APA/LA Assistant Boot Camp Weekend

I just got the following notice from APA LA about its upcoming workshops. Assisting is a great way to learn the business of photography. Many of the photographers I know, including myself, spent at least some time assisting other photographers. I had a friend in New York who, at that time, owned a light-rental business in addition to being a good shooter. He was able to connect me with advertising photographers in New York, where I assisted for about six months. I later rented my studio in the DC area to some of those same photographers for their out of town shoots. Assistants get paid better today, but they also need a whole lot more skills.

APA/LA Assistant Boot Camp Saturday May 3, 2008 With so many photographers seeking work, how can a photography student gain an edge? Until you can build a stellar portfolio and use it to market your photos, learn the business behind the business. Whether your goals include gaining more commercial experience or learning about being an assistant, this moderated panel of leading photography apprentices will provide the knowledge and confidence to send you in the right direction. We'll cover career opportunities and the ins and outs of getting hired in the industry. A good resource for film assistants, prop work and film crews. In this course, you can expect to learn:

Insight into industry expectations Identifying potential markets Effective communication and marketing strategies Whom you should know and how to develop a professional relationship Whom to contact to get hired What is expected of you when you are hired, & how to get paid for your work Managing self-income taxesWhat not to do, and things to look out for Demos of various lighting, camera and grip equipment In addition each participant will receive a copy of the APA/LA Assistant Handbook Breakfast and Lunch will be provided
Early Registration: (on or before May 1, 2008) Free for APA/LA Assistant ($125 Annual Fee) Student Members ($55 Annual Fee)
$60 Non-members

Late Registration:
$10 APA/LA Assistant and Student Members
$70 Non-members
* Black Book Raffle * The Black Book will be raffling off a FREE 10 Image Online Portfolio. Our
Blackbook.com website focuses on the work of the artist. This is your chance
to showcase your portfolio to the industry's best.
Photo Assistant Training 101 Sunday May 4, 2008 9:30 - 5:30pm (registration & breakfast: 9:30 - 10:00am) Anthony Nex Studio 3221 Hutchinson Ave Los Angeles, CA 90034 Attendance is limited to 20. Register Now!
(Prerequisite: attendance at APA/LA Assistant Boot Camp (2007 or 2008)

APA/LA is proud to present our new full day Photo Assistant Training course in conjunction with out Assistant Boot Camp. In this course, held on Sunday May 4th attendees will be able to participate in HANDS ON instruction and demonstrations in a more intimate atmosphere allowing participants to have the opportunity of handling the gear under direction and supervision. Basic lighting set-ups will be discussed in length and you will have the opportunity to take notes and draw diagrams. TIME PERMITTING, participants MAY be able to shoot a few frames for your records and note taking.

This course will cover:

Light modifiers: assemble and disassemble soft boxes, umbrellas, etc.
Light meter: work with a light meter
Light control: flags, nets, cutters, etc
Tungsten: hot lights and fresnel
Strobes: assemble different brands of strobe gear
Stands and Grip: work with a cstand and other grip equipment
Travel: what to expect, packing and preparing
Attitude: proper set etiquette
Marketing: ideas old and new
Syncing strobes: in studio and on location
Seamless: set up a seamless and background
Your Assistant "kit": tools for problem solving to make your job easier and help you shine.

What to bring:
Your light meters and SLR cameras (film or digital). (optional)
Notepad
Pen or Pencil
Admission: Breakfast and Lunch are included

APA Members - $99
Non Members - $149
Register Now!

Photo Assistant Opportunities

Returning to the topic of learning to be a photographer's assistant, APA/LA is offering an Assistant Boot Camp on Saturday, March 31 at the Anthony Nex Studio, 3221 Hutchinson Avenue, Los Angeles from 9:30-1:30. It is free to APA Student Members ($45 Annual Fee) and $50 for non-members. You can register at www.apa-la.org. I'll post the notice in class, but I'm sure you can find it on line.

Also, APA/LA announced an internship program they've set up with Santa Monica College and other local schools. I will do what I can to see if Pierce is part of that and making it so if it is not.

Photographer's Assistants

When I finished art school, I spent about six months freelancing as a photographer's assistant in New York. I was lucky in that I had a photographer friend who owned a studio lighting rental business and that my commercial photography teacher had gone back to New York to work in advertising design. Those two sources put me in touch with photographers who were willing to use women assistants (not that common in the early 1980s and a clue as to why I use my initials in my photo credits.) I was able to stay with my in-laws or friends, so I didn't have to pay rent in New York (my home was in the D.C. suburbs at the time.) In addition to the contacts I got from David and Tom, I also sent out hundreds of query letters to advertising photographers from lists I made by looking at work in the "Black Book" as well as by looking at credit lines, articles in photography magazines, and Communication Arts annuals. Today I'd be checking websites and sending my resume by e-mail.

When I set up my own studio, newly graduated photo students found me to look for work as an assistant. Every one of them will tell you they were paid on the day of the shoot and I always fed them well (not something I can say about the photographers for whom I worked.) Luckily, there are many photographers in Los Angeles, and many of them are in the market for assistants, either on a freelance or staff basis.

When starting out, it's a great way to learn. The money is a lot better than it was 25 years ago, but you are most likely to start out as a freelancer, working as needed by a lot of different photographers. If you have digital skills--meaning the ability to do the computer work necessary in today's studio--you can command top rates and will find steady work.

Unlike 25 years ago, assistants have resources for keeping in touch with each other and there are books on the topic of assisting. For some time, I've gotten an e-newsletter from Photoassistant.net, one effort to keep assistants informed and educated. If you check out the link, you can subscribe to the newsletter. It's free.

I noticed that they are offering workshops for aspiring or working assistants. Usually, these are held in New York, but they've scheduled one for San Francisco in April and are planning to hold one in Los Angeles. It looks like it may be a bit advanced for where Photo 10 students are right now, but it is something to think about for the future, especially if one is held in L.A. The price is a bit steep, but the program is quite intense and hands-on.

Many photographers' organizations offer special membership rates to students. This opens you to lots of information about the business of photography and the way individual photographers do things. I belonged to the National Press Photographers Association as a student, and I entered the contest they held annually for student photojournalists (I think I got an honorable mention for a feature or weather photograph one year.) I believe that the American Society of Media Photographers has a student membership rate and the Advertising Photographers of America may as well. Both ASMP and APA have chapters in Los Angeles which put on educational programs and student members are permitted to participate.

When looking for work as an assistant, it is good to know that photojournalists rarely have assistants, although some magazine photographers do. Advertising photographers and corporate photographers almost always use assistants, and the bigger the shoot, the more assistants on hand. Assistants rarely get to shoot, but they do get to know equipment really well. They also learn a lot about business management, clients, client contact, portfolio presentation, and logistics.

The most important skill an assistant can learn is to be one or two steps ahead of the photographer, rather like Radar O'Reilly on M.A.S.H. Needless to say, this is a thinking skill one develops from paying attention to detail and the big picture. Most of the time, a newbie assistant is a second or third assistant who gets to learn from the first assistant. Even if the newbie's job is largely about getting coffee, sweeping floors and keeping track of digital memory cards, it's a great learning experience. (And yes, people will want you to work for free to start, which is why it's easier to start if you still live at home. You might be able to get work/study credit from Pierce, too.)