© 2003, Don Vaughan Does anyone out there have a picture of a Steller sea lion? I need one for an article I'm writing for People Magazine in Australia, and without the right photo, my assignment is dead in the water. This isn't the first time I've been on a wild photo hunt for People. A few years back, I spent two days desperately trying to locate a photo of a woodchuck to accompany a piece I had written on how the obnoxious rodents were chewing up Antietam National Cemetery. I contacted every zoo and museum in the state of Florida without luck, then gradually worked my way up the eastern seaboard. Finally, an employee with an obscure government agency in Albany, New York, found a black-and-white 8x10 in her files and offered it to me for free. The Australian version of People Magazine (which is unrelated to the similarly named American publication) is photo-driven and thus uninterested in any story that doesn't have accompanying pictures. The photo department in its New York bureau is considerably overworked, and I know from experience they'll exert only minimal effort in trying to find photos for the stories I pitch. That's why it usually falls on my shoulders. Very often, if the story is local, I'll take the photographs myself. For example, I once borrowed a friend's pet iguana to shoot some staged shots for a real-life article on a marijuana-addicted lizard that died when its owner was busted and its food source confiscated by unsympathetic police. Another time I dragged a couple of friends to Disney World and shot several rolls of them groping each other on various rides for a feature on how to have sex at America's favorite amusement park. (Your best bet: The Haunted Mansion. But you didn't hear that from me.) Then there was the time I was nearly arrested for sneaking into a solid waste processing plant to shoot photos of a friend atop a garbage truck. The photos were needed for a fictional tabloid story on a New York sanitation worker who also happened to be the last heir to the throne of Russia. Most writers simply write, and don't give a thought to the photos that will accompany their words. And in doing so, they're missing a tremendous opportunity to pad their wallets. A writer who can also shoot pictures is a one-two punch that editors love. It often means a complete package--text and photos (for which most magazines pay extra)--and considerably less work for all concerned. In many cases, great pictures will help sell a mediocre article. And you don't have to be Ansel Adams to get the job done. All you need is a good 35 mm camera, a telephoto lens and a decent strobe. You don't need to know how to process film--there are labs for that--and you don't need to be an artiste. In fact, all you really need to know is what kind of pictures your editor wants, then go out and shoot them. A few tips for beginners:
* Always shoot slides. The color is usually richer, and most publications prefer them. Occasionally you'll be asked by a publication to acquire the photos that will accompany your article. Depending on what you need, possible sources include:
* The person you're writing about. Does he have any pix of himself that the magazine can borrow? You'll never know unless you ask, and often you'll be pleasantly surprised. I recently wrote a piece for People Magazine in Australia on a North Florida man whose $5000 hunting dog was eaten by a giant alligator. The magazine got a great picture of the alligator from the Miami Herald--and I got some nice pictures of the late pooch from the owner. It was an interesting story made stronger because I thought to ask. Many writers are uncomfortable with the photography aspect of nonfiction, and that's fine. No one says you have to do it. But remember, the ability to provide photos as well as words doubles the strength of any query and makes you a desired commodity among publishers. And as I've hopefully shown, it can also be a lot of fun. Just ask the friends I took to Disney World!
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