Pros:
You can learn things on the job that you wouldn’t learn in the classroom,from how the photographer sets run, technology and equipment and to how to deal with clients,
The experience and mentoring you can gain by doing a good job is priceless.
You may get the opportunity to travel to wonderful exotic places here and abroad on locations.
You may even get a start with being allocated smaller jobs by the photographer.
Cons:
Need to have a vested interest in the photogaphy business, depending on who you are working for and the pay you bring home.
If you want to be a photo journalist it is best to do a newspaper intern.
It is hard physical work so an assistant must be fairly fit.
List 5 attributes of a good assistant
Great attitude
Great attitude
Hard working
Knowledge of technical/equipment
Great personality
Profile a photographer who started out assisting
Who: Andrew Leohman
Assisted for eight years and now has his own video photographer business
What:Andrew Loehman is a Sports photographer but it is through the video realm that he has established his business
Where:He graduated from Austin, USA
When:After 8 years of assisting he got an opportunity to video a shoot and things grew from there….
Andrew Loehmans’ website
How: He has launched a video shooting production company called Lightbox productions
Why: There were a lot of photographers out there but he noticed there were not many videographers out there.
What are some of the things an assistant might need on set?
A fully charged ipod with cables
Gaffers tape in mulitple clours
black sharpies
Screw driver
Tape measure
Various phone chargers
Exacto knives
Paint markers
multiple sizes of conrverters for tripods
Pens and notepadsd
USB cables
And the list goes on…..
What are some of the problems an assistant might need to solve?
Technical problems with equipment such as pocket wizards
Lighting problems
Keeping equipment secure and dry from the weather and elements
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