    :)

  3. Katia Roberts

    I live in Seattle but I would certainly be willing if they (she) covered air costs!

    This is wonderful news for all of us.

    Thank you, David.

    :)

  4. Paul Treacy

    I’m struggling to finish my website this week. Hoping she’ll take a peek but this morning my server wouldn’t allow me access. Driving me nuts.

  5. Jean-Sébastien Bréault

    DAVID, ALL…

    I jump on this opportunity to ask you a question which haunts me since months: do you think that it is possible for anybody who wants to live a photographer’s life to live in a “small” city?

    I live in Montreal. Less than one hour from New York City by plane or 6 hours by car. But sometimes I feel that I am at a century from where the things happen, move, really take place.

  6. Charlie Mahoney

    DAVID:

    You nailed it so I’m ready for those ten minutes. In fact if anyone else has some feedback on my site, feel free to let loose on it. Channel your most hated editor.

    http://www.charliemahoney.net

    To answer your question I want to do documentary work, but I understand the reality of the marketplace and I like travel work as well, although I’d prefer to do travel work with an edge. I haven’t been at this long and the immigrant story is my first real story where I planned, focused, had access and time.

    The others were trips where I forced the issue in one or two weeks, but with lack luster results. The other problem is that I’ve gotten some interest from some UK travel rags because I won the New Talent category of Travel Photographer of the Year and they like the cliches! Excuses, I agree. Bullshit ones at best, so you completely busted me on rounding out my portfolio. Guilty as charged.

    I live in Barcelona and I don’t have a story that’s screaming out at me like the immigrants did. I’m also feeling a bit under the gun here. The immigrant story was published yesterday on the BBC news site. I’d shopped it around, but without much interest elsewhere.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/default.stm?survey=no&url=news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/default.stm&site=sitelabel&js=yes&uid=44870032b72fc86ddcd33d80d070742a1e1f9f9520d07134646fe62f9064cfb5

    I’d like to take advantage of the momentum to get some interest in it here in Spain, which means hitting the phones. I also have three weeks until I go to Look3. I’m doing the Portfolio Review with Mary Anne Golon so I need to print my book and I’d like a solid edit to show around.

    I won a scholarship to Foundry in Mexico City, so I’m going there right from Charlottesville. I think I should take this time to focus on printing my portfolio, updating my site to be ready for Look3 and continue researching story ideas for DF so I can slam dunk it. That being said, if I had a really compelling story idea, I’d be game. Three weeks are three weeks.

    I hope that helps. Thanks. You rock for doing this for everyone.

  7. david alan harvey

    KATIA….

    i do not know about the air costs…but , if i were you , and the fee is high enough, it might be worth it to absorb some of the cost yourself…i am not saying to do this, i am just saying that you have to look at the overall “bottom line”…i honestly do not know how good a job this is, but certainly it would be nice if it worked out for some of you…

    Jean-Sébastien…

    you need to have good contacts in the larger cities or with the larger publishers etc, but you can live anywhere you want…Larry Towell lives on a farm in Ontario and Alec Soth lives in Minneapolis and Aussie Trent Parke lives out in the middle of nowhere!!! the list goes on and on….

    cheers, david

  8. andrew sullivan

    David,

    To answer your question directed to me in your previous post, I have returned to photographing in Harlem and had two good days with some decent results. I’m in the process of editing now and can post some on my site this afternoon. My main subject is a 97-year-old saxophonist who played with Louis Armstrong and actually employed Thelonious Monk before was “Monk.” He was supposed to be in Art Kane’s group shot but “went around the block to meet a girl instead.”

    I will create a “New Work” tab on the index page unless you think I should continue to integrate new images into the essay as it currently is.

    In terms of time available, I have lots of it! However, I’m going out West Friday morning for eight days. Then I’ll be back until LOOK3. So I can plunge headlong into Harlem again the first week of June.

    FYI, I emailed Karen Mullarkey. Many thanks David for everything you do for this community.

    Take care,

    andrew

  9. Herve

    Jean-Seb, allow me to not change a word in what you wrote, but join you and replace Montreal with San Francisco…

    (not that I wish for another earthquake, but that would definitely cut a few years from that century!)

  12. Yan

    @Jean-Seb and Hervé

    Please come in Switzerland and you will see what “NOTHING HAPPENS” means, come on guys…

  14. Nicholas Roberts

    Nitpick alert: Her surname is spelled “Mullarkey” and not “Mullarky”, as was posted above.

    I was raised to address people I haven’t yet met with Mr./Ms. Lastname. I’m Midwestern.
    Didn’t want anyone else making an error. I’ve heard editors dislike having their names misspelled.

    I like what you’re doing with this blog, Mr. Harvey. Or David.

    Regards,

    Nick

  16. Herve

    Nick, some really good stuff on your site (and, now a familiar drone sound, altogether now…: some needing editing)

    OK, let me try, Mullarky and Mahoney? Right?

    ;-)

  17. bobblack

    DAVID !!!

    :)))))…

    “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened..”-buddha

    the shape and swell of your generosity knows no bounds…

    Brilliant that Karen has spied upon the work and I am so excited for any photographer that leaps forward and gets some gigs! :)))

    An inspiration which burns without surcease! :)))

    And for Karen: if you are gazing, if turn your eyes to Toronto, lots of talent and industrious photographers in this place by the lake…I happen to be married to one as well! :)))

    will send an email…

    hugs captain harvey

    bob

  18. Akaky

    Ah well, there you have it, all she wants is the qualified portfolio. Now my portfolio, he isnt qualified. And why is that? Because he listened to his loser friends and dropped out of high school, got involved with drugs, got in trouble with the law a few times, and in general put his name in bad odor with people from one end of our happy little burg to the other. And now he wonders why he’s unemployable. So remember, everyone: Stay in school, say no to drugs! You and your portfolio will be the better for it!

  19. chris bickford

    David, great news, it’s fantastic that your blog is growing into not just a community but a real professional resource.

    I jumped on it and sent an email to her, but after reading Nick’s post I began to wonder about a few things, which might be good to discuss here. Specifically, how to best make an inquiry to a photo editor. Do you don’t you address them formally (I used her first name)? Should you include a small photo or two in the email, or just a link? What other information should you supply? How often do you follow-up, when is it better to call, etc..?

    I thought this might be a useful topic of conversation for everybody here. David, you’re way past the point of needing to cold-call to get assignments, but maybe some of the folks here who have had varying amounts of success or failure with different techniques might be able to discuss what works best these days. I’m sure all photo editors are different, but I’d be interested in hearing what other folks’ experiences are.

  21. Patricia Lay-Dorsey

    Just to let you folks know, I just received word that my Dualities portfolio has been accepted for publication as a Bonus Feature on LensWork Extended #77 (computer DVD for July-August, 2008). You can see that portfolio on my PBase galleries at

    http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/dualities

    Of course, since LenWork only publishes B&W, there will be no selective color on their DVD.

    I am very VERY excited!!!!!!

    Patricia

  23. andrew sullivan

    Patricia,

    Congratulations! Since you started posting here, I’ve been interested in your stories and impressed by your dedication to following your passion while faced with what sounds like pretty challenging personal circumstances. I liked your Duality#7 (the radio brought back lots of childhood memories)and also enjoyed the self-portrait series elsewhere on your site.

    andrew

  24. bobblack

    Patricia! :)))

    CONGRATULATIONS Patricia! :)))…See, surprises come when we least expect them ;))))…now u and mr. you can celebrate :))

    karma: u will miss David and look3 (me too) but got a nice return “apology” return from life :)))…just dont miss Harvey’s dance hootenany next year ;)))…i hope to have a pair of old boots on….

    ok, off

    running
    b

  25. Eric Espinosa

    PATRICIA,

    Great to see and congratulations! Nothing more satisfying I am sure than to get your work published….

    To OTHERS,

    I hope several of you will get the job…This would be great! Little race going on I am sure to get to Karen right now but having some Harvey’s bloggers across the world on pro-assignment would be fantastic to see as an outcome…. WHY DO I NEED TO HAVE A DAY JOB??!!!! This day job is starting to piss me off….I also want to go….

    Cheers,

    ERIC

  26. Michael Kircher

    CHRIS B…

    For what it is worth, my limited–but somewhat successful–inquiries to magazines:

    I use Ms. or Mr. I don’t include pictures in the email body. I have only included links to either my web site proper or have created a unique to them web page with a set of photos that I think might be relevant.

    I “followed up” pretty regularly… every couple months or so…just to say hi, here’s what I’ve been working on lately… saw your latest issue, looks great…hope all is well, etc, etc…

    Give them a simple, brief bio…who you are, where you live, what you’ve been shooting lately, if you’ve had anything published mention that. I believe in the short and concise way of introducing yourself and your work to people. They are very busy and will quickly move on if there is too much info.

    Just my experience…others will vary, of course.

    Cheers.

  28. chris bickford

    thanks Erica and Michael for the link and tips. I bookmarked that lightstalkers survey, definitely worth reading.

    Hey bob black, I was looking for your private email, wanted to send you something. but I couldn’t find it. anyway, thanks for your feedback on the OBX ideas.

  29. david alan harvey

    NICHOLAS…

    thanks for the spelling correction!!! i doubt that she saw this and she would forgive me if she did…she has forgiven me for worse!! anyway, fixed…..

    PATRICIA…

    super congrats!!! good for you…..i will look forward to seeing the published piece…

    cheers, david

  30. Glenn

    Hey Dave , Re the DAH FunBus , The VW transporter is the way to go, plenty of head room for for you Lofty types , get one with a side door as well as a rear door , and get a carpenter to knock up a bed frame , attatch to the side and then you can store gear under the bed I had one a few years ago on a cross country trip , not as Gammon as a fully fledged Winebago type , safer from break ins as well because theres no windows in the back or side , diesel reliability – strictly a tradies vehicle.
    I Was thinking about how far people out here travel for a party , social event ,horse race sometimes travelling 1000km to ride 8 second on a 3rd rate horse , loose a couple of months wages on the Punt and drinks and dance themselves silly , then go back home for a couple of months only to do it all over again ,
    I ‘d like to put it up as a possible assignment for later on if I may?
    heres some I took last week ,These are the Digital pics, the film is,nt back from the Chemist.
    http://www.digitalrailroad.net/glenn/Production/PhotoGroupView.aspx?pbid=4&msa=1&pgid=16449423

    like to hear what Ya’ll think.

  32. Patricia Lay-Dorsey

    I’d like to offer another perspective to this discussion, particularly about web sites.

    At this time the only place where my photos can be seen online is a PBase web site much like the one Herve described. It has dozens of galleries with photos that reflect my broad range of interests and experiences. Yes, some of these galleries are dedicated to specific portfolios, but many are not. It’s a real mixed bag.

    But because of that variety, jobs have dropped into my lap through no effort of my own. One time a book publisher emailed me wanting to use one of my photos for the cover of a textbook she was publishing. A copy of that book is now on my shelves.

    Just last March, the LA documentary producer who had won an Oscar for Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” emailed and asked me to do a well-paying location shoot for her upcoming documentary about rock guitarists. She’d seen photos on my web site of the Detroit neighborhood where one of the guitarists had grown up. She wanted onsite photos to see if it would be worth their while to come to Detroit for a mini-production shoot. In working on that job I learned a lot about hard deadlines & professionals who knew exactly what they wanted. Besides it will be cool to see my name in the credits once this film is released.

    I share these stories not to brag but to say there is a place for all kinds of photographic web sites. Of course if you’re submitting a proposal to an editor like Karen, you’ll want a more focused site with only the best-of-your-best. But if you simply want to share your work with the wider world–which is more where I am, right now anyway–a photo sharing site like PBase or Flicker can do the job.

    There’s a time and place for everything.

    Patricia

  34. david alan harvey

    PATRICIA…

    perhaps…

    but, i think if you want to go to a “wider world” of the best types of clients and print buyers, surely Flickr will not do it….

    not just for editors like Karen, but any serious photography buyer…just go look at the sites of the photographers you respect who have the very best clients in mind…i am not saying you might not get lucky and have someone find you on Flickr, but is that really the image you want to have??? photo sharing is one thing and a good thing…but, setting yourself up as a serious photographer is another….why not photo share on Flickr, but still have your own sophisticated site???

    in this same vein, and i am sure you know this, but it never hurts to mention it again… since you are getting some good commissions, no matter how much someone pays you , be sure never to SELL your work…you should RENT your work…and you only should “rent” for one time use…watch out…in other words, be careful of all contracts and do not lose your copyright to one single picture…

    YOU MUST OWN all of your work and have ALL re-use rights..it is customary to have a client want 90 day use rights or sometimes one year for high paying advertising use, but all photographs should come back to you for your archive….remember your archive is everything…..

    again, congratulations for all the good commissions etc…

    this is a good discussion in any case….to be continued…..

    cheers, david

  35. Rafal Pruszynski

    I have a friend who is a photojournalist and who was published a bit in Korea’s Nat Geo who has since left Korea because according to him there are no stries here….what do you think about that David?

  38. Jeremy M. Lange

    I am in Durham, North Carolina, a bit far from Memphis but always willing to travel.
    Website here

    http://www.jeremymlange.com

    Previous clients and more info is available on the site.
    Thank you David, for offering this opportunity. We met briefly in 2002 when I was a Magnum intern in NY, but that was ages ago, Thomas Daniel was my reference. I talked with him the other day and he is great, as you probably know, always working as only TD can.
    Be well
    Jeremy

  40. Danny Klimetz

    Hi David,

    I know you have asked not to contact Karen directly, but if she is still shopping around for a photographer in the Memphis area, could you please pass on my information.

    Thanks and keep up the helpful information and inspiring images!

    Danny Klimetz
    Oxford, MS

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