From Photograph to By-Line

Introduction

Have you ever looked in the pages of a diving magazine and wondered what it would be like to be a diving photojournalist?

Is this your dream? Do you imagine what it would feel like to open up the pages of a diving magazine, to see your images and read about your adventures.

But how do you realise the dream? There are no guidebooks or instructions, and besides, aren’t all the contributors professional journalists? Well, you might be surprised to hear they’re not. At some point in their career they were just like you - so how did they get to where they are now?

Fifteen years ago Brendan O'Brien asked the same question. He wasted a few years not knowing where to start, until a retired journalist coached him to his first articles in DIVER magazine, Sport Diver and Scuba World. A year later he received his first commission and travelled as a guest of Bermuda Tourism to cover the sinking of the Xing Da as an artificial reef.

Since then Brendan has travelled the world to conduct interviews with diving celebrities, write destination reports, cover issues, events and competitions. He’s reviewed books, DVDs, hotels, restaurants and even après dive bars!

With over 300 articles, features and news stories under his belt, combined with a background in adult education (Brendan has a Masters in Education), you can be confident you will be learning with someone who has an established track record as a photojournalist and educator.

Workshop contents

• Establishing your dream - what you hope to get from the day
• Market research – where are the opportunities?
• Editors - what are they looking for?
• PR / Marketing Agencies, dive travel companies – the part they play and how you can utilise their services
• Different ways to get your foot in the door – looking beyond the obvious
• House style – why yours may have to wait
• Magazine photography – why you won’t win any competitions
• Practical issues – the best £ you will ever spend
• Structure – completing the jigsaw puzzle
• The art of the 'wordsmith'.
• Interview skills – it’s all about people
• Identifying new angles – from hospital beds to industrial wasteland
• The route map – knowing your destination and how to get there

Guest Speakers
Mark Evans, the editor of Sport Diver magazine (UK) will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about approaching editors, the role of the freelancer in the magazine industry and ultimately, how to get published. Mark will also be joining us for the workshop dinner on the Saturday evening.

Feedback on Brendan's workshops, seminars and blog site (www.brendiversworld.com)

Insightful… inspirational – Sen Wong, USA

Very interesting – Jean Michel, Mauritius

Enjoyed your seminar… you taught very well - Elizabeth Quinn, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The seminar was awesome! Thank you for sharing - full of practical and important information, unwritten information that nobody wants to give away, except you. I think everyone who attended your seminar found doors to underwater photojournalism. Your new blog site is as great and informative as your seminar – Mina Cassandra Kuhn, Miami

I learned a lot in the short time I was at your seminar as you were talking about international dive travel, this is a new area for our publication and I'm learning as I go. Doug Counts – Scuba News, Jacksonville, Florida

Superb insight into the magazine world and your enthusiasm really helped - Craig Koltasz, Australia

The course was great, not what I imagined it would be, saved me a considerable amount of time – Bob Yee, California

It was eye opening – your encouragement and involvement was really amazing - Chris, Boston, USA

Lots of insider tips, insider info about magazines and ideas about how to come up with new angles, all very useful - David Kittos, UK

I really enjoyed it, I now know I didn’t have a clue before – Virginia Fage, London.

The Top Tips were useful; even if they all seemed obvious, but they are the things you don’t think about beforehand, like how to contact editors - Christian, Singapore

There may well be more guest speakers from the world of diving photojournalism - watch this space.