Yesterday, I posted an interview I did with local Minneapolis/St. Paul photo assistant TJ Turner. You can see the full interview here. During the interview, TJ talked about the internship he did in NYC after his schooling at Hallmark. Today I received a handful of inquiries about internships, both information from photographers offering internships, as well as a few questions from students about finding good available internships. Casey Templeton, a Richmond, VA-based photographer was one photographer who emailed me to let me know about the two available internships at his studio. Casey did his internship at National Geographic Magazine, and has since launched a very successful career as a commercial photographer who has fully embraced the new social media culture and has pulled off a self-promotion to the likes I have never seen before (see video below). I would say that Casey is providing an excellent opportunity for two deserving photo students… better jump on it while the gettin’s good! Deadline is April 1st. Get all the info on the internships here.

If you are a photographer or creative professional and have internship opportunities at your studio that you would like to make known on APhotoAssistant.com, please send me an email with a link to your studio’s page here. I will be posting all opportunities on a separate page at APhotoAssistant.com and updating them regularly.

Casey Templeton Photography 2010 Promo from Casey Templeton on Vimeo.

Too shy for light-test?

TJ Turner is a photo assistant and photographer based in St. Paul, MN. I sat down with him recently to talk about some of the stuff going on in his world of photography.

APhotoAssistant: Hi, TJ, thanks for spending some time with us today. Tell me when you first started assisting and, if you went to school?

TJ: Hey thanks for having me.  Well let’s start from the top… I went to a few different colleges in Minnesota trying to find a photo program that I liked.  In 2006, I toured a school in Massachusetts called Hallmark Institute of Photography. I was not ready to move 2,000 miles from home at that point in time, but after trying out some different schools in Minnesota, I was ready to give it a shot and moved out east in August of 2008.  It was an intense ten month program, and glorious, it was a complete commercial program.  From there I learned about assisting and the basis for what is done on a set.  So I guess my first technical assisting job was over spring break of 2009 with Matt Karas on a set for Pointe Magazine.  That week I also lined up an internship with Studio D for the Hearst Corporation for that summer.  That’ss where I really got my start assisting.

APA: So what was your overall experience with school? Was school necessary for you to get started in your photography career?

TJ: I had a great experience with school, I made some great friendships and great business connections as well. For myself school was a definite yes, as far as getting a start in photography. My parents work in elementary education and biological sciences, so not much of an arts background. I was starting basically from the ground up. My opinion on the school vs. no school debate is that in most cases school is going to help, but my preference is in the direction of trade schools. Hallmark was a perfect spring board into the commercial photography world, but it really depends on the person and their background. A person who has a very heavy photographic background is going to be less likely to need what someone like me needed to get that basis built for their knowledge in photography.

TJ hanging out in NYC.

APA: When did you return to Minnesota and tell us why you decided to come back? I mean, did you think about staying out east? New York, or somewhere else, maybe?

TJ: Well I came back to Minnesota this past August, for several reasons, but one of the primary reasons was that New York, where my internship was, was expensive and I was running very low on funds. Initially, I had thought I could stretch a dollar a little farther, but it’s a pricey place to live, and also I had been away from family and friends for a long stretch of time. Plus the Twin Cities are a great place to live and work, and there is a pretty good market here in the creative sector. So I thought that I would make a run of it here. So far so good. I’ve been meeting some great people and have been working on some interesting sets.

APA: What sort of interesting sets have you been working on? Tell us a little about a recent shoot.

TJ: Lately I’ve been working on some fairly simple sets, I’ve been working a lot with Chris Bohnhoff. Chris’ specialty is with food, so we did some promo work recently fro Brother’s Deli in Minneapolis, photographing sandwiches and etc. We also did some editorial shooting for an in-house magazine for Best Buy, and one of their designers. More recently, I’m working some with Sara Rubinstein, and we just finished Fashion Fight Night 4 for Twin Cities Metro Mag. So its been a busy past couple weeks, with shoots and prep work. Otherwise I’ve been on a few interesting sets in New York, where there have been guards on sets with expensive jewelry, and I’ve also met Dr. Oz on a set for O Magazine. Nothing too extreme yet, but I’m enjoying everything that comes my way.

APA: Wow, TJ! Sounds like you’ve been keeping pretty busy. Has the economy impacted how much work you’re getting? What’s it like out there, on your own? Tell us a little bit about running your own business, starting out in your first year.

Horsin' around, errrr... light-test on location.

TJ: I’m definitely enjoying everything. The way the economy is effecting assisting is fairly unfamiliar to me, I entered at what was a very rough time for assistants and photographers (as far as I’ve been told). But I’ve been keeping busy with assisting and shooting my own work for fun and portfolio. As far as running my own business its interesting, but I’ve been lucky to have a large number of people that I can use for resources and are willing to help me and explain the ins-and-outs of the business side of assisting, which needless to say can be relatively confusing.  But its very exciting and is part of the game.

APA: What sort of things do you like to shoot? Do you know you’re style, or do you think you’re still developing that?

TJ: I like to shoot most anything. But primarily I prefer to photograph people. Lately I’ve been really into lifestyle and environmental portraits.  I’m definitely open to other types and styles of photography, so I guess what I’m trying to say is that I have a couple preferences but I’m really open to just about anything, with a few exceptions. As long as I’m dealing with photography I’m happy really, mostly.

APA: Have you had any paid shooting gigs yet in your career?

TJ: I’ve done a few, primarily band work and a few headshots, and some other things, as well. But, I’d really like to get into some lifestyle shooting, along with environmental portrait work.

APA: What’s the best piece of advice, best technique, best use of gear, or just something you learned, that you would like to pass on to other assistants and emerging photographers?

TJ: I think that the best advice is that its a huge game of connections, when it comes down to it the creative sector is a lot of who you know. So always be friendly and always put your best foot forward on every set you work on, whether its a huge production or assisting on head shots. If you can treat every set like its the most important set you’ve worked on and bring a positive attitude. Otherwise don’t be afraid to say you don’t know how something works.

APA: Sounds like sound advice, TJ! Thanks for spending a little time with me here and letting me get your perspective on things today in the photo assisting world. Before I let you go, can you give us a sense of what else you are into these day?

What’s spinning in the iPod?

TJ: Magnetic Fields, Velvet Underground, Old Crow Medicine Show, and the occasional random Disney song.

APA: Your new favorite website?

TJ: I’m a complete Hulu addict, otherwise I don’t surf too much… I just stick with a handful of sites.

APA: Your favorite photographer today?

TJ: For the last few years, Sam Jones. His image quality is amazing.

APA: And how about a new favorite book?

TJ: Let the Great World Spin is what I’m reading now.

When I arrived at the studio, there were about 20 dogs of all shapes and sizes in the front room–Jack Russells, Border Collies, terriers, retrievers, even some beagles. The dogs and owners were a little anxious. When I walked into the studio, everyone was happy to see me. I knew the photographer, Barbara O’Brien, from a shoot a couple years back. She also operates The Animal Connection, her normal gig for the past 20-plus years, where she has provided animal talent for photography. She told me the assistant she normally uses was unavailable that day, and decided she would try to do it all herself. Unfortunately, she got in over her head real quick. I told her not to worry, and just tell me what she needed me to do and how I can help her best. She quickly explained that the shoot that day was just a straightforward casting call for a dog, for a retail ad. The lighting was already set, so we quickly determined our process and workflow and got the first dog onto the set in about ten minutes.

Believe it, or not, this is quite common, especially these days. Budgets are tight, turnaround time is short, and photographers are trying to do everything themselves… and then all hell breaks loose. If you think this photography gig is a cake-walk, well, I got news for you. You gotta be on top of your game, ready to do anything and everything, so that when you get a call like this and the photographer asks, “How soon can you get here?,” you are ready to tackle whatever task is at hand when you walk through the studio doors and onto the set. I’ve seen things go to hell-in-a-hand-basket even when there is adequate crew and equipment. Sometimes it’s just the nature of a photo shoot. Other times, Murphy’s law comes into play or some minor catastrophe causes a delay in production. When things go sour, take it with a grain of salt, keep your cool, and be a problem-solver. That’s why the photographer called you. When you find yourself working with someone new, just as I did, ask them directly what they expect of you. Let them know if you aren’t familiar with a piece of gear or software that they’re using. Getting a quick tutorial before starting is better than when you’re in the middle of the shoot and realize that you’re in over your head. Listen to directions, communicate, and take action. Make sure everyone involved is on the same page.

In my situation, it was imperative that we got going quickly, as the dogs were being stressed and the trainers were getting impatient. Once we got the first few dogs photographed, we were up to speed and the rest of the day went pretty well. I adjusted lighting, as necessary. I kept an eye on the photographer’s camera settings, as she was moving around quite a bit, and sometimes the aperture was accidentally bumped. I downloaded CF cards into Lightroom and checked focus and made backup copies onto an external drive. I think we shot 40-50 dogs in the next three hours. We kept the dogs happy and had lots of fun with them and their owners. We even finished on time! Quite miraculous when you consider we were two hours behind schedule when I arrived at the studio! I was happy, the photographer was happy. Now, I have a new client that I can expect to get lots more work from real soon.

When I find myself working in a new studio, or on-location, I take a little time to get familiar with my surroundings. If I don’t have that time, I just remain calm, but keep my eyes and ears open extra-wide and make an extra effort to make mental notes about who, what, where, how, and why. Who is doing what? What, exactly, is my role? Where is the main power? Where’s the fire-extinguishers? What will the photographer need next? Where is the grip gear? Where is there a first-aid kit? Is the client comfortable or need anything? Where are the emergency exits? Where are the restrooms? Where is there a broom and a mop? Are there any dangerous situations around me? What can I do to make things safer? Are cords secure and taped down? Are there sand-bags on light-stands and equipment that need to be secured? Be pro-active and find what needs to be done, instead of having to be told. This will go a long way for you, especially when you walk onto a set in mid-stride and help pick-up the pieces.

When things go wrong, and they will, make a mental note of these things. As a photo assistant, ask yourself how the problems could have been avoided. Or, talk with the photographer or first assistant, after the shoot. Maybe the photographer had camera or lighting gear you were unfamiliar with. Go home and download the user manual from the manufacturer and study it. Rent a pack and a couple heads, or, ask the photographer if you can come in the following day to help clean-up a little and work with some of the unfamiliar equipment. Maybe you didn’t understand the lighting set-up. Learn more about the lighting scheme that was being used by researching online or in books at the library. Were you familiar with the digital back and software being used? Learn the capture software and the workflow techniques that were used so you can step-in if necessary. You can find almost everything you need to learn online these days. Search YouTube for videos of lighting techniques and practice on your own. Search for other blogs about lighting, gear, and software. Use magazine tear-sheets to dissect a lighting scheme. Join a local camera club or community photo center, and learn from, and teach, others.

I cannot stress enough about continued self-education. As an assistant, you should always be learning something new from every shoot you work on. This will help insure that you are ready for anything and everything. Until you can get oodles of experience, the more you know, the better you can do your job, and the more call-backs you will get.