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| Photo by Nat Rogers as an assistant. Nat is now a fulltime professional photographer.Only an assistant can get shots like this. Pure Gold! |
By far,in my opinion, the best way to get into Wedding Photography is by assisting a seasoned Wedding Photographer on at least one shoot or several.
To a certain extent you can have this experience by watching you tube videos but it is not the same as being there.
There is a benefit to the Assistant and the main shooter.
For the main shooter, the Assistant can do all this.
1. Help to navigate and sometimes drive your car.
2. Make sure you don't leave gear behind and carry some of your gear for you.
3. Remind you during the day of shots you may have missed earlier. Sometimes you run out of time in the pre-wedding shoot but important shots that you missed can be caught up with later.
4. Hand you different cameras,lenses and assist with lighting and reflectors etc.
5. Get great shots that you will not see if you are the principle photographer.
6. Pick up on relationship issues in families during the shoot.
7. Make creative suggestions.
8. Ask questions that make you think about what you are doing.
9. Help sometimes with people who don't know how to buttonhole a flower and similar.
Benefits for the Assistant.
1. Invaluable hands on experience of the dynamics of a wedding shoot including time constraints.
2. Learn about thinking on your feet.
3. Learn about relating to customers. What to say,not what to say.
4. Learning and fine tuning and practising your camera skills.
5. Learning the art of seeing.
6. With permission from the main shooter showing your potential customers some real work.
7. Usually you should be getting some payment for your services.
8. helping you decide whether you want to do weddings or not.
9. Experience in editing if allowed or even engaged to do so.
If you want to do this simply approach someone you know or contact listed photographers who may be very glad of some help. Not all will want you but just approach the next one.
You might like also to have a look at my video on the Profile of a wedding photographer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATgCH2ByWdE&t=257s
