I feel like I have tried all of this and by far, the best thing you can do is just get the hell out there and break it down. When in Atlanta, I made it a point to hang out with all the assistants (sadly not a single one was from SCAD…) and equipment rental places and now that I am in a much smaller market than Atlanta now, I make it a point to show up to events, clubs, whatever and just talk to people. Either way, its all hard as balls… numero 3 is probably the toughest one (and can be even more hard if you get paid much better than you do from a few images), but you got to make that paper, to do what you love.
greg says:
January 7, 2010 at 7:58 am
@Morgan
I forgot to add “Work for free.” That is, go on shoots and assist for free to get to know people. Also, just curious if you have tried to work at an equipment rental house. Thanks for reading Morgan! Your comments are appreciated. –GC
Dan Xeller says:
January 8, 2010 at 1:07 pm
You should NEVER assist for free. This will only lead to you being the photographer’s doormat and pissing off a lot of paid assistants.
greg says:
January 8, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Let me be clear: I don’t recommend seasoned assistants work for “Free,” but if you’ve never been on a set before, then this may be your only option. Interns do this all the time and I believe it is valuable experience. Otherwise, what photographer hires someone who has never been on-set?
When I started out, I asked to go on shoots to see how photographers worked and to help out in any way I could. I learned how different photographers ran their shoots and it was immensely helpful.
Finally, if you are just beginning your career and shooting for your book, and you have other photographer friends who are doing the same, assisting each other in trade is a great idea.
morgan eddington says:
January 8, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Well it was sort of a difficult time when I left SCAD and moved to Atlanta. The economy was tanking at this time and getting anything (even doing free stuff) was hard to come by. Mostly because if you said you would help out in the studios, then all you would be doing is sweeping dust up.
I did help out at an equipment rental studio in Atlanta that had just moved location (Moral Studio Support) and was helping Jay Moral (owner), build the place up. There was no hiring there, mostly cause he couldn’t afford it. But the ability to sit down, be involved, meet people, talk and also be around a lot of the equipment that I normally don’t have access to, was amazing.
Being an assistant was something I worked at very hard in Atlanta. Meeting with all the first assistants, going to industry cook-outs, helping out the first assistants (who one day want to be photographers too) on their own shoots and even lending out my gear, to help them out. Mostly cause most people only rent gear rather than own…which is smart and not smart depending on your market.
Needless to say, because of the timing of being in Atlanta, I never got any paid gigs and it kind of put me in a “if no one will give me the experience, then I’ll do it myself” idea. In the end though, I wish I could still have broken into the assisting realm.
morgan Eddington says:
January 6, 2010 at 9:44 pm
I feel like I have tried all of this and by far, the best thing you can do is just get the hell out there and break it down. When in Atlanta, I made it a point to hang out with all the assistants (sadly not a single one was from SCAD…) and equipment rental places and now that I am in a much smaller market than Atlanta now, I make it a point to show up to events, clubs, whatever and just talk to people. Either way, its all hard as balls… numero 3 is probably the toughest one (and can be even more hard if you get paid much better than you do from a few images), but you got to make that paper, to do what you love.
greg says:
January 7, 2010 at 7:58 am
@Morgan
I forgot to add “Work for free.” That is, go on shoots and assist for free to get to know people. Also, just curious if you have tried to work at an equipment rental house. Thanks for reading Morgan! Your comments are appreciated. –GC
Dan Xeller says:
January 8, 2010 at 1:07 pm
You should NEVER assist for free. This will only lead to you being the photographer’s doormat and pissing off a lot of paid assistants.
greg says:
January 8, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Let me be clear: I don’t recommend seasoned assistants work for “Free,” but if you’ve never been on a set before, then this may be your only option. Interns do this all the time and I believe it is valuable experience. Otherwise, what photographer hires someone who has never been on-set?
When I started out, I asked to go on shoots to see how photographers worked and to help out in any way I could. I learned how different photographers ran their shoots and it was immensely helpful.
Finally, if you are just beginning your career and shooting for your book, and you have other photographer friends who are doing the same, assisting each other in trade is a great idea.
morgan eddington says:
January 8, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Well it was sort of a difficult time when I left SCAD and moved to Atlanta. The economy was tanking at this time and getting anything (even doing free stuff) was hard to come by. Mostly because if you said you would help out in the studios, then all you would be doing is sweeping dust up.
I did help out at an equipment rental studio in Atlanta that had just moved location (Moral Studio Support) and was helping Jay Moral (owner), build the place up. There was no hiring there, mostly cause he couldn’t afford it. But the ability to sit down, be involved, meet people, talk and also be around a lot of the equipment that I normally don’t have access to, was amazing.
Being an assistant was something I worked at very hard in Atlanta. Meeting with all the first assistants, going to industry cook-outs, helping out the first assistants (who one day want to be photographers too) on their own shoots and even lending out my gear, to help them out. Mostly cause most people only rent gear rather than own…which is smart and not smart depending on your market.
Needless to say, because of the timing of being in Atlanta, I never got any paid gigs and it kind of put me in a “if no one will give me the experience, then I’ll do it myself” idea. In the end though, I wish I could still have broken into the assisting realm.