As a freelance photo assistant you’re in business for yourself. This means that after you work for a photographer / studio you will be billing them for your services. And, generally speaking, there will be no payroll services or taxes taken out by the studio, the responsibility for paying taxes on this income is your responsibility.
Pay rates for the Cincinnati …

Though it was many years ago, I still remember my first days of photo assisting. You may feel like your entire career hinges on doing a great job that first day you work in a studio. Each individual studio will set their expectations slightly differently. Here’s how you should prepare:
1. Make sure you are there a few minutes early. Plan …

When you interview with a photographer about freelance assisting it is customary to bring a portfolio. That lets the photographer better understand your particular interests and level of accomplishment. Earlier we talked about displaying professionalism and passion. These qualities should be obvious in your portfolio. You will score bonus points for being neatly organized and having a uniform presentation. Make …

When we meet a new, beginning photo assistant for the first time they generally fall into one of two categories: passionate about photography or not-so-passionate. If you convey that photography is what you are meant to be doing, who you are and what you are all about then you are more likely to earn an assisting opportunity with our studio. …

My studio constantly receives phone calls and emails from people wanting to work for us. The people we hear from are all over the board, from hobbyists who think it would be interesting to see how a studio works to students intent on making photography a career. Who are we most likely to hire? To put it simply, the more …

If you are breaking into photo assisting then you will need to follow the opportunities. Cincinnati (where my studio, Daylight Photo, is located) has a large number of photo studios ranging from wedding and portrait to commercial and advertising specialists. In a small town or rural area the opportunities are more limited.
The first step toward breaking into photo assisting is …

Most every successful photographer agrees that time spent photo assisting is a necessary and valuable step in a photographers career. By assisting already established photographers you can learn how workflows, lighting techniques and client relations work in the real world. You will also see when things don’t work ideally and that can be just as valuable.
I began photo assisting while …

This evening I was reminded of the importance of professional organizations. I have long been a member of ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers). Every other month my local chapter hosts an event called Pints n Pixels, an opportunity for members to share their recent work and a beverage or two. I always leave these gatherings with a renewed enthusiasm …

This is the final entry in this overview section of the business of professional photography, entry number fourteen. I hope that you’ve learned something in prior entries that will compel you to keep checking back with www.prophotolife.com.
We share something in common: a love of photography. When you want to make a living with photography that means you seek to combine …

If you’ve read all of the business responsibilities sections and are still with me then it’s obvious you really want to be a professional photographer. There’s no way around it, if you’re going to survive (and thrive) in business then you have to understand how business works, whether you’re running a bakery or a photo studio.
All of this learning …