Assistants on shoots

How does one go about finding an assistant? What are the rates they charge? I'm looking to do engagement shoots and am thinking I'll need one. Problem is, because I'm just getting started in this type of shoot I'm not getting paid by the couples (not much anyway since mostly it's for the portfolio) so I won't have much to offer the assistant YET.

Do you use interns?

Thanks!

I regularly use second shooter/assistants. Over the years I have a list of people that I can call on. I found them initially by posting on local forum boards such as (yikes....yes) craigslist and such. The best person that I found came from the local camera club which is a good source. There are no shortage of people willing and/or wanting to get a chance at this.

I've never found the need for an assistant at a normal engagement shoot. Normally you are dealing with just 2 people and it is not hard to deal with them. What makes you feel that you need an assistant at this, the wedding certainly.

I always make it a paid position and have a contract that they sign. Its not overly complicated, I supply all gear, they get to use whatever they shoot in their portfolio or website for the purposes of self promotion but they cannot market them in any other fashion. What I pay is based on the time that it will take and sometimes it is hourly and sometimes we figure out a set amount.

You shouldn't have any trouble finding someone to jump on the opportunity to help you but the concept is that you should normally be as knowledgeable or better than those you are hiring. They do this so they can learn. I find your comment that you are just learning somewhat cautioning. Perhaps you should be seconding for someone else before you jump in with both feet if you aren't comfortable.

If you can not afford to pay your self and you do not have much of a portfolio, what is it you have to offer the assistant/intern, in the way of teaching them something useful?

make sure you write something up, last thing you need is them using your shots in portfolio and not mentioning they were an assistant..been there!!
cheers
Darrin

At this stage in the game assistants=friends and family. You cant just call free labor from a student an internship.

gonzogolf wrote in post #12304784
At this stage in the game assistants=friends and family. You cant just call free labor from a student an internship.

ZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

get a friend to assist!!!!

ssim wrote in post #12304658
What makes you feel that you need an assistant at this, the wedding certainly.

Well, I'm pretty creative so I like to use modifiers as well as all natural light and It's certainly less time-consuming (not to mention less dangerous on windy days) to have an assistant hold a softbox on a boom or a reflector than to mess with a stand and sandbag. I'd like to focus on the couple instead of worrying about my gear and how I'm gonna carry it. I also shoot scenes where it'd be helpful to have more hands to hold objects or even my model (when it's ok with her of course) in non-conventional ways, because some of my work is fine art/digital manipulation based.

TopHatMoments wrote in post #12304707
If you can not afford to pay your self and you do not have much of a portfolio, what is it you have to offer the assistant/intern, in the way of teaching them something useful?

Whoa.. I didn't say I was just learning PHOTOGRAPHY. I have plenty of experience shooting in other areas, and very creatively. I just don't have any couples or engagement shoots in my port, therefore it's difficult at this stage to advertise my services for payment. That's why I'm doing "free" shoots so that I can GET them into my port and begin charging once I have some images to back my game... IMO that has nothing to do with my qualifications to teach an assistant about HOW to shoot an engaged couple. I will pay an assistant if that's what I have to do, which is why I asked about rates. Actually, I had a couple "barters" with photographers as an assistant but found it only took a very short time to learn what I needed to know so I didn't stay on since I wasn't getting paid. I was just curious if other photographers took on assistants in a simlilar fashion or if they just paid someone from the get go. And I wondered how they found these people. I look at Craigslist all the time and rarely see calls for assistants.

ssim wrote in post #12304658
I always make it a paid position and have a contract that they sign. Its not overly complicated, I supply all gear, they get to use whatever they shoot in their portfolio or website for the purposes of self promotion but they cannot market them in any other fashion. What I pay is based on the time that it will take and sometimes it is hourly and sometimes we figure out a set amount.

Sounds fair. What is a ballpark figure?

proimages wrote in post #12304768
make sure you write something up, last thing you need is them using your shots in portfolio and not mentioning they were an assistant..been there!!
cheers
Darrin

Good call... thanks!

gonzogolf wrote in post #12304784
At this stage in the game assistants=friends and family. You cant just call free labor from a student an internship.

Hmm that's what I thought. Unfortunately family are busy with their own crazy lives. I guess I need to make more friends!