15 year old assistant?

[jacobreiskin]

<p>Hello, I am looking to be an assistant and or a second shooter and i'm wondering as a 15 year old if I stand a chance at being hired. I having been doing photography for 6 or 7 years. I have shot family portraits and portraits of friends. I do landscape as well and I recently went on a National Geographic student trip in Tanzania to do photography. I take class in school and my father is also a very serious amateur and I have learned a lot from him. I shoot with a d300s/D80 with 70-200mm 2.8, 10-24, 35mm 1.8.... As a professional wedding/event photographer would you use me? Jacob </p>

[paul_k1664875007]

<p>If your portfolio is allright, and you have proven yourself, why not?</p>

<p>You already seem to have a nice set of equipment to begin with, and to have gathered working experience with it.</p>

<p>Be aware though that shooting a reception is different and far more hectic then e.a. shooting wildlife during a safari with a telelens and not having the pressure of making that one absolutely not to be missed picture. So to convince, you should not point to your equipment and previous experience, but show the pictures to convince the photographer to want to work for.</p>

<p>After all, in photography you're only as good as your last photograph.</p>

<p> </p>

[savagesax]

Take your portrait photo's to some of the pros in your area. The more you can do to get into this environment the faster you will be recognized as well as gaining formidable experiences. At your age most photographers won't mind teaching you and actually may enjoy having company at the weddings and social events.

 

Sadly, most people your age are not taken seriously. This is OK. Don't give up on your dreams. Perhaps think of it this way, there are millions of musicians around your age trying to make it in the music world, very few of the musicians are taken seriously, because of the age issue. Yet there are those really talented musicians that are considered to be at the pro level. Based on what you have said I have a feeling you could be one of these artists that can break into the professional wedding world at a young age.

 

I clicked on your name, but you don't have anything posted yet. I would suggest that you post some of your work and maybe even post a few of your images up for rating and critique. I would also suggest that you practice a lot, maybe 30 minutes everyday day, or longer, and try to post a picture a week for critiques.

 

I look forward to seeing some of your work.

[fotografz]

<p>Don't worry about taking wedding pictures yet. Become an assistant and learn the ropes before thinking about second shooting. In this rotten economy someone willing to bust a hump and schlep gear bags, set up lights, be a human light stand, hold reflectors and shadow the photographer with a lens bag at the ready is far more marketable. Youth then becomes an advantage.</p>

<p>In return you will gain experience through observation and direct contact, learn how to work with people in hectic and emotionally charged conditions, and how to apply your talent and skill as a photographer. </p>

<p> </p>

[neilambrose]

<p>Jacob, I suspect there's no barrier with your age as far as your potential ability or usefulness. But you may find your age presents prospective hirers with other issues regarding insurance and employment obligations, which you may not have considered.</p>

<p>For example, in some places you'd be too young to be added to public indemnity insurance and too young to be self-employed, so anyone hiring you could be liable for your employment status and employer taxes, as well as being uncovered in case of third party claims for loss or accident.</p>

<p>Some people may find they cannot hire you, irrespective of your potential or how much they might like to....</p>

 

[rt_jones]

<p>Child labor laws will limit your working hours and depending on your state they can be even more restrictive. Depending on where you are, even after turning 16 many of these restrictions may still apply.<br>

I could hire you but I'd have to have you home before 8 P.M. on a school night.</p>

[arnold_stipkins]

<p>Hey Jacob,<br>

I started my studio young but man, I wish I knew I wanted to be a photographer at 15. I'd certainly be open minded enough to bring on someone young like yourself as a third camera at weddings for a while. The most important thing to me is the strength of someone's portfolio and technical knowledge of photography.<br>

I must admit in reading RT's comment, the first thing I thought when reading your post was the laws regarding hiring someone 15 years old, so that may be a hampering until your 16 or so.<br>

If you can I would recommend talking with some of the professional photographers in your area, start for the best-of-the-best first, and see if they'll let you shot with them as a second or third camera. I wouldn't expect to get paid at first, as really at this point in your career (or anyone else starting out) their doing you a favor. You're getting the chance to see how they run a wedding, interact with the couple, bridal party, parents, coordinator, guest and so on. You also get an inside peak at how they pose, manage time and light and a number of other things, all of which are equally as important as creating the images.<br>

Hopefully after a few wedding if your images visually creative and being used as part of the album design, sideshows and home decor prints you'll start getting paid. Basically you've got to learn the ropes a bit and build a portfolio.<br>

Good Luck!</p>

[ianivey]

<p>Aside from labor laws, your age raises certain questions about your effectiveness as a second shooter at weddings due to lack of experience, and perhaps maturity. So if you asked me for a gig, I'd judge your maturity upon meeting you and observing your demeanor. Regarding experience, I'd ask you how many weddings you've been to, and how many you've taken pictures at. I understand the answers may be "a few" and "none," but I'm interested to know whether you have even basic knowledge, and from there, how well you'll be able to anticipate events, rather than require constant direction from me. So if you haven't been to many weddings, have you read wedding photography books? Can you tell me the typical sequence of events? Can you list moments where having two photographers is really valuable?</p>

<p>Then I'd look over your portfolio to find evidence that you can shoot in wedding-like circumstances, with regard to lighting (both bright, high-contrast scenes, and low-light scenes that feature people's faces well, etc.).</p>

<p>I'd look for talent at capturing emotion or key moments, as opposed to snapshots or merely good composition of a scene that lacked any kind of timing and human elements. In other words, wildlife, vacation, and landscape shots would be of limited value to me in deciding whether to hire you.</p>

<p>Probably most important (and there are other threads on this topic in these forums), I'd watch to see how you interact with me and others, and how conscientious you appear to be. Will you behave professionally? Will you arrive early? Are you eager to help with equipment, such as lighting setups, and with herding people?</p>

<p>There are many young, talented photographers who could readily add value as a second shooter at weddings. There are probably considerably more young, talented photographers who would not. :) But just being 15 isn't a complete bar to entry, no.</p>

[sherijohnson]

<p>I would say if you were in my area, I would definitely consider working with you if I liked your work ethic and of course your photography.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>When I was 15, I was working part-time as a photographer for the local daily newspaper, shooting mostly sports. My father had to drive me to assignments. By the time I was 16 and could drive, I was also working part-time as a darkroom technician at the paper. There was an older portrait photographer in town who I hung around with as much as possible. He offered to take me on as a formal apprentice but I was busy more with newspaper work and didn't pursue it. I would say attitude is the most important consideration. If need to have a good attitude and be willing to do what you're asked to do even if it's just carrying gear and fetching coffee. Find a photographer who will let you sweep the floors if need be, but get your foot in the door and keep your eyes and ears open to pick up as much as you can. Does your high school have a work-study program that places students in jobs with businesses in the community? If so, they might be able to approach a local photographer and would be taken more seriously than a kid off the street who they don't know.</p>

[savagesax]

I just saw that you uploaded some images, good for you! I enjoyed looking at them. It's pretty cool that at the age of 15 you were able to other of other parts of the world.

 

I think your nature images are pretty good! However, the portraits need some work. Pick up a book or 2 on lighting and posing. Then practace a bit using some of the techniques in the books. I probably have around 100 books just on photography and I never get board looking through them. I like to read!

 

I don't think you are ready to shoot any weddings, but you surely can assist and become a second shooter over the next year or 2.

[wedding-photography-denver]

<p>Hi Jacob.</p>

<p>My current second/assistant was 16 when he first shot with me. Its been 5 years since then and he still works with me. I took him on partly b/c he had the interest and partly because he was moldable. He now has his own stlye and can shoot most anything I can competently....</p>

<p>... come to think of it, I don't know why he keeps me around! haha.</p>

<p>Yes, I would consider your help if I were looking.</p>

[jacobreiskin]

<p>Thank you everyone for the great advice I will be talking to photographers in my area (Washington D.C.) to see if I can assist or shoot and improving my photography. Thank you Bob for looking at my pictures and giving me that advice, but i'm wondering if you have any suggestions on which books to get. Thanks.</p>

[shrubber]

<p>I remember when I was either 14 - 15 and it was my cousins wedding. The photographer actually noticed that I was facinated with his lens (As I had only seen a couple of 'white' lenses before, and I was using an compact camera, but with manual settings trying desperatly hard to get the settings right).<br>

The photographer offered to, very kindly, lend me his either 2nd or 3rd (film) body so I could shoot the couple too! I was estactic! When he was doing the formals I got to go with him and he showed me how to use the 'white lens' (As I called it at the time, such a n00b, it was actually a 70-200 2.8 I think), while he was using a differnet lens. Anyway long story short, I managed to get on so well with him that he offered for me to come to more weddings. (I also did a little bit of touch up work on some of my cousins photos, which he and my cousin aprechiated greatly). My mum said I couldn't becuase I had school work to do, but what it did show, is if you aprouch these people, or seem keen and eager, I think they'd be willing to give you a go. I didn't have a DSLR at the time, nor did I have much in the way of a portfolio (apart from photo manips / digital paintings by using photoshop).<br>

I'm sure with your portfolio and your gear you just have appear egar and willing to learn rather and better yet trainable, then say stuckup and set in your way. Maybe hope some relatives get married soon :)<br>

I'm still yet to shoot a wedding but I'm taking a friends at the end of the year - take that mum!</p>

[monica_cortes]

<p>Hi Jacob, I started interning and assisting for wedding photographers around 15/16 years old and I just turned 18. The hard part is finding the right people to work for. At the beginning I emailed photographers in my area to shoot for. It was hard at first because I did not have a website or online portfolio but I just wrote in my email my equipment and I have very good equipment so the people I first started working valued that. Once I made my website I contacted more wedding photogs to work with and I got a much better response. So I recommend investing in a website and writing in a blog and sending emails to photographers in your area and showing them your work. I look like I'm 15 or maybe younger ha which is sometimes a problem for the people I work with because they worry how it looks to their clients hiring a young kid. :/ Another bad thing about being young and assisting is that some photogs will not pay you for a lot of work! But don't fret because you are learning and gaining experience. But it still is a bummer sometimes because you work really hard and there is usually no compensation at the begining. I suggest trying to atleast ask to be able to use the photos for your portfolio because if your working with someone that won't than its harder to build your wedding portfolio. If you have any questions you can email me because I always like talking to shooters that are around my age ha: monicakcortes@yahoo.com and check out my blog ha : www.monicacortesphoto.com/blog and my website: monicacortesphoto.com<br>

good luck and keep shooting!</p>

<p>Monica</p>