The changing face of photojournalism - Indiana University School of ...

Melissa Farlow, BA’74Degree: BA’74; Indiana Daily Student andArbutus photographerLocation: Based in Sewickly, Pa.,and Portland, Ore.Employers/clients: Louisville Courier-Journal,National Geographic, Smithsonian MagazineSelected awards/accomplishments:Louisville (Ky.) Courier Journal, member ofPulitzer Prize-winning team; Pictures of theYear International, Missouri Photo Workshopfaculty; numerous book projects and galleryexhibitsAdvice: “There are fewer outlets, so it’s moreimportant for young photographers to learnthe business end of things.”Website: www.olsonfarlow.comMelissa Farlow, like Matt McClain, gother start at newspapers. For nearly 10years, she worked for the Louisville (Ky.)Courier-Journal, where she was part ofthe staff that won a Pulitzer Prize forphoto coverage of busing in theLouisville school system.After leaving to teach and attendgraduate school at the University ofMissouri, she returned to newspapersand spent seven years at the PittsburghPress. When a labor strike occurred atthat paper in 1992, Farlow left to do astory for National Geographic, and thepaper closed soon after. Since then,she has contributed 13 more stories toNational Geographic as a freelancer,among many other commissions.For Farlow, magazine freelancing hasallowed her to dive fully into her stories.“Every assignment I’ve been given islike getting a graduate degree in thatparticular subject,” she says. “Youreally get immersed in it, and I enjoythat depth.”Farlow’s photo stories have taken heracross the country and around the world.She’s photographed loggers in Alaska’sTongass National Forest and traveled theNational Road, the first federal highwayin the U.S.She’s also learned how to be a businessowner. In fact, she and her photographerhusband, Randy Olson, haveplenty of stock photo requests to fill. Sowhen Farlow isn’t shooting, she’s oftenanswering e-mails and running what shecalls “the family business.”She echoes McClain in saying thatyoung photographers need to quicklylearn the business of photography whilecontinuing to learn to tell stories.“It’s so important to stay true to thecore values,” she says.Wild horses thunder across drydesert range lands in the summerheat in Nevada. More than 30,000horses roam on public lands, halfof them in Nevada.< 30 > newswire / Spring 2010