Home > Commerce > Business Resources > Speaking from Experience > Breaking Into the Real World
A wealth of information comes from photographers discussing their daily experiences with each other in online forums and bulletin boards. The following thread (edited for this presentation) appeared in November 2004 on the APAnet forum managed by the Advertising Photographers of America. Permission has been granted by APANet and each individual to repost the material here.
Breaking Into the Real World
Well, following the old elementary-school motto, “The only dumb question is the one you don’t ask,” I was hoping to get advice on breaking into the real world of photography. I am coming out of Miami University (the one in Ohio where now famous QB Ben Rothlisberger came from.) I’ll finish with a B.A. in fine arts, focus in photography, with minor experience in graphic design and illustration. I’d prefer the business side of photography rather than going the fine-arts route. So I guess I want to know some steps that others took when they were getting started. Resources you used, or avenues I should steer clear of.
Justyn S. Shye
Come to New York
Come to New York and assist. Even if you only do it for a year, it will be the best education you’ve ever had. It doesn’t matter what you eventually want to do. You will work on still life, fashion, portraiture, studio, travel, sports, etc. My only regret is that I didn’t move to NYC right after school.
And don’t worry, good assistants are working all of the time. You won’t starve!
Good Luck!
Craig Wallace Dale
201-795-2125
Member ASMP
www.craigdale.com
Learn business skills
Having been an assistant for a little over a year now, here is what I have picked up. (BTW I have no art school background; I changed careers cold turkey :-)
The biggest complaint I have heard from people coming out of school is that they learned very little if anything about the business side. Skills like self promotion, negotiation, rights management, pricing, calculating true cost of doing a project, even basic accounting and tax stuff (puke blah boring, but vital!), etc. Basically, how to deal with people and run a business.
So yes, do what Craig says, assist. It doesn’t have to be NYC, although it would be great; you can do it in LA or SF if you’re a local. But make sure you learn the business end well if you want to have your own photography business. In addition to talking to pros, it can also be helpful to go talk to a rep or two for a reality check if they are willing to give you some time.
I’ve learned a lot in the past year and there is still a lot more to go, and in the mean time I work on my portfolio and also try to figure out what exactly I want to do in photography. Being an APA (or ASMP or EP) member helps too. A rep turned me on to the APA; I’d never even heard of it.
Ara “the Assistant” Kotchian
www.kotchian.org
Be very persistent
Here is what I did. To give a little background on myself, I just graduated from Columbia College, Chicago. I have been working as little as three days a week to as many seven for two weeks straight here in Chicago. I basically work with maybe three photographers at most. Already have two tearsheets from two different clients. When I first started, I just called people from the blackbook. I also took a part time job at Helix, which is equal to Calumet. While I worked there, I got to learn about the gear and meet people. I did join different groups, but they never really helped.
The key that I learned was to be very persistent. I used to call different studios at least once a month. I also used to have a call log of photographers that I wanted to work for. Now I haven’t called a new photographer for almost three months. I never sent out promo cards and I don’t even have a website yet, but what got me in was making those calls and making sure people knew I was still around.
I also got to know the different labs in the city; they can be a key resource, as well as the rental departments. We have formed a group here in Chicago — it is an assistant group — and we have a wide range of people who are green to somewhat experienced. We all try to meet once a month to get a feel for what is going on in our community.
Michael Canavan
Michael Canavan Photography
773-551-2939
Keep contacting photographers
I just finished grad school and moved to New York and started assisting. The first few months can be tough. I used Le Book and emailed a lot of photographers, but only the ones whose work I really liked. It took about a month of this until I got my first job. You also need keep contacting new photographers, unless you are fortunate to find a full-time assisting job or work with someone who is always working. Also I think Craigslist can be good on occasion. I found a great digital retouching job that has kept me very busy and pays my bills through craigslist. Just expect a lot of competition for these jobs, and if they don’t pay (or don’t pay enough), don’t do it! It just makes it harder for all of us to get a job that can support us.
Also, I have just moved into shooting pretty regularly and am looking to create a roster of freelance assistants. So if any of you are in NYC, send me your resume. I am happy to help out people in a situation I know very well.
Hope some of this is helpful.
Dan Saelinger
www.dansaelinger.com
917.748.4477
Hard work and perseverance
There really is no secret other than hard work and perseverance. Often times a photographer will hire an assistant through a referral or if you show up at the right time when he needs someone. The new assistant is not expected to know everything about assisting, but is expected to admit it. There is nothing worse than pretending to know how to perform a task and then fall flat. That usually makes for bad feelings. Remember, honesty goes a long way.
A good attitude, a strong work ethic, and the ability to show up on time are all really important qualities. Most of the time, the new assistant is the third assistant anyway. You know, the one who does the dirty work — makes coffee, runs errands, etc. Personality is extremely important to me. If I can’t enjoy being around someone, then I will not hire them. I had an assistant who had all of these great qualities and initially offered to work a couple of days for me for free, just so I could see what kind of assistant he was. It worked! I liked him so much that I hired him as a freelancer for every job for 9 years.
You are not going to make big money as an assistant, so try to get to see and work for as many photographers as you can to learn. Stay in touch with them and keep a positive attitude. It will come. Hope that helps.
John Fortunato
Fortunato Photography LLC
www.johnfortunato.com
An industry of hustle
How many cold calls did you make today? Did you attend all of the free events at the Photo show last month? Have you joined ASMPNY, APA? How many resumes have you sent out this week? Have you put a sign up in every lab in the photo district? Have you gone into every rental house to introduce yourself?
Craig’s list? Looking for a good used futon, then yes, Craig’s list. Trying to begin a career in photography? Come on, pick it up a notch.
This is an industry of hustle. You need to start hustling now as an assistant. Hit the pavement and pound on doors! It gets exponentially harder when you decide to become a photographer.
Here is how you should spend your day: Go to Workbook online and find 50 photographers that you would like to work for. Make a list of them. Now get your resume and a small portfolio of pictures in order. Tomorrow morning, make ten cold calls. Call them up and tell them who you are and what you offer. Ask them if you can come by with a resume and meet them. Most will say no, but one will say yes and three will say “fax me a resume.” So, after five days you will have met five photographers and sent out fifteen resumes. Now make another list of 50. Only now, your goal will be five cold calls a day, because this week you will begin follow-up calls.
I have a list of about ten assistants that I use. They are all great assistants and they are always booked! You could be too, but you have to make it happen!
Craig Wallace Dale
201-795-2125
Member ASMP
www.craigdale.com
Research what I do
Potential assistants contact me all the time, but most of them do not do it in an efficient way.
- Cold calls or requests for meeting: I prefer not.
- Letters: OK, but I prefer emails.
- Email: my preferred way. This allows me to cut and past the information into my database or outlook.
Here are some suggestions:
- Do some research and try to know what I do.
- Add the word “assistant” in the subject line.
- Describe your experience very accurately.
- Do you have a car?
- Give me references if you have any.
- I need to know what equipment you are familiar with. Playing with it at the photo store is not enough.
- If you are affiliated with the APA or ASMP, let me know.
- If possible, show me some pictures you assisted in the production, especially lighting.
- If you know how to create a vCard file, send it to me and have all the information.
- Know your value and don’t ask for top fees if you are green.
- Understand that I will have to pay you through a payroll service and therefore will deduct some taxes from your fees.
- Tell me what interests you.
Frederic Neema
APA SF
www.fnphoto.com
If someone opens a door, jump
One thing I’ll add to this thread: Show initiative!
If a potential assistant contacts me, I usually reply that “I don’t have an opening at this very minute as I currently have a very good assistant, but I’m always interested in meeting new assistants in the area. I never know when I might need someone to fill in for her.”
Or I might say “I don’t have an opening at this very minute, but please drop by and introduce yourself next time you are in the area.”
Nine out of ten folks will not follow up and request a interview.
Duh.
If someone opens a door for you, by all means jump! Just by following through, you’ll be miles ahead of other potential assistants out there.
Michele Stapleton
MAINE FACES / MAINE PLACES
www.MicheleStapleton.com