Running for Injured Freelance Journalists

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmrosenfeld/ - CC

“Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof and instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards, to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives… and to the “good life”, whatever it is and wherever it happens to be.”  — Hunter S. Thompson (The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman)

Yes, you got it. Re-read that last statement, it does stick in your mind. Yes it does say contraceptives, but that’s not what troubles me. Nor is the fact that Tony Blair is now named Don Murdoch, to Rupert’s child. It’s eyes will surely glow red now, its mind altered and warped, it’s wings will spread like a barren black night – flapping like the dark beast of the Rio Grande Valley, which residents say has terrorised the area for decades. Like Murdoch’s other children, it was probably baptised in the most polluted part of the 60-mile downstream stretch of the River Jordan – a meandering shit stream from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea.  These are ill times.

But I have bigger issues at hand to discuss with you, on a much happier note. I will be running for an extended period of time to another location. This act of full body movement is all for charity, specifically The Rory Peck Trust.

Freelancers are essential to newsgathering.  Working independently, they are often the first to report on stories, and situations that inform and affect our lives – sometimes at great risk to their own safety.  Many have no support when things go wrong.

The Rory Peck Trust was established in 1995, two years after freelance cameraman Rory Peck was killed while filming in Moscow. It was set up by his wife, Juliet and close friends to provide the help for freelancers and their families that nobody else would give. They also established the Rory Peck Awards to honour the work of freelance news cameramen and women.

The Trust has since grown into an internationally recognised organisation that gives direct practical support to freelancers and their families in need.  Widely respected for the role it plays promoting good practice on behalf of freelancers and their right to work safely, with adequate support and protection, it continues to provide a unique source of assistance.

Filed under: conflict photojournalist, documenting, ethics, humanitarian photojournalist, journalism, ngo humanitarian photographer, photography, photojornalism, photojournalism, Photojournalist, Uncategorized, demotix, rory peck, rory peck trust

United Belgium Demonstration – Brussels

Belgium was a fascinating country on on three of my visits within the last year, twice on a motorbike passing through – and then purposely for a Demonstration in Brussels, November 18th 2007, for United Belgium, which was a movement against the separation of Belgium into two Northern and Southern parts with two Belgian governments and histories. 35.000 colourful protesters, coming from Wallonia, Flemish and Brussels areas came in support of Belgian survival. They were here to end a long running feud in establishing a one country democratic government.

It was a turbulent time during this with marches, anger and protest I went to document this march by buying a Ryanair flight to Brussels for cheap, staying in another horrible hotel and jumped into the crowd with my small 20D and found it a fascinating and vibrant event.

A passionate protest at the current political state.

Filed under: belgium, brussels, ethics, independence, nuj, photography, photojournalism, Photojournalist, redr uk, U.S, War, world

Wife-Swapping….Undercover Police…..Racist Swine

There comes a time in your life when you meet undercover Police for the first time. Either when they admit it to you in some Hotel bar hiccuping over way too much Oban whiskey or when you are caught in a South London brothel being arrested for sex trafficking. My first encounter came while I was stumbling through a hallway in Swansea’s, Mozart’s Hotel Club. A club where mellow drug users, average income gamblers and retired kick boxers in cream suits and ponytail’s came to ‘hang out‘.

It had its own bloody time zone, two bars, a strange collection of dropout art students as bar staff, 70′s decor and a back room that resembled, not through style or choice, a World War 1 trench. You basically got smashed as you sat on arm chairs talking to gentlemen and ladies around you who were all wife swappers, ex-religious freaks and people who were determined to find their mid-life crisis at 70 years old. As for the undercover Police, they didn’t look that inconspicuous when you saw them up close.

Filed under: Big Brother, mozarts, oban, photography, photojornalism, police, shaun of the dead, Stephen Sidlo, Swansea, swine flu, undercover

By: Proxy

A shoot for a friend at the Pheonix Club in Lancaster.

Filed under: by proxy, by:proxy, DJ, Lancaster, morecambe, music, Pheonix Club, Phoenix Club, photography, Photojournalist, Stephen Sidlo

Crew Training, R.N.L.I – Morecambe, England

So with my eagerness to travel and the impossibility of it is this climate, I shoot the R.N.L.I on their many crew nights, launches and returns. Again with everything I document I find it great that these guys Volunteer to do this.

Most of the crew are Firefighters, Police and Ambulance Services in their day jobs but when they have 5 minutes and there bleeper blares at 3 in the morning they get to the boathouse to suit up and rescue some drunk fool on the rocks, or in the worse scenario a lost child in the sea. Either way it is an honour to be allowed the privilege of documenting an on going project on the men and women of Morecambe Lifeboat Station.

stephensidlo.com

Filed under: 20d, blog, britain, crew, documentary, documenting, freelance, journalism, marine, p, photography, photojournalism, RNLI, Royal National Lifeboat Institute, sea, Stephen Sidlo, Swansea, volunteering

The Final Straw

During at this years ADM for the NUJ in Belfast. I overheard the current problems freelance photographers are having these days with money to buy equipment. This is a valid problem as many photographers live below the breadline, some risking life and limb to bring back stories of rebel movements in Africa to the ‘Oil War’ in Iraq. The typical photographer shells out £2000 for a top of the range camera and lens, another £1000 on lenses, £800 laptop, storage, additional digital equipment, £100 website, rent and food. You may ask they will only pay this cost once? But in actual fact the pay for being a free lance photojournalist is pittance.

The main problem with this is that students who study photography, have to shell out for this also, on top of almost £17’000 debt at the end. A recent survey in The Guardian newspaper found that the average debt is at £17’000 with a starting salary for graduates is at £13’000. After this they still have to buy all those items on the freelance list. Universities don’t have a grant specifically for students studying photography. Being from a working class background having to pay for cameras, computers, paper, film, travel costs, rent and food out of £1500 a term is fucking stupid. I have had countless ideas of subjects and places I have wanted to photograph to gain a decent portfolio I would like to challenge for a graduate job, but sometimes without cash. I took on two jobs at once as well. The hardship fund at the university that is there to help students rolled their eyes every time I approached the window. Photographers should have their own union, but students studying photography should have help.

I am currently getting my portfolio and two exhibitions ready at the end of my course. I have just paid £1100 on rent, £50 on food. Now heres the list I was given with only a £2000 overdraft.

Professional Business Cards = £60
Printing costs for exhbition = £40
Printing costs for portfolio = £80
Paper = £60
Portfolio and sleeves £ 90
Visual diary printing £10

Now you can see after all this I have £300 remaining. I can furthur that overdraft up to £3000 in my final degree year. I might, either that or a credit card.

The Guardian newspaper also said that if I hadn’t gone to university and started out in the workplace, Id be further up in the ladder by now and earning over £22’000. Who hasn’t done their maths?

stephensidlo.com

Filed under: adm, debt, freelance, graduate, guardian, hardship, nuj, nus, photography, studying, universities, university, working

Calling in the Cavalry

Well over 6000 words remaining on my dissertation and it doesn’t get any easier, but its a new year (if that has any difference). I have in mind a few cool add-ons to this site actually and when my flash site comes out in Feb, I will be hobnobbing with the big boys on here. Just getting numbers and comments is what its all about.

Currently reading a new book thats helping alot…The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly. It’s full of useful info, from a multi-billion dollar dude who is kinda like the guru of guru’s. Podcasting is a new one and I’ve had this idea of taking along with me this cool radio gear to all my shoots, looking at what I’m doing. Along side all my photojournalism I can conduct interviews with heads of certain areas.

In Feburary I’m thinking of going somewhere to raise awareness through my images, but I could also broadcast through podcasts the feelings and insights of the heads of these organisations. It would bring a whole new type of marketing to my blog, website and news feeds.

Book Link.

http://www.webinknow.com/

Filed under: ads, advertising, blogger, blogs, cameras, interviews, marketing, photography, photojournalism, podcasting, power-line, RSS, software, technorati, travel, viral, volunteering

The Pursuit of Happiness

Well just finished work behind the bar, it makes you wonder about life alot. Many men and women that have nailed down jobs doing construction and office work, is that life? I look at myself and think – for fuck sake do something with it, rather than piss it away or do a 9-5 filing system getting told off by a boss who would rather be playing golf than telling you off! It’s like life goes round in circles when it shouldn’t.

Getting a few ideas down and researching, yes researching – taking the time to look at all the pitfalls and potential slip-ups of your life to get what you want.
If you look at the film ‘Pursuit of Happyness’ it talks about how in the declaration of independence (notice how I don’t use capital letters because America has no freedom and independence) it states that it stands by people to ‘The Pursuit of Happiness” and that you can never be happy just persue it. So what the fuck are we hear for…there must be a reason? Is that reason to earn a comfortable living like millions of others in centuries past in 9-5 jobs…or to grasp what you have in search of happiness knowing you may never have it.

I don’t know. But will what I do on earth have any change on it? Fuck religion and fuck government…I’m staring to feel and act like Tyler Durden.Will it make any difference if i make images that will chance something…i will be happy if i change a certain part of it. I don’t think you can change the world, theres too much going on…I still don’t think there will be happiness for anyone, not when people always want more.
So whats the meaning of life??

Filed under: america, construction, fight club, Freedom, government, Happyness, independence, photography, photojournalism, podcast, propaganda, Pursuit of Happiness, religion, tyler durden, world