Photo Assisting eBook

8/8/2019 Photo Assisting eBook

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Handguide for BeginningPhoto Assistants

7/29/08

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Handguide for Beginning

Photo Assistants

Table of Contents

freelance photo assisting.......................................................................................................................3assisting - looking for work...................................................................................................................4assisting - initial contact........................................................................................................................5assisting - passion..................................................................................................................................6

assisting - photographic ability..............................................................................................................7assisting - top 10 things for your first day.............................................................................................8assisting - and you get paid, too............................................................................................................9join a professional organization...........................................................................................................10jumping the gaps, or: becoming a professional...................................................................................11

Copyright 2008 prophotolife.com

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freelance photo assisting

Most every successful photographer agrees that time spent photo assisting is a necessary and valuablestep in a photographers career. By assisting already established photographers you can learn how

workflows, lighting techniques and client relations work in the real world. You will also see whenthings dont work ideally and that can be just as valuable.

I began photo assisting while still in high school, working in the darkroom of the local portrait /wedding photo studio. Gradually I learned the various steps necessary to set up a portrait shoot and takeevent photos. Soon I was trusted with shooting the simpler jobs for the studio.

When my attention turned to commercial photography it was time to seek photographers in that genreand offer my assisting services to them. Every photographer is different in personality, style andworking methodology. Some are high strung and bring lots of energy to a set (think: peoplephotographers). Others may be very quiet, focused and methodical (food / tabletop specialists). Thereally great thing is that there is something to learn from each and every one. By seeing how other

photographers work we can better define our own careers and begin to set further goals for what wereally want from the profession.

This entry is the start of a short series on freelance photo assisting. Most of the assisting jobs out thereare freelance, meaning you are in business for yourself, marketing your services to photographers.While there are full-time, staff assisting jobs out there they have become less prevalent in recent years.Most studios have downsized simply dont want to carry the overhead of multiple employees so theyuse freelance help instead, staffing up for specific jobs.

I will offer my perspective on freelance assisting both as a former assistant and as a business owner thatinterviews potential new assistants on a regular basis. There are some pretty universal methods forapproaching photographers for work and important things to keep in mind once you have the work.

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assisting - looking for work

If you are breaking into photo assisting then you will need to follow the opportunities. Cincinnati(where my studio, Daylight Photo, is located) has a large number of photo studios ranging from

wedding and portrait to commercial and advertising specialists. In a small town or rural area theopportunities are more limited.

The first step toward breaking into photo assisting is researching area photo studios. In the old days wefirst checked the yellow pages to find listings of photographers. Now the internet provides anincomparable resource. To find truly accomplished, qualified photographers I recommend contactingthe members of professional photographic organizations (you will find a list of links to theseorganizations in an earlier post). Visit these sites and use their search capabilities to find professionalphotographers in your area.

Now that youre looking at the work of area photographers, make notes of who you would like to workfor. Whose work really appeals to you? Whose style stands out? Make a list of potential employers,

their contact information and notes on why you were drawn to them and their work.Now that you have a list of photographers and phone numbers its time to pick up the phone and tellthem why they should hire you. But what do you say?

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assisting - initial contact

My studio constantly receives phone calls and emails from people wanting to work for us. The peoplewe hear from are all over the board, from hobbyists who think it would be interesting to see how a

studio works to students intent on making photography a career. Who are we most likely to hire? Toput it simply, the more serious the caller is about making photography their profession, the morelikely we are to give them an opportunity.

Realize that photographers were once assistants and we understand what you are going through juststarting out. Photographers generally want to help assistants with their careers but there are certainthings that will be expected of you in return. There are three main things we are looking for when apotential assistant calls us (in this order): professionalism, passion and photographic ability. Lets lookat all three

Professionalism

Introduce yourself clearly and let the photographer know what type of work you are interested in. Since

youve done your homework beforehand its also nice to mention that you are contacting thephotographer because you like their work. Make mention of something you saw on their website to letthem know youve taken time to do your research. This displays great professionalism andphotographers always like to hear that someone likes their images.

Contrast this to the people that call us and have no idea what we do. Sometimes its obvious that werejust another studio theyre calling while going down a list. Theres not much there to interest us inhiring these people.

Another key to professionalism is being honest about where you are in your career. If you have neverassisted a photographer before then let us know. You should understand that photographers useassistants at all different levels for different jobs. The photo assistant system is hierarchical and larger

jobs may involve two or three assistants. On occasion we may use up to three photo assistants:1. a first (highly experienced) assistant, who works directly with the photographer, camera andcomputer2. a second (moderately experienced) assistant, basically an assistant to the first assistant3. a third (beginning) assistant, someone who may be working behind the scenes, helping people parkcars, running for lunch, etc.

Absolute beginners may start out as third assistants and work their way up. A photographer isnt likelyto hire you in for the first time as a first (or only) assistant on a high pressure or high profile job unlessyou have some experience. We try to give opportunities to beginners when we know the shoot wont beparticularly demanding. Its a chance for us both to feel things out and make sure we work well

together.So, regardless of your level of experience there may be assisting opportunities. And regardless of yourlevel of experience you need to be professional. More about this later.

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assisting - passion

When we meet a new, beginning photo assistant for the first time they generally fall into one of twocategories: passionate about photography or not-so-passionate. If you convey that photography iswhat you are meant to be doing, who you are and what you are all about then you are more likely to

earn an assisting opportunity with our studio. That passion has to be tempered with professionalism,though, a topic we spoke about in the previous entry. Boundless energy that isnt tempered withprofessionalism can be hard to control, so be professional first and passionate second.

Be prepared to tell us how you first got interested in photography and where you would like it to takeyou. The passionate interviewee shares this information freely. Their not-so-passionate counterpartshave given us responses like I had to study something so I picked photography, or I thoughtphotography would be easy. Ouch. This is a good spot for a real-life reminder that becoming aprofessional in any career, including photography, involves hard work. If you are passionate about whatyou are doing then it never seems like work. I have to admit that some weekends I cant wait forMonday morning in order to get back at the job in the studio. I enjoy my profession that much.

This first meeting is a great opportunity to convince us that this is your chosen career and you are in itto stay. Show us that youve done your homework and are well-versed in the terminology of ourprofession. Also show us that you are willing to listen and learn. We were once in your shoes and aresympathetic to the fact that you are just starting out. We can give you lots of things, includingknowledge, experience and new abilities. What we cant provide for you is the passionyou have tobring that to the table yourself.

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assisting - photographic ability

When you interview with a photographer about freelance assisting it is customary to bring a portfolio.That lets the photographer better understand your particular interests and level of accomplishment.

Earlier we talked about displaying professionalism and passion. These qualities should be obvious inyour portfolio. You will score bonus points for being neatly organized and having a uniformpresentation. Make sure that the bulk of your presentation is uniformly formatted (in a leather portfoliobook or mounted on individual, same-sized boards). Its perfectly fine (by my standards) to have a fewrandom printed pieces to hand out at the end but make sure the majority of the presentation is uniform.

What about electronic portfolios on a cd or dvd? Those are perfectly fine, too. It might be possible toscore even more bonus points with prints, though. Seeing images enlarged to print size shows us yourattention to detail and ability to see color. These are harder to determine in a slideshow on a computerscreen.

If it sounds as if were going to scrutinize your work, yes, we are going to look pretty closely. But

were not going to pass any harsh criticism. Remember the list of three main things we look for when apotential new assistant calls: professionalism, passion and photographic ability. Why is photographicability listed last? To put it simply, we are hiring you to be a freelance assistant, we are not hiring youto be a photographer. If you are professional and passionate about assisting then I dont feel you shouldbe judged as if you are a photographer just yet. What we are really looking for at this point is potentialand a desire and willingness to learn.

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assisting - top 10 things for your first day

Though it was many years ago, I still remember my first days of photo assisting. You may feel like yourentire career hinges on doing a great job that first day you work in a studio. Each individual studio will

set their expectations slightly differently. Heres how you should prepare:1. Make sure you are there a few minutes early. Plan to stay late, if necessary.

2. Be dressed appropriately. I should have mentioned this in an earlier post, ask (in advance) abouthow you should be dressed for the day. You may be painting walls or you may be meeting thePresident of a large corporation. Each requires very different dress so prepare in advance.

3. Dont be surprised if different studios have different names for light stands, photo equipment,etc. If you cant figure out what they mean, then ask. The same thing applies to using theequipment. If you arent sure about the strobes then ask for a quick lesson before the pressure ison.

4. Understand who it is you should report to. Is there a first assistant you work with or do youwork directly with the photographer? Or will you be assisting the set stylist on this day? Workwith that person unless you hear otherwise. Realize, though, that the photographer is always incharge. If they ask you to do something then do it.

5. You will probably be in the background of the shoot but keep conversation with clients to aminimum. Its good to be friendly but this is not the time to show everyone how much you cantalk so be professional. Get a feeling for working with the studio and they will help you defineyour role.

6. If theres a problem let the proper person know right away. If a power pack doesnt work or thecoffee maker is making a funny noise, let the proper person know in a discreet way.

7. Discreetthat is a good word. Be discreet and dont draw attention to yourself or the concernsyou may have.

8. Oh, and heres my absolute favorite (are any of my assistants reading this?). Youre going to beamped up so when anybody asks you to get something you will want to spring into action.Thats good. Whats not good is springing into action before your supervisor is done talking.Wait just one extra second to make sure they are finished with their sentences. Jumping toosoon means you may only get the task halfway done.

9. If you have questions about how or why a photographer did things a certain way or used acertain piece of equipment, save it for the end of the day, after the shoot. Dont question thephotographers choices or decisions unless you know them really (really) well and havedeveloped a great working relationship.

10. And do realize that youve taken a big step: this is the beginning of your professionalphotography career. The people you meet today might be working with you for many years.Someday you might be the professional photographer working with the art director you meet onthis day. So start acting like a professional on the very first day, whether your only job ismaking coffee or steaming and pressing shirts.

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assisting - and you get paid, too

As a freelance photo assistant youre in business for yourself. This means that after you work for aphotographer / studio you will be billing them for your services. And, generally speaking, there will be

no payroll services or taxes taken out by the studio, the responsibility for paying taxes on this income isyour responsibility.

Pay rates for the Cincinnati market

If this is your absolutely, positively first experience working for a photographer then they (or you) maysuggest that you work at no charge for the opportunity. This seems to be more acceptable than it oncewas but Im not particularly fond of the arrangement. Personally, I feel everyone should be paid fortime invested.

In this market we may pay $10 an hour for a rank beginner / first project but move them up to $100 /day when responsibilities increase. A pretty standard rate for a competent assistant (locally) is $125 /day and, once established, quality photo assistants bill $150 / day. One hundred miles away, in

Columbus, Ohio, the upper rate is $200 / day, and in Chicago it may be $250. It all depends on themarket. I will say that the assistant rates in Cincinnati have remained constant for some time and Imnot sure what it will take for them to bump up to the next level. For now its $150 / day for a qualityassistant.

It is standard for you to bill and be compensated for mileage that you drive during a job at the standardrate of around $.59 / mile. You will not be reimbursed for the mileage driven to and from the studio, norcan this be deducted for tax purposes. Your first and last mileage of the day, getting to and from yourjob, is not deductible (as I understand it). It is recommended that you get a business rider for your autoinsurance so that youre covered when using your auto on the job (it is reasonably priced, check withyour insurance agency).

Do keep track of mileage and any other expenses you incur while on the job. It is customary for studiosto buy lunch for assistants when clients are present and on location jobs. If you are working for, say, acatalog company or a companys in-house photo studio then you may be on your own for lunch. Beprepared either way.

Assistants generally bill for their services on a weekly basis for the number of days worked. We askthat assistants submit an invoice either by US mail or a pdf emailed to us. Create a letterhead for yourbusiness that contains all of your contact information. With your very first invoice to a new employer itis smart to attach a filled out W-9 form that gives them your taxpayer information (your Social Securitynumber, basically). When working with a large company your payment may be delayed if they have torequest this info later.

Each invoice should list the days worked, the basic duties completed (it can just say photo assisting)and the job worked on. Our studio uses job numbers that help us track expenses so we ask that youinclude that information. At the least, list the client or a job reference associated with your work for thatday or time period. It helps the photographer bill the job and we all appreciate things that make ourlives easier.

At Daylight Photo we pay invoices 30 days after receipt and thats pretty standard. Some photographersmay pay the very day of the job (though this is not common) and some may not pay until they are paid

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by their client. In those cases it may be awhile before you receive payment. You can see that paymenttimes may vary widely so dont be afraid to ask when submitting your invoice. Do put your own termsof payment on your invoice (30 days is standard). Youve put in the work, you deserve to get paid andyou deserve to know when youll get paid. Its pretty simple, just ask questions.

join a professional organization

March 14, 2008 5:00 am

This evening I was reminded of the importance of professional organizations. I have long been amember ofASMP (American Society of Media Photographers). Every other month my local chapterhosts an event called Pints n Pixels, an opportunity for members to share their recent work and abeverage or two. I always leave these gatherings with a renewed enthusiasm for sharing and learning.

Professional organizations like ASMP offer great benefits in addition to a fun night out. Members areinstantly networked to others willing to help with questions and professional development. And,collectively, we work to keep each other informed about our ever-changing industry. The national andlocal organizations are also constantly working to protect our legal interests pertaining to intellectualproperty and copyright issues. If we dont work together to protect the value of what we produce andour rights as photographers then who will?

ASMP is comprised primarily of advertising and editorial photographers. Other professional photogroups have their own representative organizations. The ones that come to mind are:

ASMP - advertising / editorial

APA - Advertising Photographers of America - advertising / editorial

PPA - Professional Photographers of America - portrait / wedding / commercial

WPPI - Wedding Photographers International - wedding / portrait

NPPA - National Press Photographers Association - news

If you dont currently belong to a professional photography organization please take a look around theabove websites that might interest you. See for yourself the benefits they offer. Need help withcontracts or paperwork? Setting pricing or professional standards? Start finding the answers today.

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jumping the gaps, or: becoming a professional

You all remember your first real camera, I know you do. The way it felt in your hand and what itlooked like through the viewfinder. Maybe youre still using your first real camera. If youre a young

photographer thats considering photography as a profession then Id like to take you on a little trip.There are a few distinctive gaps in a professional photographers career. In this instance Im defininga gap as a chasm or a break, something that requires a leap to get to the other side, to continue thejourney.

Photography is a path and we all choose how far we want to follow it. There are different exit rampsalong the way, to editorial or commercial or wedding photography specialties. Some of us may decideto stay close to home and keep photography as just a hobby. Others choose to see just how far up the

professional road we can make it. But regardless of how far we go or where photography takes us,were all sharing the same road. And we all started out with a camera in our hands and a sense ofwonder.

Picture yourself traveling along happily as a young amateur photographer whose skills are continuallyprogressing. If you choose to take photography more seriously, maybe even make it a profession, thenyoure at a gap. It takes a leap to jump to the next level. Often this means committing time and moneyto a qualified photo school or program. There youll be exposed to the art, technique and history ofphotography. If youve worked hard and applied yourself then youll earn a diploma and, hopefully,some connections to the next level, to the real world. And its time to make another leap forward.

If your desire is to become a commercial photographer then youll enter a studio as an assistant. Thephoto equipment can be intimidating, youre dealing with clients now and the photographer you workfor is maybe a bit eccentric. The days are long and can be backbreaking. Then you become morecomfortable and more trusted. At some point the photographer trusts you to do most everything but

push the shutter button. Maybe you even get to push the shutter button when clients arent around.Youre also doing some paid shooting on the side now and small magazine assignments or publicrelations jobs are coming your way. Hopefully youve been nice to everyone along the journey andmade relationships with other young creatives; art directors and magazine editors that are coming up atthe same time. At some point you reach the end of what you can accomplish as anassistant/photographer and need to make it to the next level, devoting all of your energies to shooting.Its time to become a professional photographer, so its time to jump another gap.

Each new gap grows in distance and each one is a little harder to make. This is a big one, striking outon your own. If youre conservative then you wont jump into business until the planets have allaligned and youre guaranteed success. If you jump too early, without enough potential work lined up,

then youll need a parachute to slow the fall. Its not unusual (and not a crime) to go back to assistingfor awhile. I grew up in the hills of West Virginia where we often had to back er up to get another runat the hill. Its okay to back up. Remember, every self-made millionaire has made and lost theirfortune an average of three times before making it stick. You wont give up now.

Eventually, with determination, youll make it to the other side, making your living as a photographer,shooting and enjoying it. If youre at the point where photography is supporting you then it is genuinecause for celebration. With the champagne uncorked and streamers flying, youve done what many

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photographers aspire to and far fewer accomplish.

And thats as far as I want to take you on the journey today.

When I was younger I thought this would be the end of the road, that once Id learned to make myliving as a photographer then everything would be set for the rest of my life. But the road stretches alotfurther than that, Ive found. So I keep pushing forward, enjoying the journey and doing my best tojump each chasm as it comes up.

I hope these entries have been a help. If so, I hope you'll visit prophotolife.com to learn more.

Sincerely,Jim Talkingtonprophotolife.com

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