Advice on assisting Weddings

[emily.c]

Hi
I just wondered if anyone had any advice on how to approach assisting a wedding photographer?

I currently feel like this :bang: because I don't seem to be getting anywhere.

I've been working as a photographer full time since last June & have done some wedding photography training, but would really love to assist a wedding photographer for a decent amount of time to gain real experience of what it's actually like. At the moment I just do family portraits but really want to get into Weddings.

Last Summer I wrote to or emailed every photographer I could find via the web or yellow pages in my City/County (which I've now moved from) offering to volunteer for free but got no where. Is this something you should pay a photographer for?

Has anyone got any advice on how would be best to get somewhere with this? Or is it best to just give up the idea? I can understand why a photographer might not want to let another photographer assist them, but at the same time lots of professionals seemed to have started out that way

Any advice/tips etc much appreciated!

 

[Hacker]

You've just got to keep plugging away until you succeed. Some photographers prefer to work alone and others might see you as a future threat to their income particularly if you are in a small/medium town.

Where are you based?

 

[smooth]

Hi Emily!

And welcome to TP!

A quick post to get you started - I am not a pro by the way.

I think you may struggle to find an assistant job/experience with a self employed tog because they will see it as effectively training up competition in the area.

There are some amazing courses run in wedding photography which you pay to go on - but all give glowing references. There have been a few here on TP.

I am sure a few people who have attended them will be here in a mo!

Oh and nice one for getting all set up with training first - TP get a lot of posts from first time DSLR owners looking to shoot their first ever wedding for £800 this weekend!

All the very best of luck for your career - I look forward to seeing your work if you fancy sharing.

 

[-Rob-]

I'm not a professional but I have shot a few weddings and I have a few more booked in for this year and next. So far I have just used friends to assist me and I'm returning the favour to one of my friends by assisting him at a wedding later on this year. I've never had any training and never assisted a pro but it's something I'd be interested in doing to learn from them.

Obviously from a pro's point of view they'd like their assistant to be pretty much as good a photographer as they are. That's assuming they are a second shooter rather than just a run about assistant. For someone looking to get in to the business amd has ambitions to turn pro themselves one day then it's not in the best interest of any pro to offer you work so it's going to be very difficult to find one willing to help you.

If you are anywhere in the North West of England and willing to travel then I could let you know when I'm doing my weddings this year and you could maybe come along and see what you can learn from it. I see this is your first post so obviously I'd want to know a lot more about you before firming up any offer.

 

[AliB]

Join one of the professional associations and go along to meetings/training days. That way you are getting yourself in the right arena. Once you have been to a few you can let folks know that it's something you would like to do and ultimately you are there to learn and with the right people and you should find the doors open a little bit.

(Tis what i did)

 

[DiddyDave]

Hi Em

As Hacker says there is common distrust with the idea of 'training' someone who will set up in competition nearby - actually, this happened to me at the end of last year, but that's a long story

Let's imagine for a second you are NOT going to be in competition with the photographer you approach, here's what I see as your (anyone's) biggest question to answer...

Photographer asks: Why should I let you tag along and train you for free?

You answer: ??? :shrug:

IMO there are only 2 reasons I'd have an assistant ever again:

1) they brought something to add to my services I couldn't do myself and that adds real value. That could be they are fab at Photoshop, or good at marketing, or even that they'd deliver leaflets 2 hours a day everyday - but you have to bring real value with you

2) I'd have an assistant if they paid me for the experience

In both cases it's also important that you are easily liked, tactful and well presented - great photographers who are prats won't get very far

So if you apply this thinking to yourself, try to work out what you can bring to the photographers you are approaching that may interest & benefit them in letting you tag along

Good luck btw

DD

 

[DiddyDave]

Join one of the professional associations and go along to meetings/training days. That way you are getting yourself in the right arena. Once you have been to a few you can let folks know that it's something you would like to do and ultimately you are there to learn and with the right people and you should find the doors open a little bit.

(Tis what i did)

As opposed to me where I just decided to be a Wedding Photographer one day and my first Wedding was the first I'd attended in any aspect of photography

As has been said many times before, photography is only a small part of being a Wedding Photographer - and it's all the rest of the 'stuff' that you need training on more than how to say 'cheese'



Does anyone ever say 'cheese'???

DD

 

[AliB]

Depends how close you are standing

(just kidding oh fragrant one )

 

[emily.c]

Hi
thanks for all your advice, didn't expect a reply for a few days!

I'm based in Norfolk, which is smallish I guess! Might be a bit too far away to assist you rob, that's typical...but thanks for the initial suggestion (though I have a car...so...!).

Also, I hadn't really thought about approaching it as a second shooter, just as a general extra pair of hands to carry equipment. I'll give that some thought though...same with professional associations. Though I find them a bit intimidating tbh:baby:.

The course I did was meant to include assisting at a Wedding but they took it out of the programme. It was a really good course minus that. Are there ones you can assist people on?

It's so tricky because, like most of you've said, I 100% get why a photographer wouldn't want to train someone up who's gonna go off & work elsewhere...I guess I'd feel the same... But I'd love to have a mentor

I think I may get back on the case over the weekend though!!
thanks

 

[emily.c]

Hi Em

So if you apply this thinking to yourself, try to work out what you can bring to the photographers you are approaching that may interest & benefit them in letting you tag along

Good luck btw

DD

DiddyDave,
thanks, I guess I'm guilty of not thinking about it like this (!!) ...possibly why I had no success last year :-S
But I really like this idea, I think I'd feel more comfortable approaching it this way as well.

 

[ryanyboy]

Where abouts in Norfolk are you Emily? I'm in Cambridgeshire (not far from Ely).

Is it possible to see some of your images perhaps?

 

[wrx_dazza]

Well done Emily for at least looking people up and advertising your services.

I'm of the old school "In at the deep end" mentality, but that's what works for me and we are ALL different.

Try asking friends to take their pictures in parks and maybe even in a studio (you could share the cost with like minded people) to get your portfolio up !!!

If you keep chipping away, you never know, you just might get the break you need. If you dont, well then you never will !!!

--- keep going for it !!!

 

[alexkidd]

In all honesty it might be worth offering your services to people who are truely brassic, drop an ad in the paper outlining your current capabilities and take it from there, as long as both parties are aware of the risks and what's required from both then i'd say it's reasonably fair

i've assisted at two weddings and have a couple more lined up to do with someone else and on my own, i'd say it's a mixture of the above approach and confidence in your ability to produce along with a bit of research on the subject will get you a good start if you're having problems finding a pro

that said, the search function on this forum is a bit naff sometimes so you may have to dig

ability to adapt, being firm without being rude, having back ups and also a rough plan would be the things i've picked up from here the jobs i've done (and snapzz)