[Les Meehan]

Two questions. What type of photography/assisting do you want to do and where are you located?

Being a good assistant is NOT the same as being a photographer! If you want an apprentice/junior photographer type position look at bigger studios rather than one-person setups. If you want to work in the fields of advertising/editorial then you need to be thinking as a self-employed person and make the decision to be the best freelance assistant in the world. There are always new photographers who can't afford to pay good money for an experienced assistant (worth their weight in gold when you find one though) and will be happy to have extra help cheap (if that's what you want to do).

OTOH, if you believe you can be the best of the best then pitch at the top named photographers working in the field yuo want to go into and work down from the top (this is easier than going from bottom to top). Often you will find the top names are more likely to give a young person a break since they have nothing to fear from you whereas someone starting out will likely have the usual paranoia regarding competition from others and be less likely to help.

Remember these points for a good assistant:

1. Enthusiasm and stamina are more useful then photo knowledge. Always get there 5 minutes early and NEVER one minute late. Make the first cup of coffee straight away.

2. No-one has the time/inclination on a shoot to teach you anything, you learn by observation and listening (questions posed at a convenient time may be answered if you are lucky)

3. NEVER get smart and tell the photographer your ideas in front of the client, always be diplomatic and don't expect credit for an idea.

4. Make the best coffee in the world and know where to get the best food near the studio since you will likely be going for the lunches

5. Make sure you get paid! Don't be soft and never be fooled by the carrot on a stick routine i.e. if you do this job for free I promise to pay you next time. Never happens!

6. Persevere, persevere, persevere! You will get down-hearted, bounce back and always be happy even under extreme pressure.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Les