Bio: As a staff photographer for 23 years at The Miami Herald, Patrick Farrell, 49, has traveled on assignment to Cuba, Turkey, Haiti, and vastly throughout Central and South America. He was an integral part of the Miami Herald staff that won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1993 for their coverage of Hurricane Andrew’s aftermath in South Florida. He recently won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography for his images documenting the disaster in Haiti following Hurricane Ike.
Awards:
1993 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service—Hurricane Andrew coverage in Miami
2008 Overseas Press Club Award for Feature Photography—Hurricane Ike coverage in Haiti
2009 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography—Hurricane Ike coverage in Haiti.
2009 Pictures of the Year International First Place Spot News—Hurricane Ike coverage in Haiti.
Web Site:
http://www.patrickfarrellphotography.com/
Q & A:
Q: What’s your one best piece of advice for how a college photographer can prepare now for success in the workplace/marketplace after graduation?
A: I think the only thing that has changed [since I graduated] is the mode or the outlet of photography. It was cut and dry when I was getting out of school—some form of print, magazine or newspaper. There was no online. Now there are actually more outlets, but deriving an income from it takes a little more creativity. You must identify the outlets for photography..
Q: If there was one mistake you could take back in your career path, what would it be?
A: What I’ve learned more than anything is that I was impatient when I was younger. Maybe I missed a lot of opportunities because I wouldn’t wait. I wish I had been more patient earlier on. I’m more patient now.
Q: What technical skills for photographers will be valued in the coming decade?
A: Harnessing the power of the web and the relevancy of your images—where and how soon they can be seen. Technology has happened subtly enough for us and the camera world, we’re pretty much adapted to that, but I think we need to adapt to our audience—how are we going to get the images to the audience?
Q: With so much devoted toward new technical skills these days, how can photographers best also focus toward strong, meaningful content?
A: Being prepared is one thing, but reaction is the other thing. Technique and technology are things that become ingrained, but being in the right place at the right time and reacting and also observing are key things to gathering quality images. The technology part is a low percentage. You have to be there and you have to shoot things.
Q: What are the names of two or three photographers whose work you presently admire?
A: James Nachtwey is a current favorite…just about every other newspaper photographer across the country has probably impressed me at some point with something.
Carol Guzy at The Washington Post… and Charlie Trainridge. And then Cartier-Bresson and Eugene Smith are historical favorites.
Q: When you look at portfolios of up and coming shooters, what do you most look for?
A: How they use light. And number two is relationship—either physically to the subject or just, is there any kind of emotional connection? And composition. And then maybe did they pick the decisive moment—the ability to capture that.
Q: What was the hardest part of being in Haiti after the hurricanes and documenting the disaster?
A: The hardest part was seeing what people had lost. They lost their entire lives—their families and the homes they lived in. They lost both property and lives. When you’re covering something like that, something that is overwhelming to that degree—it can stick with you for along time. If you get emotionally involved—which isn’t a bad thing—it often shows in your images.
Interview by Katie Tschopp
