How to be a great assistant.
Why do photographers hire assistants? The answer is simple. Two people can get more done than one person, and they can do it in less time. Also, most photographic projects require more than one person. A photographer cannot hold a camera and a reflector at the same time (unless he has extremely long arms).
The above photo is of a studio setup with a light meter in the foreground and studio equipment in the background.
You should be prepared for that fact that photographers hire assistants to do the things they really don't want to do. Digital photos have to be backed up onto hard drives and optical media. Raw photos have to be processed and uploaded to a website. Equipment has to be cleaned. Lighting equipment needs to be packed and unpacked and set up. Lenses need to be changed. Batteries need to be charged and maintained. The phone has to be answered. Cameras, strobes, umbrellas, lights, reflectors, tripods and monopods all have to be carried and set up. In other words, the photographer hires an assistant so he can do all the fun stuff and doesn't have to do the "not so fun stuff".
That's where you come in!
On your very first day at work, ask your master what he expects of you. He won't trust you with a whole lot at first, but as time goes by and you gain more and more of his confidence, he will give you more and more responsibilities.
Here is a list of things I like to do and another list of things I prefer my assistant take care of: I like to shoot, handle the important telephone calls, do the cooking and juicing, do estimates and invoices, and go on sales calls. I want my assistant to do everything else.
Everything else includes: Making espresso, cleaning up, organizaing and keeping memory cards available, organizing, charging and keeping batteires available. Maintaining an inventory of all necessary equipment and materials, answering the phone and screening calls, cleaning up the studio, taking out the trash, greeting the clients, hanging up their coats, offering them espresso, making them comfortable, setting up the work areas, setting up and striking the set at the end of shoots, moving strobes when necessary, changing backgrounds, turning on and off the full-spectrum lights when needed, and everything else I can think of.
How hard can assisting be? Really hard! Depending on the type of photography your master does, assisting can be physically demanding, emotionally straining, and there can be some very difficult days.
Assisting secrets.
- Anticipate! The best assistant I've ever worked with had this uncanny ability to anticipate what it was I needed next. She was amazing! I couldn't count the times that I would look from behind the camera and say "Nicole, I need a ... There she was, standing with her arm stretched out, holding the very thing I was going to ask for. Some how she was able to know what it was that would be needed. That's what makes for a good assistant.
- Be really careful with the photographer's stuff.
- Never, never be late.
- Be absolutly honest at all times.
- Be an optimist.
- Know when to be quite.
- Don't hit on the models or clients.
- Never mention another photographer's name.
- Know your place.
- Always have "lull projects"
- Think of yourself as the studio manager.
- Watch the photographer's money as if it were your own.
What makes or breaks a photographer's career is his vision. No, not his eyesight, his vision.
I've seen plenty of photographers without much education in photography, make a real nice living in this business.
I have two definitions of vision here, and I think they're both needed for a successful career.
The first definition is the ability to see the "big picture", to know what's important and what's not. This is something we all have to some degree or another, but sucessful photographers have a whole lot more of it than others.
The other type of vision is known as "style", a perspective, a way of looking at things. Developing a personal style is important to make each photographer unique, help them stand out and acquire a visual presence of their own.