An assistants life

Finally getting round to throwing my bit into the ring on the whole assisting thing going on over at 'A Photo Editor'. There is just no keeping up with APE at the moment they are not only prodigious with their content but full of huge surprises what with the launch of Photo Rank and everything.

I kind of wish I had this blog when I was back in the assisting trenches, lots of fine memories and crazy stories that would now be embellished in print. I mostly freelanced but had a few semi regulars and was a full timer first for almost two years. I have to say it was exactly what I needed and wanted, it isn't for everyone though we all have different paths. I learnt so much, but in the end I was more interested in the process then the technicalities, I enjoyed watching how people worked, their relationship with their subject whether it be alive or still didn't matter. Everyone has a different approach and it always fascinated me especially my first time out with someone new, how did they tackle things differently from the others; were they calm, nervous, high energy, a talker, quiet, shy, did they like music, silence, were they a screamer, a shouter or were they in total control, was it all an act, a means to an end, or were they for real, what you saw was what you got, how did they interact with the client, the models etc etc.

I remember my first real assisting gig here in New York. All so different from Dublin where you were lucky if you got a sandwich for lunch. I will never forget it, it was a shoot for Lady Footlocker on location at the Puck Building. I was living in Queens at the time and was still unfamiliar with the city. I made sure to get in early and find the building before treating myself to a diner breakfast to set me up for the day. So there I am on time, in the right spot, fortified and ready to go as 3rd assistant but what do you know theres a full fuckin catered breakfast WOW welcome to the big time sonny, wait till the gang back in Ireland hear about this, first lesson learnt, don't spend money on food and bring home any tasty leftovers. Of course I tucked in not wanting to show my naivety.

I got around a bit, assisted for alot of different types of photographers but the irony is that I didn't really end up working for anyone who shoots like I do now. I have to admit I was influenced by alot of these shooters stylistically in the beginning as it took a while for me to find my own visual language. I did a lot of fashion, catalogue, still life, portraits, celebrity, music, the whole gamut and had some amazing experiences along the way; taking the Concord to Paris (now that's an epic tale I will share later), working on the island of Barbuda off the coast of Antigua as Princess Diana and Princes William and Harry lounged around the pool on their vacation, a few short months before her death, almost losing my own life on a Swiss mountain top only for the photographer to reach out and grab me as I was about to slide past him off the edge of a 5000 ft peak, some close encounters with machetes in Jamaica, having gear stolen out of my room in a supposedly secure all inclusive resort in Barbados as I was having dinner with the crew. Ah yes good times.

Back in 1995 when I got here fresh of the boat the process of getting assisting work was a little different. There was no internet, no email, no cell phone for fuck sake; it was like the third world, so much for the land of convenience, we all had mobiles in Ireland, ok they were bricks but come on the only weapons at your disposal were a beeper and a resume, if you were lucky you had an old source book and friends already assisting who could get you going, otherwise it was over to Barnes and Noble to try and track down names and numbers. Yeah you had to fuckin call everyone to try and get a foot in the door. And yes everyone answered the phone with those immortal words 'STUDIO" even if they didn't have one, you were expected to and the photo district was alive and well. This was the mid nineties and the rental studio scene was just kicking into gear, Pier 59 Studios, Milk and Splashlight were still a couple of years out. Industria was the main player back then and I remember seeing an article in the long gone English magazine SKY on the place before my arrival in the USA. Fuck me that place looked cool an old Rolls Royce dealership, I wanted so badly to work there hey wait a minute the cyclops himself Albert Watsons got a place next door, magic. In the end my dream came through as some of the guys I was working with were frequent Industria users although nothing ever transpired with Albert. Oh and everyone shot chrome/transparency so it was all color meters and filter packs early on for me before the negative became the medium of choice. That was a god send; no more clips/snips, keeping elaborate film logs, judging balances and shitting bricks waiting to make sure you didn't have a cock up on your end.

Yes the beeper, resume, names, numbers and a roll of quarters for the pay phones it was all pretty prehistoric. The email is great, never have to have those awkward first phone calls of introduction. "Studio . . . . Hello yes my names Andrew Hetherington I am new in town and I am a freelance assistant and I am keen and eager - I know how to load most cameras, now which one is it you use again ah a Bronica - what strobe ? - aha the mighty 40,000 watt-second Ascor sure no worries if I hook that beast up the wrong way and blow myself to shit - sure I love your work I saw it in ? - any chance I could stop by - Oh this isn't a good time right you are busy on the casting couch - should I call back later or what ?". At least nowadays you can drop someone an email and they can chose to respond or not, don't worry if someone doesn't get back to you right away, takes me ages but I will be in touch.

So what do I look for in an assistant: well of course a hard worker, someone who is going to leave it all on the playing field, easy going but professional, someone who is going to contribute, we are a team dependent on each other for success. I don't have time for moaners. Its my name attached to the pictures so if there is a fuck up it will be my fault no matter who is responsible after all I am responsible for you I have hired you. Don't admit to knowing something you don't its a big no no. I have been caught out and now have to ask anyone under the age of 25 if they can load 2 1/4 film and don't worry I will be standing over you on that first roll just to make sure.

I like to work with the same people, but am always looking at the same time. I do hire friends, this is not always the best idea but I can trust them and if we are on the road I want to travel with someone I can have a conversation and a beer with at the end of the day. There can be a lot of waiting around on my shoots, so patience is an asset. Most of all I want to work with someone who's also passionate about photography and life, who is going to inspire me as much as I can inspire them, who is naturally curious, wants to learn and teach me at the same time. And yes always be early because I am. Oh and then bring your camera when we are on the road there maybe opportunities to do your own stuff, that was how I put my first book together.

I will want to meet you in person too if possible. I can usually tell in the first 30 seconds if we will get along or not. First impressions are everything. And don't worry if you have already come to see me and I have said I will be calling and I haven't I will eventually. I want to know that you are familiar with my work that's the reason you reached out, right ?. For god sake don't waste our collective time if you don't like what I do. No worries try and work for someone who's work you do admire. Do your homework ! You won't believe the amount of people who come see me, saw my name some where, have no idea what I do and certainly didn't bother to check out my site.

And before I stop the rant lets bring up that most uncomfortable of subjects money. I will always talk about it before we work so you know my policy upfront and we avoid any tricky apres job uneasiness. Don't be afraid to ask any photographer you interview with what their payment timetable is like. Better you know in advance that way you can make your own informed decisions and do whats right for you based on your own needs, personal, professional and financial. Fuck I even saw one photographer I worked for 8 years ago at a bash recently who hadn't paid me for a day I did, I also remember the time a rep paid me on behalf of a photographer and the check bounced, you wouldn't mind but I was the full timer, it was for 2 months solid work and I was in Ireland on my Christmas holiday only to discover that all my own checks had been returned as a result and I hadn't a pot to piss in, what a fuck up, that gig eventually came to an end because the photographer decided he wanted to make a change to the existing sketchy arrangement, after 18 months he decided he couldn't pay me on completion of job but I would now have to wait until he got paid, as if it wasn't bad enough already what with his rep already screwing me, wheres the fuckin loyalty, so I said sorry that wasn't going to work for me see ya. In the end one of his biggest clients ended up hiring me to do some of his work after they had a falling out or change of direction or whatever. Don't forget what comes around . . . . . .