Q&A with Kelly Wilkinson
July 23, 2010
Kelly Wilkinson is a photojournalist for the Indianapolis Star. She is raising three children with her husband.
BK: How long have you been a photojournalist?
KW: I have been a full-time working photojournalist since December 1983, having graduated from Emory University (Atlanta) with a BA in economics and art history in May 1983.
BK: How did you get started, and why did you choose this profession?
BK: How did you get started, and why did you choose this profession?
KW: I come from a family of journalists. My parents met at the Times Picayune in New Orleans. My dad was a sports writer and my mom was a features writer. My mom had a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. She left the business when she had kids (my sister and me). My sister is the LA Times bureau chief in Mexico City. She has been all over the world for the LA Times, and UPI before that, working in Peru, Nicaragua, LA, El Salvador, Austria (covering the Balkans), Israel, Rome, and now Mexico City. She is extremely accomplished. Her husband is also a journalist, with TV and radio background.
I am the only photographer of the family… would that make me a “black and white” sheep of the family?
Growing up and living in a news family, it only seemed natural for me to go into the business. I was interested in photography, though, ever since my aunt bought me my first camera when I was four years old. I always had a camera growing up, and even though I thought of several career options for when I grew up, I always came back to photography. I did some freelance (very little) for The Atlanta Journal and Constitution and had an internship there one summer. When I graduated from college, I went to work as the sole photographer for their southern bureau, covering four counties just south of Atlanta proper. I worked very closely with the reporters for that weekly report. After two years, my job was eliminated, and I went to work for the The Gwinnett Daily News in Gwinnett County, north of Atlanta. The daily newspaper was privately owned, but was bought by the New York Times. I worked there for a few years and then left to come to work for the Indianapolis Star in 1989. I’ve been here ever since.
BK: Where do you work now?
KW: I have been at The Indianapolis Star since November 1989. I have been a photographer and went to the desk a couple of years ago as one of the photo editors. Now I work primarily with the metro desk, though I still shoot, too. I went to the desk with the hopes of keeping more consistency over my schedule. Now I primarily work days and Monday through Friday. I had worked every kind of schedule over the years. But my last most consistent schedule as a shooter was evenings. When one of my daughters drew a family portrait with me missing, I knew it was time to change things.
BK: What does a "typical" day look like for you?
KW: I work pretty much 9-5:30, Mondays through Fridays. I go over the budgets for the next day, and throughout the week, making sure we have photos for the stories and paper. I also work with the news editors and reporters. I go to planning meetings once a week, if they are held, and I go to meetings regarding bigger stories coming up to discuss photo possibilities, meeting with editors, reporters, and graphics staff. When my boss is not here, I go to a morning meeting where the editors discuss the next day’s paper, and the Page one meeting in the afternoon where final decisions are made. Daily, I try to go over the next day’s assignments as well, making sure the photographers have all the info necessary to do their job. I also try to find out if the assignments are scheduled for the best for photos. This job is frustrating sometimes, because our newsroom is so thin, now, that reporters don’t get a lot of time to work on stories, so when I find an interesting story with great photo potential, it is difficult to get cooperation from the word side to get the best photos. Also it is difficult when the chosen stories of the day are not photogenic.
Daily I also respond to breaking news. But most importantly, my role on the desk is to handle daily logistics. Things can change so quickly, that what was important at 10 a.m. is no longer important at 4:30. That is just the nature of the business, no matter how frustrating.
BK: How do you balance family and work? Is it possible to have both and be successful?
KW: I requested a change in my job to assure I have more control over my schedule. When I get frustrated and miss shooting, I remember how much I love being with my husband and three daughters when I am home. One of my daughters is special needs (she has Tourette Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy) and one of my daughters has some LD (learning disabilities, though I prefer the phrase learning difficulties). Homework at night is a two-parent job. Each child needs a lot of assistance. And my third child, high ability learner, just needs her parents! With our situation, we also have lots of appointments, therapies, and doctor appointments. We are fortunate that my mother-in-law lives with us and can handle some things during the days, but my husband and I need to be at several of the appointments. With my current work set up, I have more flexibility to be away from work when I need to. This work situation works for my family. And though I feel frustrated by the change, some days, I am glad in the long run.
Having a family in this business is difficult, but possible. Like all marriages and like all families, they take a lot of work. And there has to be commitment from your spouse, especially, to make it work. Communication and cooperation is a key.
I am also fortunate that I have a boss that is working with me. But I also don’t take advantage. I give as much as I take, if not more. I have always felt that this should be a two-way street.
BK: Do you have to make sacrifices to have both? If so, what kind of sacrifices do you have to make, and how has that affected your family life?
KW: As I have said, my change to the desk was my biggest “sacrifice.” Though I think that I have worked around that to find that I can have photo projects on the side that I can work on in my own way and time to keep my sanity and to keep doing the photography I love. Though it is not as much, sometimes, it is better.
BK: What does it take to be successful in this field?
KW: Commitment, communication, and cooperation. I have worked very hard and long in my profession. When I started out, I worked long hours with schedules all over the board. I feel my work commitment has taken me far. And I have always been respectful of my subjects and co-workers.
BK: The ratio of male photographers to women photographers seems in the newspaper seems to be lopsided. Do you feel like photojournalism is a boy's club? Why or why not?
KW: At my last job, there was one other woman. We had a small staff. But I’ll never forget the time when the publisher said to me that he really liked one of the photos we had in the paper. I said, “Yes, Susan did a great job!” referring to my friend’s photos. He looked at me as if he were confused as to why I was referring to myself in third person. My friend and co-worker always laughed that we were the “woman” of photo. Our publisher didn’t seem to realize there were two of us.
When I started at the Star, there was only one woman, too. It really was a boy’s club then. Women were really new to the Star. There had only been a few of us in the history of the paper. (I think I was the third or fourth.) Sexist comments were common. But really, I just rolled with the punches and waited it all out. Things have really changed now and people, in businesses all over, are more aware of how to act in the work place. Growing up, my parents never said I couldn’t be anything, or that anything was women’s or men’s work. So I guess I never realized when I was going into photojournalism, that I was a “rarity,” or that there was any reason why I wouldn’t go into it. At work now, there are still few of us. And we jokingly call us the E-team (estrogen). I think we give a beauty and grace to our profession. And I think we give a caring touch that sometimes the men don’t give as naturally. I don’t feel it is so much a boy’s club anymore. But I do feel we are still rare. Our staying power is not always as long, maybe, I don’t know. But I do know we are needed in our profession. We need to be here, because diversity is what keeps a newspaper fresh. And many times, we need a woman photographer to gain us access to places men are not welcomed…. many subjects prefer women photographers to work with.
BK: Do you have any advice for young women entering the field?
KW: Always remember who you are. Be okay that there are different approaches to photography and shooting. Always try to better yourself, especially if you find yourself in a rut (it happens to everyone). Don’t give up.
Q&A with Val Hoeppner
July 25, 2010
Val Hoeppner, manager of multimedia education at the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute in Nashville, TN, talks about what it's like to be a woman in the field, and how she balances life and work. The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute is a non-profit school run by the Freedom Forum. Their goal is to diversify the newsrooms of America. Val is currently raising four children with her partner, Beth.
BK: How long have you been a photojournalist?
VH: I started my first job as a photojournalist in June of 1989 at the Yankton Press and Dakotan. Since then I worked as a staff photographer, photo editor, deputy director of photography and a multimedia director.
BK: How did you get started, and why did you choose this profession?
VH: My father had an old rangefinder camera that I played with as a kid. I started taking pictures when I was 10-years-old and never stopped. I found photography allowed me to document and explain the world around me. In college I was a journalism major. I enjoyed writing and reporting but found photojournalism was a more powerful medium for me.
BK: What does a "typical" day look like for you?
VH: There is no typical day. I teach audio, photojournalism and video to student and professional journalists during one and two-week programs. Some days I work on curriculum, some days its research, some days I blog, tweet and manage our website (freedomforumdiversity.org). I travel a great deal. I spend some time each day giving feedback to students and professionals on video, photo and audio projects. Currently I am working on videos for a new website created by the Freedom Forum. I guess that is why I am never bored, my job is a little bit of everything.
On Family
BK: How do you balance family and work? Is it possible to have both and be successful?
VH: Balance is tough. Home and work balance before children meant unplugging from the computer and phone while at home. You need a hobby, a fitness routine, something that isn't journalism. In the past year my partner and I became legal guardians for our three nephews and one niece. Having four kids has meant less time for me. It often means reading the front page of the newspaper before work and reading the rest after the kids go to bed. When you have children you have to draw a strict line between family and work.
BK: Do you have to make sacrifices to have both? If so, what kind of sacrifices do you have to make, and how has that affected your family life?
VH: I have made sacrifices to have both a family and a fulfilling career. I no longer have two hours before work to bike, instead I fit in 45 minutes before the kids wake up. I have had to shave time off my lunch and socializing at work so I can be home in time to run the boys to soccer or my niece to dance. I have to focus more at work. It took me a while to understand that email, Twitter, Facebook, can be distractions. I now read email four times a day, I interact with Twitter and Facebook three times a day. It helps keep me focused on the task at hand.
When I am home and the kids are awake I unplug so I can give them all I have. As soon as they go to bed, the laptop is on and I work for another hour or two.
The hardest part for our kids is when I travel. It is hard on the kids when I am gone for two weeks at a time. They miss me, I miss them and occasionally...I miss a soccer game or school program that is important to them. It is hardest for my partner. Having four kids at home is hard work, especially when the kids are four, six, nine and 12. I know I feel guilty being gone, especially when one of the kids is sick or misbehaving and my partner has to deal with all of it alone.
BK: How has having kids AND work changed your relationship with your partner? Are they always supportive, especially when you go out of town? Or does it get tough?
VH:Having kids and a hectic career does put stress on my relationship with my partner. There are days when you barely speak to one another...its get the kids up, get them breakfast, dress the kids, dress yourself, off to school and work. The hard part is finding time for just the two of you.
I am extremely lucky to have a partner who is supportive of me and my work. She is passionate about her own career so it is easy for her to understand the passion I have for mine. There are times when I have to travel that I feel guilty leaving Beth and the kids, especially if one of the kids is having a tough week. When I get home I try to give Beth some time alone, the kids and I go to the park so she can unwind.
BK: What do you do for childcare when you both have to work?
VH: Childcare is tough. When we are working the kids are typically in school and then after school care. My partner is a school counselor so her hours work best with the kids. There are times when we both have late meetings. One of us has to pick them all up by 6 p.m. no matter what. Sometimes we do rock, paper, scissors to see who picks up the kids.
On Work
BK: Can you tell me a little more about the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute?
VH: The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute is a non-profit school run by the Freedom Forum. Our goal is to diversify the newsrooms of America. We have five student diversity programs, all are both academic and internship programs. I run two of those programs in Nashville, I run the academic portions of all our diversity programs. I also run five multimedia boot camps in which I train journalism professionals and educators in multimedia storytelling.
BK: How did you make the transition between newspaper journalism to working there?
VH: It wasn't easy giving up the daily newspaper but working for the Freedom Forum is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I had been a volunteer instructor and mentor for Freedom Forum programs for nearly nine years before they offered me a full time job.
I think my passion for journalism and the future of journalism made the transition easy. I get to train the next generation of storytellers.
BK: What does it take to be successful in this field?
VH: It takes passion. Passion leads you to tell good stories, problem solve and keep pushing even when you are exhausted both physically and mentally.
BK: The ratio of male photographers to women photographers in the newspaper industry seems to be lopsided. Do you feel like photojournalism is a boy's club? Why or why not?
VH: Photojournalism certainly used to be a boys club. I worked on several staffs where it was me and the boys. Believe it or not there are many more women in photojournalism now that when I started. I think that is partly due to the fact that there are more female photo editors and directors of photography than ever before.
When I started the guys thought you were there to shoot lifestyles photos and the giant tomato pictures. You had to prove you could do it all. Now guys are less likely to think you are there to do the stuff they don't want to do. I think that is partly due to the success of Carolyn Cole, Cheryl Diaz Meyer and Carol Guzy.
I will admit the perception that women can't shoot sports is still out there, even though Eileen Blass from USA Today rocks the Olympics.
It comes down to leadership. If the leader of a photo department hires women, supports them and treats the staff equally the boys club does not exist.
BK: Are there advantages/disadvantages to being a woman photojournalist? Are you treated differently because you're a woman?
VH: There are advantages to being a woman in photojournalism. For one there are more situations that play to the strengths of women, than men. Women are less intimidating than men and female subjects are often more comfortable with a woman. There are also many stories that men simply cannot cover due to their gender.
The only disadvantage is that women are sometimes more vulnerable than men. I have been in some sticky situations because I am a woman, especially in the muslim/ Somali community. I have been bullied and threatened by men in a variety of situations. In each instance I stood my ground but did so with an eye toward safety.
BK: Do you have any advice for young women entering the field?
VH: Women in photojournalism are valuable members of a staff. First and foremost be confident and know that you are part of the team. Second, be a problem solver. Being able to solve your own problems is huge. Third, learn the technology. Many women think they can skate by without knowing the ins and outs of their camera, computer, Photoshop and Final Cut. Learn the technology.
Q&A with Val Hoeppner
July 25, 2010
Val Hoeppner, manager of multimedia education at the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute in Nashville, TN, talks about what it's like to be a woman in the field, and how she balances life and work. The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute is a non-profit school run by the Freedom Forum. Their goal is to diversify the newsrooms of America. Val is currently raising four children with her partner, Beth.
BK: How long have you been a photojournalist?
VH: I started my first job as a photojournalist in June of 1989 at the Yankton Press and Dakotan. Since then I worked as a staff photographer, photo editor, deputy director of photography and a multimedia director.
BK: How did you get started, and why did you choose this profession?
VH: My father had an old rangefinder camera that I played with as a kid. I started taking pictures when I was 10-years-old and never stopped. I found photography allowed me to document and explain the world around me. In college I was a journalism major. I enjoyed writing and reporting but found photojournalism was a more powerful medium for me.
BK: What does a "typical" day look like for you?
VH: There is no typical day. I teach audio, photojournalism and video to student and professional journalists during one and two-week programs. Some days I work on curriculum, some days its research, some days I blog, tweet and manage our website (freedomforumdiversity.org). I travel a great deal. I spend some time each day giving feedback to students and professionals on video, photo and audio projects. Currently I am working on videos for a new website created by the Freedom Forum. I guess that is why I am never bored, my job is a little bit of everything.
On Family
BK: How do you balance family and work? Is it possible to have both and be successful?
VH: Balance is tough. Home and work balance before children meant unplugging from the computer and phone while at home. You need a hobby, a fitness routine, something that isn't journalism. In the past year my partner and I became legal guardians for our three nephews and one niece. Having four kids has meant less time for me. It often means reading the front page of the newspaper before work and reading the rest after the kids go to bed. When you have children you have to draw a strict line between family and work.
BK: Do you have to make sacrifices to have both? If so, what kind of sacrifices do you have to make, and how has that affected your family life?
VH: I have made sacrifices to have both a family and a fulfilling career. I no longer have two hours before work to bike, instead I fit in 45 minutes before the kids wake up. I have had to shave time off my lunch and socializing at work so I can be home in time to run the boys to soccer or my niece to dance. I have to focus more at work. It took me a while to understand that email, Twitter, Facebook, can be distractions. I now read email four times a day, I interact with Twitter and Facebook three times a day. It helps keep me focused on the task at hand.
When I am home and the kids are awake I unplug so I can give them all I have. As soon as they go to bed, the laptop is on and I work for another hour or two.
The hardest part for our kids is when I travel. It is hard on the kids when I am gone for two weeks at a time. They miss me, I miss them and occasionally...I miss a soccer game or school program that is important to them. It is hardest for my partner. Having four kids at home is hard work, especially when the kids are four, six, nine and 12. I know I feel guilty being gone, especially when one of the kids is sick or misbehaving and my partner has to deal with all of it alone.
BK: How has having kids AND work changed your relationship with your partner? Are they always supportive, especially when you go out of town? Or does it get tough?
VH:Having kids and a hectic career does put stress on my relationship with my partner. There are days when you barely speak to one another...its get the kids up, get them breakfast, dress the kids, dress yourself, off to school and work. The hard part is finding time for just the two of you.
I am extremely lucky to have a partner who is supportive of me and my work. She is passionate about her own career so it is easy for her to understand the passion I have for mine. There are times when I have to travel that I feel guilty leaving Beth and the kids, especially if one of the kids is having a tough week. When I get home I try to give Beth some time alone, the kids and I go to the park so she can unwind.
BK: What do you do for childcare when you both have to work?
VH: Childcare is tough. When we are working the kids are typically in school and then after school care. My partner is a school counselor so her hours work best with the kids. There are times when we both have late meetings. One of us has to pick them all up by 6 p.m. no matter what. Sometimes we do rock, paper, scissors to see who picks up the kids.
On Work
BK: Can you tell me a little more about the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute?
VH: The Freedom Forum Diversity Institute is a non-profit school run by the Freedom Forum. Our goal is to diversify the newsrooms of America. We have five student diversity programs, all are both academic and internship programs. I run two of those programs in Nashville, I run the academic portions of all our diversity programs. I also run five multimedia boot camps in which I train journalism professionals and educators in multimedia storytelling.
BK: How did you make the transition between newspaper journalism to working there?
VH: It wasn't easy giving up the daily newspaper but working for the Freedom Forum is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I had been a volunteer instructor and mentor for Freedom Forum programs for nearly nine years before they offered me a full time job.
I think my passion for journalism and the future of journalism made the transition easy. I get to train the next generation of storytellers.
BK: What does it take to be successful in this field?
VH: It takes passion. Passion leads you to tell good stories, problem solve and keep pushing even when you are exhausted both physically and mentally.
BK: The ratio of male photographers to women photographers in the newspaper industry seems to be lopsided. Do you feel like photojournalism is a boy's club? Why or why not?
VH: Photojournalism certainly used to be a boys club. I worked on several staffs where it was me and the boys. Believe it or not there are many more women in photojournalism now that when I started. I think that is partly due to the fact that there are more female photo editors and directors of photography than ever before.
When I started the guys thought you were there to shoot lifestyles photos and the giant tomato pictures. You had to prove you could do it all. Now guys are less likely to think you are there to do the stuff they don't want to do. I think that is partly due to the success of Carolyn Cole, Cheryl Diaz Meyer and Carol Guzy.
I will admit the perception that women can't shoot sports is still out there, even though Eileen Blass from USA Today rocks the Olympics.
It comes down to leadership. If the leader of a photo department hires women, supports them and treats the staff equally the boys club does not exist.
BK: Are there advantages/disadvantages to being a woman photojournalist? Are you treated differently because you're a woman?
VH: There are advantages to being a woman in photojournalism. For one there are more situations that play to the strengths of women, than men. Women are less intimidating than men and female subjects are often more comfortable with a woman. There are also many stories that men simply cannot cover due to their gender.
The only disadvantage is that women are sometimes more vulnerable than men. I have been in some sticky situations because I am a woman, especially in the muslim/ Somali community. I have been bullied and threatened by men in a variety of situations. In each instance I stood my ground but did so with an eye toward safety.
BK: Do you have any advice for young women entering the field?
VH: Women in photojournalism are valuable members of a staff. First and foremost be confident and know that you are part of the team. Second, be a problem solver. Being able to solve your own problems is huge. Third, learn the technology. Many women think they can skate by without knowing the ins and outs of their camera, computer, Photoshop and Final Cut. Learn the technology.
