There are a number of ways to start your career as a photographer, and as long as you constantly work your ass off, any way you choose will lead you somewhere. And for me, before I became an architecture and interior photographer in Dubai, I assisted photographers while I was still in the Philippines, which was the logical choice for me then, and I don’t regret doing it. I was a freelance photo assistant for almost ten years, so I’m writing this guide based on my personal experiences for people who choose to get a start through assisting and want to be good at it. Or at least, want to survive it.

1. You Are an Assistant, Not a Rock Star
First and foremost, you were hired to make the shoot less stressful for the photographer, so do everything you can to make his life easier, and to make the shoot successful. You will be asked to fetch a lot of things, and I mean a lot. Deal with it. Oh, and it doesn’t end there dude. You will be asked to do random tasks from the essential to the mundane. I guess what I’m saying is, be ready for anything and don’t bitch or complain about it. Well, while you’re still in the shoot at least (you have your friends, loved ones, or even fellow assistants for that). There is no room for your ego on set.

Never come on set feeling entitled, and never expect to get a pat on the back if you’ve done a good job. It’s not how things work, even in life. Sometimes you might get a thank you for all your hard work, but the ultimate compliment is to get hired again, and that should be enough.

Sadly, assistants are often seen as the least important people on the shoot, so expect to be treated that way. I assisted a photographer who told me that when he used to be an assistant, there was a hierarchy on set. Guess where the assistants are? At the bottom of the pyramid of course! It might not be as true today anymore though, but sometimes you could still feel it. Do not get discouraged by this and always keep your head up. Smile, if you can. You have to keep in mind that the photographer needs you, which is why you were hired in the first place. That makes you important, doesn’t it?

2. Don’t Be Such a Crybaby
Always have a positive attitude on the shoot, even if you’re having troubles in your personal life. Shoots are stressful enough as it is, and there’s no need to spread your negativity to others. Besides, you should always be professional in the workplace.

Dude, being a photo assistant can also be tough on your morale, especially when the photographer you’re assisting is having a bad day. You can quickly become the outlet for all his frustrations during the shoot, so you can’t afford to be sensitive about every bad thing that happens to you. Suck it up and do your job like you’re happy to be there. When the day is over, leave every bad feeling you have with the shoot. There’s no need to bring them home with you.

Of course, you always have the option to walk out on a shoot and abandon the photographer if he’s being such an ass and you feel like you don’t deserve that kind of treatment. Always remember that you deserve the same amount of respect as any other person on the shoot. After all, you are a person. If you ever decide to walk out on a shoot though, keep in mind that there will be consequences. But if you feel like it’s the right thing to do then by all means do it.

3. A Little Loyalty Comes a Long Way
I’m not saying you should be willing to die for every photographer you’ll be assisting (insert epic war story ala Game of Thrones or The Lord of the Rings here), but make yourself trustworthy. That means you should never hand out your own business card and portfolio (while you’re on an assisting job) to clients, lie about any crucial mistake you made on the shoot (or blame it on others), make up rumors about the photographer, reveal any sensitive information (especially personal matters) about the photographer (and his business), say that you did something when you actually didn’t, say that you know something when you actually don’t, speak ill of the photographer (especially to people working in the industry), or steal clients by undermining the photographer. Oh, and never, ever, cancel on a photographer you’ve already said yes to just because another photographer approached you with another assisting gig that has a higher paying day rate. Dude, that’s just wrong even if you can get away with it.

If photographers knew you could be trusted, they would be more comfortable around you, and it may lead to recurring work, referrals, and possibly, bigger roles on the next shoot. Ultimately, being trustworthy is ethical and any decent person would know that. How would you feel if one day your assistant does these things to you?

4. Working Your Ass Off

I’ve worked with other photo assistants who just stand around on shoots, waiting to be told what to do. Do not be one of them. Anticipate what the photographer needs (or at least try to), and have everything ready so you can quickly hand it to him. I guess the best way to go about it is to think like a photographer. That way, you could at least have an idea on what he might do next. Punctuality is also important, and if you can, come a bit earlier than what you’re told so you can double check all the equipment the photographer would be bringing, avoiding the headaches caused by leaving something essential behind. Never forget anything, and never be late.

If you have the means, bring a set of AA and AAA batteries, CF cards (SD cards in some cases), a coin (you'd be surprised how handy a coin can be), a color meter, Gaffer’s tape (or any tape that’s strong enough to tape anything), a gray card, an iPod (or any music player), a lens cloth, a light meter, a notebook and a pen, a set of Allen wrench, a spirit level, or a tape measure when you show up on assisting gigs. Of course bringing these things with you isn’t necessary (I managed to show up on shoots without bringing anything which makes me a crappy assistant now that I think about it), but this will show the photographer you’re assisting that you’re definitely serious, and you will surely get hired again. Just so you know, assistants from abroad bring these all the time, and they even have their own heavy duty gloves and utility belt to go with it.

Being an assistant doesn’t just stop with the photographer you’re working for. If you can, offer help and support to other people on the shoot. I know it’s not your job, but an extra hand always takes a little bit of pressure off of everyone. Hard work will never go unnoticed, so always remember that. When you’re always the hardest working person on the shoot, you will surely climb on top of photographers’ lists of assistants to hire. Be weary of overworking yourself though. Take short personal breaks when you can, as long as the photographer is also taking his personal break (or when it’s the least busy on set). Just don’t take too long because there’s always something to do.

5. Pay Attention
I can’t stress this enough. You need to constantly be aware of everything. And I mean everything. Paying close attention would prevent you from knocking equipment over (and breaking them), losing any of the photographer’s equipment (or leaving them behind), or moving props (or furniture) that have already been set up for the shot. Being aware of what’s going on around you would make you less prone to mistakes, and much more effective.

Every photographer is different, and each has their own “system” (or flow) when they work. Paying attention helps you get in sync with that “system” sooner, making you more efficient on set.

You should quickly familiarize yourself with the technology (camera system, lighting system, and software) each photographer uses because something will eventually go wrong, and knowing the ins-and-outs of these things will show the photographers that you are on top of things. Most photographers won’t mind if you don’t know anything on your first day, but unless you learn fast and pick up on things, you’re pretty useless on set.

Lastly, paying attention would help you foresee any potential problems that might occur on set. When something does go wrong, think on your feet so you could offer solutions to the photographer.

6. When to Open and Shut Your Mouth
Communication is the key to a smooth and successful shoot, so learn to speak up when you have any concerns, questions, or suggestions. Be discreet about it and only raise them with the photographer. One of the worst things you can do is go directly to the client (or anyone on the shoot for that matter), making the photographer look bad. Expect not to get hired again if you do.

Sometimes, the photographer gets caught up with what he’s shooting that he tends to forget other things (even the important ones). Remind him. One of the many roles of an assistant is serving as the photographer’s second set of ears and eyes, and it’s your responsibility to say something when you see something. Just don’t forget to be discreet.

There are times when you would find yourself becoming a photographer’s sounding board, asking you questions to bounce ideas off of. Be truthful with your opinion and do not give an answer just because you think that’s what the photographer wants to hear. Nobody likes a kiss-ass, and they can see right through it. If anything, you should grab that opportunity to show the photographer that he made the right call when he hired you.

7. Learn as Much as You Can
Assisting, in my opinion, is the best opportunity you can have to gain experience as you transition into becoming a photographer in your own right. You’re working closely with photographers, and this provides you with a first-hand look on how they shoot, light, retouch images, direct models, deal with clients, and most importantly, run a photography business. Take advantage of that. Do not be afraid to ask questions either. You’d be surprised how much knowledge a photographer is willing to impart, but do it at the appropriate time. Do not ask questions when you’re in the presence of the client, or while the shoot is going on because you don’t want to look like you don’t know what you’re doing or you don’t deserve to be there.

If you’re willing to push it further, learn how to shoot video, or how to do outstanding image retouching. This not only allows you to be valuable to a photographer, but it branches you out to more opportunities for work. Branching out exposes you to different fields in photography, and you might find something you really like in the process. You might even discover that you don’t want a career in photography, and that’s okay. That’s what assisting is for. It lets you test the waters before making a huge commitment in your career.

8. It Doesn’t Hurt to Be Nice, You Know
You will meet a lot of people in your assisting gigs (art directors, clients, editors, hairstylists, makeup artists, models, other assistants, photographers, stylists, etc.). Use that opportunity to make connections because you might end up working for them, or with them, in the future. After all, photography is also about building relationships. Some of them might even be able to help you land your first shooting assignment, or even be able to help you organize photo shoots for your portfolio, or personal work. Do not be nice just because you think they can help you out though. Be genuinely nice to everyone, just as you should in life. Who knows, you might even make a friend in the process.

9. Bad Days Are Inevitable
No matter how good you are at your job, or how much effort you put into assisting, there will always be bad days. Listen, I’m not trying to scare the hell out of you. Heck, even photographers have bad days dude. Chill out because people make mistakes.

I remember dropping a photographer’s Broncolor Boxlite and ended up breaking it. It was a long day of shooting and I was packing up and rolling the cord when I dropped it, chipping the corners and breaking the circuit. The photographer was furious, and he never hired me again after that (obviously). I remember that feeling very well, because it was the first time something terrible happened to me on the job. I felt so horrible, offering to pay for the repairs, but the photographer refused (to put it nicely). I was disappointed at myself, and it left me in a foul mood that lasted a couple of days. Luckily, another photographer who hired me days after the incident heard about it and told me that it’s okay. What’s important is to learn from the experience and never do it again. It was comforting for me to hear him say that, and it completely changed my mindset.

Bad days are inevitable, even in life, and that’s okay. What you should take away from it is the lessons you would learn so you wouldn’t commit the same mistakes again. Staying positive especially on your worst days is the key to surviving them.

10. Making Your Move
When you’ve been an assistant for quite some time, and you feel that it’s time to move on and start building your own career, quit. You don’t have to keep assisting because you’ve developed a good working relationship (or even friendship) with photographers. The moment you start dreading your butt to go to assisting jobs, stop taking them. It means your head’s not in it anymore and it’s time to go. Do not stay for the experience or the money either. Assisting gives you an all-access pass to the most exciting shoots the industry has to offer. Sometimes it takes you to amazing places you never imagined or meeting personalities you won't meet everyday. It's easy to lose sight of your goal when you've gotten used to that. As for the money? Well, I know for a fact that assisting in this country won’t buy you a yellow Lamborghini or a fancy palace, but if you’ve become one of the top assistants to hire, I’m sure your monthly income would be pretty decent. In addition, if you feel that you don’t like assisting (because assisting really isn’t for everyone) and you’d rather be somewhere else, quit. Do not waste your time, and do not waste the photographer’s time. No one’s forcing you to do anything. On the other hand, if you enjoy assisting so much and want to make a career out of it, then do it. There's no harm in that.

There you go. My ten tips on being a (freelance) photo assistant. I’ve had so much fun and I’ve learned so much in the process. So if you think you still want to pursue the life of a photo assistant, let me leave you with a simple thought to ponder upon for when you're on your first assisting job. Be the assistant you want to hire someday.

Photography Tips: 10 Useful Advice to Become a Better Photo Assistant

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