December 10, 2013
Practical Advice for Photographic Assistants

1. Don’t talk too much, listen and pay attention to what’s happening on set always. Put your phone down and don’t answer it unless you have permission or are on a break.
2.Stay Hungry.
It takes a long time to build up enough work as a photographic assistant but eventually you get to the point where you don’t have to make calls to get work, your name gets around and you’re fielding calls and emails for new work constantly and you start to get comfortable. You’re earning good money and working 5 or more days a week but it’s a trap. It’s ridiculous how many photo assistants and digi operators I’ve spoken to that can’t afford to stop working as an assistant and make the leap to full time shooting. It’s definitely not an easy process its damn hard but if being a photographer is what you want to be it’s a necessary part of the process and for many the next logical step in your progression. Understanding it’s a long drawn out process that takes time and determination and that you have to be prepared to not make a lot of money for the first few years is valuable information to arm yourself with. If it was easy everyone would be doing it
3. Have An Exit Strategy.
Unless you’re planning to assist for the rest of your life put some money away each time you get paid DO IT.
Set a goal for how long you want to assist and always have in mind that assisting is part of the journey but not the destination, always be working towards shooting your own jobs. This means getting out there on your days off when you’re tired and don’t feel like taking photos and creating some new work.
4.Stay on top of your invoicing,
Invoice as soon as you get home after a shoot rather than leaving it for a couple of weeks or a month when you can’t remember the date or any details from the job.
5. Send reminder notices to people that are late paying invoice and maybe consider putting in your terms and conditions that late payment of invoices incur a 5% surcharge per week.
6. Discuss overtime rates with the producer or photographer before the start of the shoot and definitely before you’ve been working for 10 hours.

  1. magicalblkgirl reblogged this from thesydneyphotographer
  2. thesydneyphotographer posted this