Photojournalists bring the story to you. They let you see from the perspective of those living it the horrors, the joys, the exciting and mundane. News photographers take you to natural disasters. A war photojournalist will take you behind the lines. A celebrity photojournalist will give you a glimpse of a life you'll probably never experience. It's almost as if they open a door to world that we'll never know. They bring other people's reality home to us. Their services are valuable to magazines, newspapers and more, and finding the right photojournalist for you can be tricky.

Photojournalism is an exhilarating field with a bevy of professionals for hire. Finding the name of one may be simple, but booking them may be a conflict based on their availability. Many spend months or years away from home on assignment, and booking someone in particular that you have in mind might require years of planning to make the schedules work out to everyone's advantage.

When looking for a freelance photojournalist:

1. Review their portfolio or online portfolio.

2. Discuss travel expenses.

3. Determine pricing before the project has started. Make contingency plans just in case the unexpected becomes a reality.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use a photojournalism search engine or directory

Forgo generic search engines, and instead use photojournalism based search engines or directories. These professionals are paying members of the affiliated organization, and their work continues to improve due to the challenges of their organization and their peers.

I recommend: Find a photographer from the Wedding Photojournalist Association. Check out the portfolios of AmericanPhotojournalist.com. Seek out a photographer from the American Society of Magazine Photographers. Editorial Photographers is another source for finding photographers.

Find a freelance photojournalist

Look at the work of the many photojournalists who are award winning and published professionals. These photographers give us a look at worlds we'll never know as well as work that can sit too close to home having happened in the US.

I recommend: Be blown away by the documentary photographs from Benjamin Krain, a Little Rock, Arkansas-based photojournalist. Particularly his coverage of Hurricane Katrina is striking and impactful. Check out the portfolio of David Burnett. Consider the work of Mike Ross if you live in the CT, NY, NJ, Tri-State area. Look at the worldwide portfolio of Photojournalist Karl Grobl.

Look at the work of even more documentary photographers

Check out even more documentary photographers available across the US.

I recommend: Consider the work of Brent Stirton or photographer and writer Micah Walter. Michael Kamber is another renown photojournalist. Wanda Benvenutti is another documentary photography professional.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you are hiring documentary photographers, make sure that you are covering all liabilities. Making sure that proper health and life insurance policies are obtained is especially important for those traveling or particularly those traveling to hostile areas.