<p>I've recently acquired my first studio assistant job this past month, and the further I get into it the more confused I am. I live in metro detroit, so there aren't a ton of huge photographers around, and the man I'm working for used to be really big but business has slowed down as the industry has gotten crowded. Anyway, I read somewhere that the only way to land an assistant position was to work for free, so I agreed to work for free when I got the job. As far as I knew, a studio assistant helped maintain the studio's appearance, helped with clients, social media, lighting, etc. However, this photographer has me come in every single day, including weekends, and the bulk of my work seems to be doing things he just doesn't want to do. My first two tasks were painting the whole studio as well as the kitchen area (he lives in his studio), he wants me to organize his attic (even though it's mostly his old clothes and heirlooms and kitchen supplies crap), dust off his kitchen cabinets, paint windowsills, mop everything all the time, change out lightbulbs on a 40ft ladder, and I feel like a janitor. Plus I'm doing absolutely all of this for free and I'm barely learning anything about photography, which is why I wanted the position in the first place. Is this what a studio job usually entails?</p>
