WANT an assistant? For free?

Hello Shannon,

You should try using craigslist.org to post your job offering

Shannon, a word of advice…

You want to be a photographer? Well perhaps the first thing you need to learn is that even photographers need to eat!

How do you expect to eat if you have no money to pay for your food?

How do you expect to go from one assignment to the other unless you can pay for a mode of transport?

Unless of course you are a trustafarian, how you gonna afford to pay your camera repairs, your rent all sorts of stuff?

Now if you work for free doesn’t that mean that the same could be expected of the photographer that gives you a job as an unpaid assistant? So how is the industry going to sustain itself if everyone is working for nothing?

One of the first lessons that you have to learn is your own value. You are a worth a bit more than nothing don’t you think? Isn’t your time as valuable as anyone else’s?

And if you are serious about being a photographer where do you think you will be in 20 years time? If you do everything for free do you think some rich business guy is going to pull a ‘Pretty Woman’ number on you and take you from rags to riches?

While whatever that chick who lost the shoe was called got lucky with the prince, I can almost guarantee it doesn’t happen normally…

My point is if you contact a very well known photographer and say look can I spend a few days following you around they would more than likely not want to do it because they would want someone they didn’t have to train. However if you are persistent with them then what harm could it do, you learn something from an experienced photographer and you will be able to perhaps use some of the contacts you make to get yourself established BUT if you say to every Tom, Dick and Harry out there that you will ‘do it’ for free what do you think you would get out of it?

At least if you truly want a career in photography, working as an intern for say, a Magnum or VII photographer (Sion, Guilad please don’t bite my head off!) is going to do a lot better for you if you are to get something from it than just working for nothing for who ever.

Find out WHO you want to work for and then pester them until they give you a job and then pester them until they pay you. Don’t just give away your time or energy to something that is not going to lead you where you want to go.

We are all competing with one another, but just because its free doesn’t mean its any good. If you want experience, target who you would be willing to spend time with if you are not being paid to be there.

Otherwise, of course, there is always craigslist!

Shannon:

I think Lisa has been very generous for sharing her wisdom and experience with such honesty. I would heed her words. She´s giving you all the options, and certainly a banquet for thought. Lucky you!

Good luck and work hard.

Shannon…with all the good advise from above, you still have a credibility issue here. You’re still a student…right? Why would a photog take you on for free or pay when in a month you’ll be gone? Bad business. An assistant is a functional component of that business. When I was still in school…on no class days…I would drag my pubescent ass from Brooklyn to Manhatten to assist Mr. Biggie. Only to walk the dog, clean the darkroom, or build sets. Get the point? Oh yes…20 bucks a week…but that was the 60’s. Just a thought.

What is the difference between being a student an apprentice and an assistant? The distinctions are not all that clear cut.

Gregory you were alive in the sixties?

(hehehehehe…)

It is a very valid point to make as well and I do have a problem with younger people wanting to be a photographer and when you start to invest some real time and energy in them they bugger off… Not fair on the boss and it makes it harder for the ones that really want to get into photography…SIGH

But it is also up to us to make sure folk like Shannon get the right guidance, otherwise when I am old and in the nursing home (hehehehe…) there won’t be any decent photography for me to look at and it will be boring!

How’s your beagle Greg?

i guess the learning curve has started…

it’s a hard life but one of the most rewarding ones out there. all the best though. j.

I’d like to echo John’s comment above and wish you good luck Shannon.

Whenever I use an assistant I pay them, but they know what to do and what’s expected of them.

I think you are talking more about what we in the UK call ‘work experience’. I’ve done that myself,(not quite as long ago as Greg), and also I’ve had youngsters with me on work experience. Most were not really that helpful or interested, but a few went on to become successful photographers, (like www.tmphoto.co.uk for example).

Work experience is given willingly, but I wouldn’t expect to pay for it and it isn’t that easy to arrange,(lesson number 1…. Photography is NOT a 9 to 5 job). Maybe you can get some work experience and see what that leads to ?

You might also want to check out Tommy’s,(my work experience example), blog for helpful tips for job seekers. He is young enough to remember breaking into the business!! http://www.photosmudger.com Look under the ‘Labels’ section, then ‘Studying photography’. There’s even a photo of a much younger JR in that section!

Lisa…Yes more alive in the 60’s than now but also more stupid . The beagle is still recovering from surgery and is almost back up to speed. Now if she would just get a job to pay the vet bills. ;)

100% with Lisa, i couldnt say it better, dont try to work for free, u dont help anyone, not even urself m8