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Going pro: upping your level of responsibility
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A good assistant photographer is just as important as a
good photographer
This is the first of an ongoing series about what it really takes to be a professional photographer.
I was at a wedding this past weekend. The bride was beautiful, the groom was charming, the food was great. In short, it was a fun time. The photographer seemed to be everywhere at once and a little flustered, and I got to wondering why he didn't have an assistant to help him out. As it turned out, he had an assistant at the house where the girls were getting ready, but for some reason, he or she bailed on him.
I'm shocked and appalled. This is unprofessional on so many different levels, it's absurd. First, she threw a potentially major monkey wrench into the works of the wedding, one that, fortunately, did not affect the actual event. But it seemed that she paid no consideration to the fact that she was affecting a very special day for the bride, groom, their family and friends. Secondly, she risked another professional's reputation. Now, he couldn't rely on her for different angles of shots, assistance in arranging reflectors for perfect formals or to grab him a different lens or a new battery. to positively ruined her personal reputation as a reliable photographer, whether as an assistant or on her own. Lastly, but most obviously, she's ruined her reputation. That photographer won't hire her again, his friends and colleagues won't hire her either. She's stamped with a label of being unreliable.
There's no doubt that being an assistant is hard work and can seem like a thankless task. You have to be content with the quiet glory of snagging a few good shots that will make the head photographer look good and that look pretty good in your portfolio. You have to be satisfied much of the time with what you are learning and how you are helping to better the final product. It's not easy to put aside your ego and forge ahead. If you're working with great photographers who is give you good feedback along the way and are appreciative all the time, it makes it a lot easier (I've been lucky very lucky in that regard). But in the heat of the action, you might not get that thanks until the day is over. A little patience can go a long way.
Remember, even if you're "only" the assistant, there's a big picture to consider. You're working toward a final product, which is the photos and yourself.
