Photo assisting/ Studio Intern

[Dwayneb9584]

Hey all,

Just wanted to ask if any of you on here every assisted or worked as an intern for a professional photographer. I have an interview with one on Friday and it's unpaid and I'm pretty bumbed by that. However, I can use the studio space in return and gain lots of experience from him. What's you take on this?

 

[Roger Hicks]

When I was a little younger than you, I worked as an assistant. The money was lousy but it was an earnest of good intent, and, as you say, I got to use the studio and learned a LOT. Working for nothing looks like exploitation to me. But I was doing it a third of a century ago. If things have changed that much, perhaps photography is a field to avoid.

Cheers,

R.

 

[EcoLeica]

Depending on how much time you are going to help the photographer I'd say its a good deal (you must have money to eat). Being able to use a studio space is a wonderful way to compensate you for your time. Also be a sponge...learn as much as you can. I have been in similar situations and what little money i made was no where near as important as the experience I gained.

CHeers

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I agree with Roger, don't work for free. If you're working, you should be paid. This photographer is not a school, you aren't working for him just to learn. He's making money off your labor, and if your work is really worth nothing to him, I'd ask why he wants you.

 

[jasonrutter]

I have worked as both a studio assistant and darkroom assistant in the past, and now currently have an assistant helping me with my work. I have in the past been paid for the work I was doing, but am not able to afford to have a paid assistant these days. I compensate my assistant with meals and use of the majority of my equipment that they do not have means to afford. I also spend a good portion of time teaching/mentoring them to make sure it is a value added experience for them. The primary reason for this is that I currently work in higher education and want to make a learning experience as much as I need the help with the production of my own work.

I feel that having an unpaid assistant there needs to be a transfer of knowledge and experience gained to justify the time the assistant contributes. Having an unpaid assistant to just get coffee and sweep floors is unfair in my mind. You do have to start at the bottom and work your way up, but be sure it is something that will ultimately benefit your career, and hopefully theirs as well.

The assistant/photographer relationship should be beneficial to both.

If you have more specific questions feel free and I will do my best to answer.

Cheers, rutter

 

[jbf]

You are working as an intern? Any self-respecting photographer will work with you a few times to 'test you out'. If you perform well and they are a human being, they will pay you.

If the photographer is new/student/whatever it is one thing.... But if they are a paid working professional, they can at the very least supply you with minimum wage or even slightly above.

I worked for a year or two as a photo assistant earning about 8-10 dollars an hour, sometimes more depending on the shoot, etc.

Overall it was a good exeperience. Though it all depends on what you are trying to do.

A lot of big big names will just use you because they know they have 10 other people who are willing to do the work for free, so if your not up to it, someone else will be.

James Nachtwey is notorious for this as are countless others. To be fair i'm positive you would learn something from him, but at the same time, it is questionable business practices.

Then again intern does not equal full time assistance. Internships generally are more and more common to find unpaid.

You just have to decide how good the photog is. If they are steller, then it'd be worth it to do unpaid. If they are just some jo schmo who (may make money) but arnt going to lead you on a career path to stardom, then forget it.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I have worked as both a studio assistant and darkroom assistant in the past, and now currently have an assistant helping me with my work. I have in the past been paid for the work I was doing, but am not able to afford to have a paid assistant these days. I compensate my assistant with meals and use of the majority of my equipment that they do not have means to afford. I also spend a good portion of time teaching/mentoring them to make sure it is a value added experience for them. The primary reason for this is that I currently work in higher education and want to make a learning experience as much as I need the help with the production of my own work.

I feel that having an unpaid assistant there needs to be a transfer of knowledge and experience gained to justify the time the assistant contributes. Having an unpaid assistant to just get coffee and sweep floors is unfair in my mind. You do have to start at the bottom and work your way up, but be sure it is something that will ultimately benefit your career, and hopefully theirs as well.

The assistant/photographer relationship should be beneficial to both.

If you have more specific questions feel free and I will do my best to answer.

Cheers, rutter

Dear Rutter,

Probably a realistic analysis for the 21st century, and totally honest. But as I say, if there's no money for an assistant, even the pitiful amount I was paid in the 70s, is it a rational career choice for the assistant?

Not that we all make rational career choices...

Cheers,

R.

 

[MartinP]

I am curious about the contract which one would have 'working' under these conditions. After all, all individuals involved will/should be covered under a professional insurance scheme to protect the client as much as the photographer. At what point does the intern become a 'someone who came off the street' and not protected in any way ? I am thinking of accidentally dropping the priceless artefact that one is supposed to be lighting, for example.

 

[jasonrutter]

Dear Rutter,

Probably a realistic analysis for the 21st century, and totally honest. But as I say, if there's no money for an assistant, even the pitiful amount I was paid in the 70s, is it a rational career choice for the assistant?

Not that we all make rational career choices...

Cheers,

R.

A rational person would have gone to school to be a doctor or a lawyer. However in the context of the topic it is in my mind a questionable practice in commercial photography to have an unpaid assistant and does cause for question in regards to quality of the photographer.

My current assistant helps me a couple hours a week with moving my fine art work forward by helping digitize images and keeping files organized. They will at the end our time working together gained a skill set of digital asset management, analog to digital workflow, and a greater understanding of printing than is taught in the curriculum at the university they attend. My hope for them is that they quickly overshadow my own abilities and have me as an assistant. However it is a rare case that someone wants free labor with the hope of bettering anyone but themselves.

It is such a case by case thing, but I think with any unpaid situation caution is a must.

rutter

 

[Roger Hicks]

A rational person would have gone to school to be a doctor or a lawyer. However in the context of the topic it is in my mind a questionable practice in commercial photography to have an unpaid assistant and does cause for question in regards to quality of the photographer.

My current assistant helps me a couple hours a week with moving my fine art work forward by helping digitize images and keeping files organized. They will at the end our time working together gained a skill set of digital asset management, analog to digital workflow, and a greater understanding of printing than is taught in the curriculum at the university they attend. My hope for them is that they quickly overshadow my own abilities and have me as an assistant. However it is a rare case that someone wants free labor with the hope of bettering anyone but themselves.

It is such a case by case thing, but I think with any unpaid situation caution is a must.

rutter

Dear Rutter,

Yeah...

Roger W. Hicks, LL.B. (Not kidding, but not always rational in subsequent career choice. Then again, I suspect I have a much better life now, at 60, than I would have had if I'd stuck with the law, which I read after failing to get into medical school: in the 1960s, you didn't tell the interview board that you wanted to be a psychiatrist. For that matter, I also studied accountancy. For three months, after which I went to the training partner and said, "I don't think I was cut out to be an accountant." He said, "I agree. Let's call it quits.")

 

[Dwayneb9584]

Thanks for all the replies. Long story short, I graduated from college in 08 with a BFA in graphic design. I've been doing photography since high school but took it serious after college.I choose to do photography as it was more meaningful to me and wanting to preserve all the moments that I felt were worth my while. I also though it was a great feeling to know I am making history in some instances. Much better than designing fliers for a sign shop. Friends found my work cool and I starting photographing my friends bands, their bands, fashion starting to come in, other things etc. I spend a great time doing personal work and currently working on an ongoing series entitled "Across the platform which you can view on my site here. The reason why I applied to this job was because I see is as a window to more opportunity for me. I know I'm not getting paid and currently I teach photography at an after school program to middle school kids which is very rewarding at the moment. But I would like to take things to the next level. I also thought why work for someone when I am essentially doing the work myself. I'm just doing it on location. I have alien bee strobes and I have a shoot scheduled next month. I just don't have many clients. I also thought maybe I should just dedicate all this time while there to just shooting my personal work. This can be a waste of time or rewarding. There's so many things to consider. The photographer is Sean Gilligan.