Supporting laid off News Photogs!
Donation protected
My name is Matt Randall. I am the owner of Pro Photography Network.
(www.prophotographynetwork.com)
Ever since grade school, I've always been a Photographer or in the business of photography. When I took my tour of the Los Angeles Times in 8th grade, I vividly recall looking in the glass windows of the Photography Department and saying to myself, "I will work here someday". I'm proud to say 'I did and I did it well'.
I worked at The Los Angeles Times for 23 years. I worked my way up from a freelance Lab Technician/Photographer to the Logistics and Operations Manager of the Editorial Photography Department. I loved what I did and I loved who I worked with. I now want to put those years of experience and contacts to work. The business of 'Pro Photography Network'.
Over the course of 23 years at The Times I worked alongside some phenomenal people with phenomenal life stories and even more phenomenal news adventures. These Photographers are still my friends today. These are the people now that I work with and I want to promote their skills.
My business plan is to form a network of former editorial based Photographers from our best news outlets around the country and let them do what they do best; capture our lifes moments. My role is to organize, market and promote this group.
These Photographers worked very hard to show the world what was happening using the powerful tool of photography. They literally risked life and limb to give us the opportunity to see the world from their eyes. As our First Responders rushed into every scenario around the world, our Photojournalists rushed in alongside them, sometimes in front of them, to capture every moment and get those moments back into the next days miracle; our daily newspapers. We all thought the daily newspaper was the creamer in our morning coffee, it just had to be there. Then we hit 2008/2009...
I was personally affected and struggled for years to get my identity, self worth and perspectives back in order. We lost families, homes, careers to the new American business plan. Instead of looking for ways to grow, the American business model turned to looking for ways to cut.
Bottom line; the advertising money dried up. The large corporate mergers eliminated entire ad campaigns, every business closure eliminated another page of ads. Every eliminated ad turned into eliminated staff. Yes, the sad reality here was the reality of elimination. Every business turned in on themselves and the business plan was now 'to eliminate' to stay in business. I can safely say thousands of extremely hard working, dedicated journalists lost jobs with the elimination of our news media. Now we need them more than ever!
I've been building Pro Photography Network for five years. It is now time to take this plan and grow. Network the 'Best of the Best Photographers' from across the country into a cohesive, organized group and let them (literally) focus on one thing, being the best Photographers they can be. I like the work that I do behind the camera, logistics, logistics, logistics. I like to tell the client 'Yes, I can do that'. Then I figure it out.
I want to be the photography portal for Public Relations firms, Hospitals, Universities, Communication Directors, etc, etc.. A reliable resource for the best photography anywhere in the country. I have the contacts, I need the resources to get the message out to the masses. The world still needs photography, but they need an easier and better way to find real Photographers.
(www.prophotographynetwork.com)
Ever since grade school, I've always been a Photographer or in the business of photography. When I took my tour of the Los Angeles Times in 8th grade, I vividly recall looking in the glass windows of the Photography Department and saying to myself, "I will work here someday". I'm proud to say 'I did and I did it well'.
I worked at The Los Angeles Times for 23 years. I worked my way up from a freelance Lab Technician/Photographer to the Logistics and Operations Manager of the Editorial Photography Department. I loved what I did and I loved who I worked with. I now want to put those years of experience and contacts to work. The business of 'Pro Photography Network'.
Over the course of 23 years at The Times I worked alongside some phenomenal people with phenomenal life stories and even more phenomenal news adventures. These Photographers are still my friends today. These are the people now that I work with and I want to promote their skills.
My business plan is to form a network of former editorial based Photographers from our best news outlets around the country and let them do what they do best; capture our lifes moments. My role is to organize, market and promote this group.
These Photographers worked very hard to show the world what was happening using the powerful tool of photography. They literally risked life and limb to give us the opportunity to see the world from their eyes. As our First Responders rushed into every scenario around the world, our Photojournalists rushed in alongside them, sometimes in front of them, to capture every moment and get those moments back into the next days miracle; our daily newspapers. We all thought the daily newspaper was the creamer in our morning coffee, it just had to be there. Then we hit 2008/2009...
I was personally affected and struggled for years to get my identity, self worth and perspectives back in order. We lost families, homes, careers to the new American business plan. Instead of looking for ways to grow, the American business model turned to looking for ways to cut.
Bottom line; the advertising money dried up. The large corporate mergers eliminated entire ad campaigns, every business closure eliminated another page of ads. Every eliminated ad turned into eliminated staff. Yes, the sad reality here was the reality of elimination. Every business turned in on themselves and the business plan was now 'to eliminate' to stay in business. I can safely say thousands of extremely hard working, dedicated journalists lost jobs with the elimination of our news media. Now we need them more than ever!
I've been building Pro Photography Network for five years. It is now time to take this plan and grow. Network the 'Best of the Best Photographers' from across the country into a cohesive, organized group and let them (literally) focus on one thing, being the best Photographers they can be. I like the work that I do behind the camera, logistics, logistics, logistics. I like to tell the client 'Yes, I can do that'. Then I figure it out.
I want to be the photography portal for Public Relations firms, Hospitals, Universities, Communication Directors, etc, etc.. A reliable resource for the best photography anywhere in the country. I have the contacts, I need the resources to get the message out to the masses. The world still needs photography, but they need an easier and better way to find real Photographers.
Organizer
Matt Randall
Organizer
Valencia, CA
