How to become a Photography Assistant

Assisting is without question the best way to learn how to become a professional photographer. School and weekend seminars offer you the basics in image creation, shooting, retouching and final output but it's in the field where you really learn how to become a true professional. When I say true pro I mean how to deal with a professional set, how to talk to clients, shoot management and post shoot process.  

So how do you become an assistant? Well the best way is to simply email a photographer whose work you like and offer your services.

But be cautious! I get several emails a month from people asking offering to assist. Most of whom don't ever get a chance to assist with me because they put shit in their emails that get them axed before I ever have a chance to consider them.

Here are some tips to the aspiring assistant to help you get you foot in the door with that professional who work you admire so much.

1. NEVER put your website or a link to your work in your initial email.

Personally I don't give a shit if you take nice photographs. I'm not hiring a photographer.  I'm hiring an assistant. If you do put your link in the email we will check it. If your work sucks I'm not hiring you. If you work is better than mine I'm not hiring you. If you seem like you have your shit together I'm not hiring you either. So really no good comes out of self-promotion to the guy you want to learn from.  

2.This shit is for real.

Don't email me saying you have no idea what you are doing and simply want to learn from me. I'm not a school.  I am bringing you on so you can help me not so you can learn. When I'm shooting a famous person I have no time to train and show you the ropes. You can be green but you also have to provide something to me...  Send me a resume of what lighting gear you are familiar with using Elinchrom? Prophoto? Even if you just know how to use a reflector... If you don't know the gear head down to a camera store and check it out for free. You are going to have to do some ground work yourself to get ready for this. Really want to win me over? Tell me you have your own grip kit (a lowepro backpack filled with tape, box cutters, clamps, etc....)  These kind of things are going to make me want to hire you.

A perfect basic grip kit

3. Understand who you are emailing.

I shoot campaigns for large sports retailers. So you should know that there is a good chance I if I'm shooting for these guys I already have a team. At least one full time assistant(which I do)... so offer your services as a secondary assistant if ever needed. If you are emailing an industrial photographer let him know you have a hard hat and safety gear. If you are emailing a wedding photographer let them know you come dressed as a professional to all weddings.

4. Do NOT Cut and paste your email.

Seriously. I get several emails a month for assisting and can easily see when the emails are for me,  or when they are simply generic.  When emailing your photographer bring up one of their images on their site.  Maybe one that's buried deep in their portfolios. This will show us that you spent some time on my site and know what I do.

5. Student will become the Teacher.

Pros can't survive without assistants. All pros know this. And don't kid yourself we are well aware that the assistant we are using is inevitably going to go on their own and become our direct competition... It's a fucked up thing knowing that your assistant, who you need to make money, will inevitable be your competition and take money away from you. Think of it.  We are constantly training your replacement... it's not fun but it's a reality of the business for us. Yes there is a lot of work and logically the assistant who turns pro wont bankrupt me but that thought is still in the back of our minds. We are humans. So anything you can do as an aspiring assistant to ease that fear is going to bode well for you. Saying that you are planning to work in another market in 2 years is a good opener.   

6. Money

If the photographer gets back to you and asks for your rates.... NEVER GIVE THEM ONE... Tell them that you are well aware that each job has a different rate and this yours varies depending on the PHOTOGRAPHERS budget. This will be music to our ears. Sometimes we get a magazine shoot that pays $400 all in, other times we make $2500 on a shoot. So the more your rates can vary the more we like you.

I hope these tips help. Photography is a fun and challenging career. It takes hard work and persistence. But if you keep at it things will work out.  Good Luck

an angry photographer.  

Arab vs East Indian Clients

I fully appreciate Arab and East Indian cultures. Both have a very rich history and offer arguably two of the best ethnic dishes of all time in the form of Shwarma and Butter Chicken.

That being said both East Indians and Arabs are a pain in the ass to have as a client.. The people themselves are often entertaining and colourful characters, its just their cultural upbringing has taught them to do business in a certain way that clashes with how North Americans do business.

Doing business with both cultures has become increasingly frustrating.  I now have to profile the clients right from the first phone call to decide if I can emotionally handle doing business with them. 

In an attempt to help young photographers understand what to expect if they choose to open the eastern version of Pandoras box, Ill share some of the more common traits I deal with when getting a call from potential Arab and East Indian clients.  

How I feel when I have to reduce my invoice a second time

When I get a phone call from a potential Arab client you can tell right away that they typically want the best possible product for the cheapest possible price. But be cautious with the Arab, the lowest price you quote is not the final price. The Arab will almost always negotiate an even lower price once the work is complete. They use every tactic in the book from complaining to simply not paying the full invoice when it comes to this. So if you take on an Arab commission be prepared for it.  

The first portion of the phone call with an Arab is great. They pump you up. They tell you that you are the best photographer in the city and they want the best. 

I always set the tone early with “I’m not the cheapest guy in the city”… The Arab always responds with “Price doesn’t matter to me. I want the best” – Well played. However we both know this is complete bullshit its price thats making the call here..... and so the dance continues….

The Arab asks very few questions, but prefers to talk about themselves and their product. Keep your wits about you here, because throughout the entire call the Arab will constantly drop nuggets of praise for you and your work. If you are not experienced in dealing with Arabs you will be easily sucked in by their charm. 

However I am experienced and keep my guard up against this façade.

Eventually I quote the Arab my price. Its usually about 60% higher than usual. To the Arabs credit they never blink. Not even a hint of the fact that my quote is insanely high. However after receiving my ludicrous quote, conversation always comes quickly to an end. 

Its usually concluded with the Arab blowing smoke up my ass of a promise that we will surly work together. “Great! Ill call you next week and we will book something with you when we are ready”… Inevitably the call never comes.  

Most East Indian clients who call are also concerned about quality, but unlike the Arab they do not have a burning desire book the best, its all about the price.

The East Indian will expect a discount on your initial quote. But rest assured that this will usually be the final price. Personally I only mark up my East Indian quotes 25% because it’s a significant discount to them and they don’t pull the post shoot discount bull shit that an Arab does. 

East Indians tend to ask a lot of questions about final deliverables to ensure they are not getting ripped off. They want to know about the process and why are they paying so much money.

Although I am fully aware that when the East Indian hears my rates, they will never book me, I respect this process, so I take time and walk them through it.  As the conversation wears on I eventually end up giving my quote its always too high for them.

Once they get my rate the conversation comes quickly to a close. 

What I like about the East Indian clients is that they tell you they will get back to you if they want to go with you. Its never a grand promise of future work. We both know that this is the last time we will ever speak, but still in some way its kind of nice.

In closing; Of course I know not all Arab and East Indian clients exhibit these traits. But the vast majority of them do. And if you dont think so, try me and good luck. 

I’m in no way suggesting that photographers avoid doing business with them, its just that one should be prepared for the challenges and expectations that one will face when doing business with another culture like Arabs and East Indians.  

Professional Photographer is a Generic Term -

I get asked a lot what its like to be a professional photographer. I always give the standard “Its great. You meet a lot of great people, get to create and every day is different.” While this statement is true I am leaving a lot out. I really want to explain to people that I am an Advertising Photographer. Not just a “professional photographer”.

What I do falls within a specific discipline of photography. Its kind of like an unofficial union or more like a gang allegiance - Im an Advertising Photographer. 

So I decided to write a blog post to be about the more common disciplines of photography there are out there. 

If you are reading this and looking to become a “professional photographer” this post might help you narrow down your focus to help ensure success…. And if you are just reading this out of curiosity’s sake post this will help you understand what kind of photographer took the pictures you are looking at. 

In explaining the various disciplines of professional photography I am going to draw comparisons to the various disciplines within the film industry

Advertising Photographers are basically the same thing as big budget Hollywood Movie Directors. We are like the Michael Bay’s of the photography industry. We have full time assistants, big crews and bigger budgets. We often fly to our shoots and the work is seen in large media buys.  Although our final work looks awesome in truth it has little artistic value. We have a respect amongst much of the general public and many photographers, but true artists hate us, because we have “Sold out”. Our major challenge is that we have to deal with the endless wave of Creative Directors all of whom have watched too many episodes of MadMen.... settle down there Don. 

Editorial Photographers (magazine) are pretty much like the Documentary Filmmakers. They operate in the low budget world. But its offset by shooting interesting subjects and stores. This means one day a shoot can be in an un-photogenic office cubicle and the next day they are shooting an astronaut at NASA. These guys are the hustlers of the photography profession. The need to make it work no matter what kind of shit is thrown their way.  They work in short timelines and still have to produce fantastic looking images that have a narrative. On top of that magazines have different styles, so they need to adjust how they shoot for each assignment to match the style of the magazine. 

Photojournalists (newspaper) are like News Directors. Run and Gun. No real thought of what they are shooting or putting on TV. It’s all about the current event. That moment. Speed is key. One hour they are shooting a car accident the next hour a speech from some burnt out city councilor. These guys thrive on change and adrenalin. They really don’t care about the images perse, but more about telling a story through the image. Don’t get me wrong these guys are fantastic. They are desensitized to what they are shooting. It’s a skill. The News Director doesn’t care about the car accident he is putting on the front page nor does the shooter. All they are concerned about is getting an image that tells the story.

Wedding Photographers are basically the same thing as a Porn Film Directors. I’m talking about the full time Wedding Photographers. Not someone who shoots a few weddings a year. Like the Porn Director the Wedding Photographer doesn’t give a shit about their client. I have been to enough bridal shows and been in that position to verify this is the case. In no way does that mean the Wedding Photographer wont take fantastic photos. It’s just that to him Brides are faceless ATM machines that pay the bills in the same way a Pornstar is a faceless ATM machine to the Porn Director. The wedding industry makes promises of big cash for little investment which inevitably brings out scammers, unsavoury characters, lazy people who really don’t want to put in the work to truly succeed - sounds just like the Porn industry. 

Fine Art Photographers are basically carbon copies of Indy Filmmakers. These guys are the real artists of our craft. They do it because they have a burning desire to create. Much like how the Indy Film maker still shoots movies on 35mm the Fine Art Photographers often still shoot on film because because when they shoot film they are truly creating a image in the form of a tangible object on the negative. These guys often need other jobs to support themselves because there is very little money in Fine Art Photography. However they have the full respect of all professional photographers in the same way that in Indy Film maker has the full respect of their peers.

Summary

These are what I believe to be the main types of real world working photographers. But before anyone chews my ass out for not talking about Portrait Photographers, Ariel Photographers and say Travel Photographers…. I view these all  as sub-disciplines within the professions I have outlined above. For example most travel photography assignments are shot either by an Editorial Photographer or a Commercial Photographer.

I hope this sheds some light on the different disciplines of Professional Photography. You might agree with my break down, you might not.. really I dont give a shit, its the way I see it....

But I do thank you for taking your time to read my blog.

Photographing FAT people

the frustrated photographer

Today shoot a series of portraits for an accounting firm. Employee portraits that they will put on their website for biographies.  We shot 17 people.

We were ready to roll by 9am when the first subject to rolled up. It a fat woman in her mid 50s. Id guess  about 250lbs. My spirits sank. First thing in the morning and I'm shooting Heffer.

I do not dislike this person because they are Fat.

I dislike the situation because they are Fat.

The reason I'm in such a bad mood is that no matter what I do the photographs are going to look like crap. There is no way around it. Almost all fat people take bad photos. No amount of chin lifting, lighting or Photoshop is going to hide the fact that the person infront of the camera is fat.

I'm also angry about the situation because I want every subject people to be happy with their photographs...but like clockwork fat people are never happy with their portraits.

I understand and sympathize with my fat subjects. They look at my website and see slim people  and somehow assume because they are paying me a lot of money I will make them look slim as well.

Going back to the shoot... We begin. I ask for a smile. Nothing. A little smile? Nothing. My frustration mounts. Very rarely do fat people ever smile when getting thier photo taken. This makes the situation go from bad to worse. Which makes me unhappy because the photos are looking like shit... In turn the subject is unhappy because they already know the photos will look like crap...

Inevitably this situation is similar to when the Titanic was struck by the iceberg.... It's sinking and there's nothing that can be done about it.

Eventually when the painful portrait session ends both me and my fat subject are defeated. Crushed under the heel of unfortunate circumstances. As the subject leaves unhappy, my only hope is that the next subject is a slim person. Slim people always shoot well.

A TIP - If you are ever the person who's scheduling the photo shoot... make sure you schedule slim people first. Because your first shoot sets the tone for the day.  Think about it. Its human nature. The photographer will get jacked up shooting the slim pretty people first.  So when a fat person is scheduled in the mid day in its not that bad.

The photographer will have energy derived from the slim person and chances are high that we are going to push as hard as we can to get a great picture of the fat person. But make sure to end cap the fat person's session with another slim person. Because when the fat persons portraits bomb (they always do)... Our energy is picked right back up with a photogenic slim person.

To close out. There are those rare occasions that fat people actually photograph well. They are what I call "sexy fat" they have something about them that they simply rock out. Sexy fat can apply to a man or a woman. It's a confidence. A complete disregard about their weight. And it comes through in photographs. But like spotting shooting star its rare...  

This sounds harsh, but it's the truth.

PHOTO TIPS for FAT PEOPLE

Ok your fat. Its ok. You know how you look. You see yourself in the mirror every day. You probably aren't happy about it, But its picture day and there is not a thing you can do about it now. Here are some tips which will help you pull out something usable from your session.

1. DO NOT wear patterns or prints - Patterns draw attention to the fact your big, keep to solids.  

2. Choose Darks- Do not wear colors especially red. Choose darks. If your down own darks, go to a store, buy the cloths shoot in them, then return them.  

3. Subtle Jewelry- Big jewelry means your look big. Choose small jewelry.

4. Get Make Up - If the photographer does not provide make up services. Go to a place that does it and get it done that day. Or pool some money with your other colleagues and hire a makeup artist.... They can make a world of difference and good ones will boost your confidence that day!

5. Smile - For god sakes smile. Nothing worse than person who doesn't smile. But if you are a fat person who doesn't smile... it's the kiss of death...  Don't like your teeth? Fuck it. Smile big. What's the worst case scenario? You don't choose the smiley pics...

6. Accept Responsibility - Understand the photographer has skills but is not a magician. The fact that your fat makes the session an uphill battle before we even start. So if you come in unhappy, unprepared, dressed like a slob then our job is made that much more difficult. Neither of us will be happy with the results .

7. Think about this post - Look if you are fat and are reading this, you are probably pissed at me. But you probably also agree with everything I wrote. It's ok the truth hurts. Use that motivation to make healthy choices and live a more active life. Lose that weight. Look at hiring a personal trainer. If you don't have money Google a free home workout program. So go ahead get off my blog, get your ass out of your chair and make choices that will only improve your life.

Welcome to my blog - An Angry Photographer

Hello

 I am a photographer. An actual photographer. 

I'm not like your "friend" who takes pictures and posts them on facebook.  Not like that colleague at work who hates his job and is shooting part time till it "picks up". Not that significant other who wants to shoot weddings on weekends to help  pay for the little extras in life. I'm not an instagram photographer... or  that kid who convinced his parents to drop 1k on  digital camera because they want to be a photographer.

No.

I am a Professional Photographer in the truest sense.

That means I pay my mortgage by taking photographs.

I don't have any other job other than taking pictures. I make a very good living doing this... I have been doing this for 15 years... I shoot for Magazines, Advertising Agencies and Direct to Client jobs. I have shot several famous people, traveled the world and shot major campaigns for huge companies ... But shamelessly I have also shot countless weddings, several special events even the lowly boudoir photo sessions.

 In short. I'm a hustler who will take photos of pretty much anything (no porn) if you pay me.

I'm really not an angry person... but doing this shit for 15 years alot of shit really builds up... This blog is my platform. It's to vent to the world the shit I can't say publicly..... The shit that's honest and truthful could burn me hard if I ever said it out loud or on my website. So I have chosen to be a coward and hide behind the anonymity of the Internet. I'm like most people who have a successful career and still need a platform to vent. Some spend thousands of dollars on therapists... other beat the shit our of a punching bag, some people (assholes) take it out on their families... me I choose to write about it.

If you want to hear about the real truths about the professional world of photography....  understand the frustrations and challenges pros feel and experience day to day then  follow my blog. However if you want to read a blog about how the world of photography is rose colored,  filled with daily creativity and inspiration then its best move on... perhaps follow one those guys who hustles on weekends teaching photography "courses"

Enjoy.