Professional photo shoots are not complete without the help of assistants. Behind the photographer is usually a team of hair, make up, assistants, models, art directors and so on.
And many professional photographers start their careers as assistants. This means you work for the photographer, you run around doing odd jobs, carrying things, doing set ups, making tea and coffee, calling clients and so on. It can be a difficult job at times and exhausting; the pay is low and you may spend a lot of time just doing general things before getting anywhere near the photographers camera. In fact, many assistants do so for a few years before being officially appointed as a photographer, rather than just an assistant. So why would anyone choose to assist?
In the photography industry, being an assistant for a few years is one of the best ways to break into the industry and more importantly, learn. Many amateur photographers these days can learn from books and the internet and buy a decent camera and want to freelance, but there is nothing that can take the place of gaining experience and learning from someone who is established and knows what they are doing. It’s also a good way to make contacts.
So what does it take to become an assistant? It may be a low paid role, but you have to be flexible, bright and fit! A lot of assisting includes physical work like carrying equipment and settings things up. You also need to have a friendly personality that’s easy going – most of the time you are in the background and you shouldn’t be interfering where it isn’t necessary. Unless the photographer asks for your creative input, whilst you can convey ideas (they like that too!) don’t be constantly bothering anyone with your thoughts. Having said that, photographers have been assistants themselves, so always keep a notebook at hand and write down anything you learn. If something is confusing, ask – you will be helped!
A lot of the day can be mundane, like packing bags, going out to buy props, doing the same lighting set up, calling clients about routine things, making drinks, tidying etc. The ability to drive is very important – most companies will insist you have a driving license as they will need you to run around with equipment. International or domestic travel may also come up – you need to consider what your personal commitments are before taking this kind of job on.
So how do you get into assisting? First find somewhere you want to assist like a studio. Some are commercial and will specialise in things like catalogue and product images. The work in these studios can be tedious; think of photographs of toasters, hairdryers and cups. On the other hand, this type of photography is carefully constructed and you will learn a lot about professional studio set ups, lighting and using the high end equipment.
Some studios tend to photograph people, models and fashion. Some deal with the public a lot – in these studios you must be good with people and be able to help in a crisis. You may not always like the people you meet but you must be professional and be there to help with any potential disasters.
You can also approach freelance photographers – the work won’t be as regular, but you may be able to accompany them when they have work and help out on location. Your fee may be lower or nonexistent for freelancers – but you should have your basic costs covered.
Approach these people with a CV and covering letter in the first case. Explain your experience, why you want to do photography and what you want to gain from the experience. You can also call up and ask if you can pop in with your portfolio to show them what you can do. You may need to work for free for a while whilst they decide if they like you – assisting jobs aren’t advertised very often as people will hire from interns they already have to from word of mouth. So you need to make the first step!
The most important thing to think about if you decide to become an assistant is to understand that you are a helper for a long time, long before you ever get to take a photograph. You need to consider if you have the time and money to assist; you can always do it at the weekends if money and time is a struggle.
However, it is a brilliant way to learn from the best, without all of the responsibility. Also, if you are lucky enough to work with an understanding photographer, they can be very generous with their knowledge and allow you to become involved sooner than normal.
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