Every week, I get around 5 calls from assistants looking for work. I thought I would list a few things that I look for in assistants as well as highlight some of the mistakes that are commonly made that would have a photographer choose somebody else.
One thing that never seems to have left me is that when you start out in this industry, jobs are far and few between. You learn never to say not to a job and always work to find a work around to shoot the job and it often works out that the bigger the plans you have, the bigger the job that comes through.
I started this conversation on Facebook but I didn’t want it to disappear once off the facebook wall. I wrote;
I see alot of slideshows on the web that photographers have created for themselves especially of weddings that use commercial music. I’m curious about how many of the slideshows have permission to use the tracks on this way.
It is very nice when your work is noticed. There is an article about me in the March 2011 edition of America’s Professional Photography Magazine. The article features a personal project of mine that celebrates people who offer their time and skills to make a difference. The project is called gratis.
I learnt a hard lesson about managing files on a shoot recently.
My workflow is usually very good with structures for separating shot files, downloading, backing up and double checking all files are accounted for.
I was on a shoot that we ended up shooting about 1500 frames on the D3x. I use the backup feature on my Nikons where each file is copied to 2 compact flash cards.
Last night I photographed an function at Victoria’s Government House where Professor Graeme Clark was awarded the prestigious Lister Medal, the most distinguished award in surgery, for his pioneering work with the cochlear implants.
Ever since I started using speedlights for almost all of my work, I have used the Nikon CLS infrared system which for most purposes worked very well. The main limitations were when the infrared failed becuase of bright light like daylight and distance.
Most of my current equipment geared towards efficient location work. It all needs to unpack and pack quickly and efficiently. For corporate portraits I often provide different variations and one is often a plain white paper background.
It is a privilege to work where the people regularly let me into their lives for a few hours. I had a deeply touching shoot recently photographing the Burnet family from Melbourne who are the Very Special Kids Piggy Bank Appeal Family for 2010. Their two boys have a terminal condition and the story of them finding out is absolutely heartbreaking.
I grew up in Canberra, and the school Narrabudah College, where I went to for years 11 & 12 was pivotal in me choosing my career as a photographer. This was mainly due to the inspiring photography teacher I had, Les Kovacs.
My parents and sister live there and I wanted to visit home, so I recently organized talks in Canberra for the ACMP at the Canberra Institute of Technology. I presented a talk on Photography Pricing as well as my Speedlight Talk & Demonstration.