Attend Conventions
If you possibly can, attend a photographic convention in your community, state, or province in order to show your samples and seek professional advice. You would not have to stay overnight if costs would be prohibitive and time would be limited. Drive to the convention and back the same day or for one evening. Take your sample photographs, or slides, and a list of notes to get opinions. At a convention, you would be able to get several good opinions from name photographers, as well as be able to see displays of professional photographs. Ask other photographers about certain photographs on display and what they think are the outstanding features of some of the photographs hanging in the exhibition. Take your camera along to make exposures of the award winners and other prints that appeal to you so that you can take them back home to analyze and study. Just be sure that you use the exposures you make at the convention only for your own knowledge and not for any other purpose.
Whether or not you are a member of the photography group holding the convention will make no difference. Professional photographers are usually all around the hotel or convention hall, and the photographic exhibition is hung where it can be viewed by the public. If you are sincere and have a strong enough desire to see and hear a certain name photographer talk, you should have no trouble convincing an officer or board member to allow you to attend a particular program. There are usually student or associate memberships available that would not be too costly.
Bulletin boards for "help wanted" cards are usually on display at most photography conventions. Be sure to check this opportunity for finding employment. Post your name, address, and phone number. Also talk to as many photographic department managers and studio owners as possible.
KNOCKING ON DOORS
"Knocking on doors" is a fast way to get acquainted and learn of employment possibilities in photographic departments. Check the Yellow Pages of the phone book for a list of photographic establishments, and go to the placement bureau of your college or trade school, should you be a student or graduate. These are good sources to find out the places to call on for possible employment. Be sure to ask each person with whom you talk if he or she can recommend a company with a job opening.
Being aggressive, persistent, and enthusiastic about seeking employment will be to your advantage. If you have a portfolio of photographs, take them along in case you are asked to show samples. Leave your name, address, and telephone number typed or written neatly on a plain white card with the department manager or person interviewing you.
WRITING APPLICATION LETTERS
Letter writing should be used as your last resort in getting a photographic job. Naturally, there would be no other way, other than the cost of telephone conversations, or perhaps use of the Internet, to apply for positions in other cities or states where time and expense would rule out direct contact. Writing effective letters of application is a skill in itself. Prepare a letter on plain, white, 8 1/2 x11 writing paper, preferably typewritten or word processed, giving information in separate paragraphs on the type of position wanted, education, experience, professional and community memberships, references, and personal information. Keep the letter simple, neat, and to the point, avoiding the use of "I" as much as possible. Again, seeking advice from someone more expert in letter writing would be a smart move on your part. Take a draft letter, written to the best of your ability, to someone in your school, church, or business to check and get helpful suggestions for improving its effectiveness. Your school principal, counselor, or English teacher, or a secretary in a large business could be helpful. There also are a number of books on resume and letter writing available at your local library or bookstore.
When you are satisfied that you have prepared the most effective application possible, there are a number of sources available for obtaining a list of places to send the letters. Your best bet for this list is the telephone company office or a large library. Ask your telephone company to let you see telephone directories of the cities in which you think you would like to live and work then look under "photography" and "photographic establishments" in the Yellow Pages for places to write. Ask your local librarian for the latest Directory of Professional Photography, published annually by the Professional Photographers of America, Inc., and the Membership Directory of the National Press Photographers Association, Inc. If you are not able to obtain these two directories in your library, phone or visit some of the professional photographers listed in the phone book. Ask if they are NPPA or PPof A members and borrow a directory long enough to copy some names of persons to write to.
