[by Ed McDonald]
I graduated from photo school quite awhile back, and while many things in this industry have changed quite dramatically, being a good assistant remains pretty much the same today. By and large it’s the attention to detail, a positive can do attitude, and the hustle that you bring to the assignment that will make or break your assisting career. Before starting off in my own photographic career, I put in three years as a staff assistant for a commercial ad photographer and two more years as a freelance assistant for out of town photographers, as I segued into my own photo business. The lessons learned doing so, were invaluable, and I often use them still to this day.
- Don’t bitch, and don’t complain.
- Be positive at all times, even if it hurts.
- If you don’t know how to make coffee, learn fast.
- Don’t ever sit down unless you are sure it is time to sit down, particularly if the photographer is still up and working.
- Be good at going to get things.
- Run don’t walk, when asked to get things. Hustle is the name of the game.
- When handing a lens to the photographer, hand it to them so it goes on the camera without he/she having to switch it in their hands. They notice!
- Anticipate every move, or at least try.
- Show up early, leave last.
- Go beyond what is asked of you to do.
- NEVER tell the photographer you know how to do something if you don’t! You will NEVER be asked back for that cardinal sin.
- Never up your rate when you feel you have the photographer in a bad spot.
- If you ask a photographer to get out of a booked gig with them, to do another better, longer, or higher paying gig with someone else, come to the photographer with another assistant already lined up to fill in for the same fee. But, if the photographer is nice enough to let you go do the other gig, know too that your future with them depends largely upon how well the other assistant did or didn’t do in your absence.
Here is a list of items for an assistant’s kit that you should consider bringing with you to your booked assisting gigs. The kit might include any or all of these of helpful items, but they are in no particular order of importance:
- A Light Meter
- Screw driver
- Leatherman type tool
- Fully charged and loaded iPod music player
- Apple charging cables
- Gaffer’s tape multiple colors
- Black sharpies
- Tape measure
- Exacto and carpet knives
- Pens
- Note pad
- Mints, gum, tums, Band-Aid’s, Advil, Tylenol, Aleve
- Heavy duty gloves
- AA Batteries
- Ziplock bags
- CF cards, SD cards, & Card reader
- Swatch book of gels
- On hand and ready, a valid passport
- Circuit testing plug
- Lens cleaning cloths
- Multi outlet adapter
- Pocket wizard cords, and an extra pocket wizard if you have one
- Allen wrench set
You don’t have to have this stuff, but if you show up with any, or all of it, don’t think it will go unnoticed and it very well might be the thing that sets you apart from any of your other competition.
Ed McDonald is a Corporate; Editorial Photographer that lives and plays in Central Florida, when not on the road for any of his national clients. He ran hard and fast for many a tog in his earlier days, which earned him a great reputation for being the go-to assistant in Central Florida back in the day!