- 11-year-old assistant, Rob Witzel
Bio: Rob started assisting his father at weddings at a very early age. He said it was shooting weddings that brought him to photojournalism. Rob won the national championship Hearst shoot-off in 2002 during his award-filled career at The University of Florida. He immediately began shooting for The Gainesville Sun after college and is currently the deputy director of photography. In recent years, Rob has gone back to focus on his roots of wedding photojournalism and was named the Best Wedding Photojournalist in America in 2008 by the Wedding Photojournalist Association.
Major awards:
2002 Hearst National Championship “Shoot-off” winner
2008 Best Wedding Photojournalist in America, WPJA
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: As much hands-on experience as possible. Try to hook up locally with someone in your town that does the kind of work you’re eager to do yourself and that you would try to emulate.
Q: If there was one mistake you could take back in your career path, what would it be?
A: Not starting on my own sooner. I spent many years just assisting because it was easier. Finally, one day I realized these people were making several thousand dollars and I was making a couple hundred. I decided I needed to do this on my own. I just wish I would’ve started that process much sooner.
Q: What technical skills for photographers will be valued in the coming decade?
A: Honestly, it still comes back to some of the tried and true principles of photography. Things like lighting. For me, lighting is the main ingredient for a good photographic dish.
Q: With so much devoted toward new technical skills these days, how can photographers best also focus toward strong, meaningful content?
A: Content is key. It doesn’t matter how fast of a car you have, it matters how you drive the car. You have to know the technical things as if they were second nature.
Q: What are the names of two or three photographer whose work you presently admire?
A: Alfred Eisenstaedt, probably best known for taking the picture of the sailor kissing the nurse in time square. Dennis Reggie is kind of considered the grandfather of wedding photojournalism itself. He’s one of the first photographers to make a six-figure income shooting weddings. There’s a lot to be said for the business aspect of it. And Henri Cartier-Bresson, he defined finding the scene and waiting for the decisive moment.
Q: When you look at portfolios of up and coming shooters, what do you most look for?
A: Something that differentiates a style or personal vision. Hard work. You can tell how much effort a photographer is putting into each of their images. Presentation is really key.
Q: With your success and seeing other photojournalists leaving journalism to pursue a full-time wedding photography business; Do you see yourself leaving your newspaper career in the near future?
A: Eventually, yeah. Right now I really get my fill being a photo editor. A wedding is everything wrapped up in one. To me, it’s a photographic marathon that I run on a weekend. During the week, I may want to just go for a jog. Eventually, I think I could walk away from it, but right now I think I have the best of both worlds.
- Rob Witzel, 2008 WPJA Best Photographer in America
- Interview by Gabriel Lopez
