How do you become so famous that you have assistants to do it all for you?

[GuyF]

I wasn't sure which forum to post in so decided this one might be best.

The BBC has a series of programs that show what various types of artist do on an average day - painters, sculptors, graphic novel artists etc. They just showed one on famous photographer, Albert Watson.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03y85dl/What_Do_Artists_Do_All_Day_Albert_Watson/

I've got a couple of his books and do like much of his work but the program just left me feeling rather sad. He spent the day driving 'round Skye in the Scottish Hebrides with 3 assistants in tow. One would set up the camera (a Phase One) and tripod, one would hold an umbrella to stop the strong wind shaking the tripod and the last one carried the tethered laptop and did all the post production. Time after time Watson was shown just pressing the shutter button while the assistants did everything else.

Clearly a half-hour program won't show the full story but I was quite saddened to see Watson do very little other than say, "yes, this is a good spot, the light will change in a moment". Meanwhile the assistants set everything up for him.

Before any of you leap on this post and say most top photographers use assistants, I agree - for a studio or location shot with lights, props and a human subject, that's understandable but this was straight forward landscape stuff!

Needless to say though, the results were superb. However, if you're familier with Skye, anyone could get excellent shots there - especially a Phase One.

For those not familiar with Skye: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/creative/old-man-of-storr-stock-photos

Sorry for the grumble, it just annoyed me a bit.

 

[IMG_0001]

A tad off topic, but I for one managed to take mostly boring photos there.... although I loved the place. I just was not able to render the feeling of the Isles in my pics.

On the assistant thing, I'm not that troubled by the assistant thing. I think the assistants mainly provide the best possible environment for the 'star'. And honestly, many of the photographers from the film days did not develop or make prints themselves, although they provided inputs on the desired output. Even great painters from the renaissance (and before) had emules working for them and appropriated their work. I think that leaving the post processing to a 'specialist' in the tools while providing the artistic input is alright.

Of course, I have greater considerations for those who do it all themselves, just as I have more admiration for singers accompanying themselves at the piano than for a singer that just stands.

 

[Hillsilly]

C'mon, the guy is over 70 years old. Give him a break! At least he's getting out and doing something he enjoys, and if he's got the ability to have other people do the hard lifting, good on him.

 

[RGomezPhotos]

All the professional photographers of any age I admire have several assistants setting things up for them. In fashion that is. Definitely. I definitely see them as useful and necessary for bigger projects. And in the upper echelons of fashion photography, you're doing lots more project management and direction. There are so many things going on.

However I never see sports photographers with assistants. I can't see where/how they would? Carrying their gear to the playing field?

 

[drummstikk]

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However I never see sports photographers with assistants. I can't see where/how they would? Carrying their gear to the playing field?

Um…yes. Schlepping gear. I admit the last time I worked a pro game, I was still shooting film. In recent years I shoot sports almost entirely for colleges and conferences, but in my newspaper days, it was not uncommon to see at least one photographer at the NFL game who was equipped head and shoulders above everyone else. This was probably the Sports Illustrated guy, or maybe, in those days, Inside Sport (now defunct). These shooters often had an assistant who would hold the 400mm 2.8 while the photographer was shooting with the 600mm 4.0. At intervals, they'd trade.

Perhaps more important at the time was having an assistant to hand you a body freshly loaded with film when a play was about to start and there were only about 6 frames left on the roll.

But, as the poster observes, assistants in sports may have gone the way of the dodo in the age of digital and ever tightening budgets.

 

[expatinasia]

I can't watch the video as it is "not available in my area. Pity as Skye does look like a great place to visit, and I will be googling it more later as I may be in Scotland (first time) later this year.

However I never see sports photographers with assistants. I can't see where/how they would? Carrying their gear to the playing field?

I never see any of the photographers at the events I work at with assistants as such, some do have assistants or colleagues in the press room who edit the pics and upload etc others may be writing etc., but not assistants in the true sense of the word. They would be useful at all day events though, especially when you are in need of a meat pie or such like!

 

[Maui5150]

Clearly a half-hour program won't show the full story but I was quite saddened to see Watson do very little other than say, "yes, this is a good spot, the light will change in a moment". Meanwhile the assistants set everything up for him.

And why is this bad?

For one, these three people, while mainly being gophers for all intent and purposes, are getting invaluable experience whether they know it or not seeing how Watson visions things and how he thinks.

Perhaps he is more a DP than actual photographer, but it is far more to compose, frame, and recast the light to snap the picture. More of the upper end of photographers I have gotten to know do more outsourcing of a lot of their retouching, clean up etc.

How do you become that famous? Take great pictures, and get a few lucky breaks... Having a wealthy patron or two doesn't hurt.

In the fashion world, if Anna Wintour say, "Get me Albert on the line" i.e. your are known by your first name, as well in her lexicon of artists, you pretty much are there.

 

[sanj]

You do not necessarily need to be famous to have assistants. You just need to hire...

 

[expatinasia]

You do not necessarily need to be famous to have assistants. You just need to hire...

So true, and if you can afford it - why not!

 

[jhpeterson]

Having worked as a photographer almost my entire adult life, I've run across a few of the most famous, several more near-famous and a good many who thought they were.
I started out in photojournalism, back in the pre-digital days. Perhaps because of my chosen path, the ones I considered at the top still processed their own film and made the final prints. I'm sure this shaped my views, that those who were the best earned their reputations the hard wayand mastered every aspect of their craft. To not do so was considered taking a shortcut and avoiding paying their necessary dues.
Even when I became one of the best in my specialty, I've almost always had to do all the work. It's still true to this day, perhaps even more so with digital publishing, market convergence and shrinking corporate photography budgets. This is probably why I have the most respect for photographers who still carry their own bags.
Yet I'll concede, in certain areas of photography, we can't all be one-man bands. Some disciplines require a group effort and great team skills. I know there are a few photographers who have achieved well-deserved fame, even when they do only a portion of the work. But, I'd like to think they earned their status because they can see the big picture and effectively communicate their vision to others.

Unfortunately, I've found too many whose mark of greatness seems to be solely self-proclaimed. The more elaborate their set appears, the more subordinates running around, all the better. But, they seem to have mastered no more skill than that of the famous American, Tom Sawyer, convincing others to pay to work for them, at best. And, at their worst, charlatans and truly great... frauds.

 

[mackguyver]

The more elaborate their set appears, the more subordinates running around, all the better.

LOL - Everyone wants to be Annie Liebovitz Her BTS videos show an impressive amount of assistance, but then again, her works speaks for itself.

I can't watch the video here in the US, but if I'm an old man, I'd like to have assistants if I could afford them, though for landscape photography assistants seems a little unnecessary unless they are tripod caddies.

For fashion/serious portrait shoots, the main reason I quit doing them is because you need assistants to get the best results. I got tired of dealing with unreliable make up artists, stylists, and assistants and wasn't making enough to afford better, more reliable ones.

 

[jhpeterson]

LOL - Everyone wants to be Annie Liebovitz Her BTS videos show an impressive amount of assistance, but then again, her works speaks for itself.

There must be something wrong with me. I never wanted to be Annie. I wouldn't mind some of her clients, though!

 

[mackguyver]

LOL - Everyone wants to be Annie Liebovitz Her BTS videos show an impressive amount of assistance, but then again, her works speaks for itself.

There must be something wrong with me. I never wanted to be Annie. I wouldn't mind some of her clients, though!

I didn't mean you, just the people you mentioned that think they need to have a ton of assistants and huge set to look like a serious photographer, and I'd like her client list, too!

 

[GuyF]

Some interesting replies. I can't respond to all the points made but will add a few notes:

Albert may be 71 years old but that doesn't mean he is frail or unable to carry a tripod and camera. Skye is a relatively small island and many "views" are available without getting out of your car. Indeed, in one part of the documentary, he takes a shot through the rain-soaked windscreen of his car.

As I said in the original post, I can understand needing assistants for a fashion shoot or similar but landscape? "Yes, yes, you there, move that hill a couple of feet to the left...quickly now, we're losing the light!"

The series of BBC programs is called, "What do artists do all day?" and can be found on Youtube (the Albert Watson one isn't on yet but I guess it's just a matter of time).

I still feel Watson may have taken the picture but he didn't create it wholly by himself. That to me is what the whole creative process is about - my vision, my execution, my result. Of course artists collaborate all the time but, since it's landscape photography we're talking about, shouldn't it just be you with your camera and the vista?

So there you go; one question, many answers.

 

[RustyTheGeek]

I hope there are more posts on this thread. I'm reading with much interest.

I don't know too many actual pros personally. Heck, some people think I'm a pro. (Yeah, right. I don't think I've earned that title yet.) But the pros I do know don't have assistants. Well, except for OFFICE assistants. They deal with everyone while the pro is travelling and on assignments. Otherwise everything would fall apart while they are gone for weeks at a time. But otherwise, all the photography is done using a team of ONE.

I can, however, understand the point that OP is making. There's a lot to be said for doing the whole process yourself. But I also see the other side where the 'assistants' may be working for free or for the experience so they have have themselves connected to a well known artist. All I know is that if someone wants to use assistants, I think it's just up to them. Their choice. I respect the drive and determination of independent guys/gals doing it all themselves but sometimes it may not be the best arrangement. Someday maybe I can comment from a more experienced and famous perspective. LOL!!

Me myself, I would love to have a helper sometimes and that's when I deputize someone and hand them something and say, "Would you mind holding this for 30 seconds?"

 

[mackguyver]

Guy, it's too bad we can't watch it on the other side of the Pond, but I can certainly see your point, especially if they are setting up the initial composition and such. I have also heard similar stories (unsubstantiated, unfortunately) about several famous photographers who know next to nothing about their equipment or lighting and just show up and press the shutter. Was this always the case with them - or have the progressed to relying on assistants? Are they still photographers? What constitutes "taking a photograph?" All debatable with no answers. It sort of reminds me of the case where a monkey took it's own photo and the photographer claimed credit: Monkey Hijacks Photographer’s Camera and Shoots Self-Portraits

I don't know too many actual pros personally.

I know a decent number and I used to correspond with one of Vogue's top photographers and while he has many assistants, he was very involved in every step of his photographs, including scanning them (this was the early 2000s), which is how I got to know him. I just wish I had kept in touch with him...

 

[RustyTheGeek]

I don't know too many actual pros personally.

I know a decent number and I used to correspond with one of Vogue's top photographers and while he has many assistants, he was very involved in every step of his photographs, including scanning them (this was the early 2000s), which is how I got to know him. I just wish I had kept in touch with him...

I naively thought most artists (pros?) were insanely protective of their craft, the process and most of all the finished product. Now I can definitely see a gifted photographer that cut teeth on film maybe having an assistant to help with all the tech stuff and working magic on Photoshop at the behest and direction of the artist but I would think most 'old pros' would feel silly having an assistant place their tripod and camera for them.

 

[mackguyver]

I don't know too many actual pros personally.

I know a decent number and I used to correspond with one of Vogue's top photographers and while he has many assistants, he was very involved in every step of his photographs, including scanning them (this was the early 2000s), which is how I got to know him. I just wish I had kept in touch with him...

I naively thought most artists (pros?) were insanely protective of their craft, the process and most of all the finished product. Now I can definitely see a gifted photographer that cut teeth on film maybe having an assistant to help with all the tech stuff and working magic on Photoshop at the behest and direction of the artist but I would think most 'old pros' would feel silly having an assistant place their tripod and camera for them.

He's definitely an old pro (born in the 40s) but was keenly interested in how to extract the best information from his transparencies using Silverfast (software) and his scanner. I helped him with that and he returned the favor by giving me advice on my work (I'm beyond embarrassed when I look at it today). I honestly had no idea who he was (other than a fashion pro) until years later when my wife was telling me how much she loved his work and his name rang a bell. That's when I realized how stupid I was to lose touch with him! I last saw him on a TV show crouching on the ground with a 5DIII/24-70 MkI shooting some models on the NYC waterfront and it looked like he was still very much involved in all aspects of the shoot.

The other pros I know use their assistants for location scouting, site/studio prep, organizing resources, grunt work and retouching. Most of them process their photos themselves or at least supervise the changes in LR/PS, etc. in post. And they would certainly feel silly having their assistants compose their shots for them.

 

[Sporgon]

The other pros I know use their assistants for location scouting, site/studio prep, organizing resources, grunt work and retouching. Most of them process their photos themselves or at least supervise the changes in LR/PS, etc. in post. And they would certainly feel silly having their assistants compose their shots for them.

You've missed out the most important function: loading film backs ! ;D

I've browsed through most of the thread and I'm surprised so many are taken aback by this guy having his assistant (s) set the camera up on a landscape picture. Producing this type of picture is very different from sports or press photographers, those guys never used an assistant in the field. But producing a landscape; what's it about ? The location, the light, the view. Who was the guy who instigated being in that place at that time ? I'm sure the photographer will have set up his exposure how he wants it and framed the picture. Then who actually releases the shutter doesn't matter. By and large I would expect the photographer to do his own editing; in another thread recently someone stated that post process work is editing, not photography, but this couldn't be further from the truth.

 

[agierke]

it shocks me sometimes the narrow point of view that is expressed about certain subjects and how little knowledge there is on this forum about professional photography. i thought there were more professionals on this forum but it seems more and more there is not...or at least they remain quiet readers for the most part.

i still work as an assistant and 2nd shooter while growing my own business. been doing this now for 15+ years. most professional gigs benefit greatly from having a good assistant.

as an assistant, i have been responsible for almost every aspect of the job, including gear management, setting lighting, loading film backs, processing and printing film, shooting casting calls, styling sets, digital tech, post production, and even taking the actual shots. heck, my shots are even on other professional photographers websites and have been published with their names on them. its all part of the job.

in my network of photographers i am highly valued for the ability and knowledge i bring to the table. it doesn't trump the fact that its their job and their creative vision. the benefit to me is i constantly get to learn new methods and techniques as well as getting other perks such as contacts and support. when a photographer can't take a job they usually pass along the contact to me. i also have available to me the ability to borrow equipment at no cost when i have the need.

over the last 5 years or so, the shrinking budgets for photography have made it more difficult for photographers to staff a job the way they once did. my response has been to widen my network so that i am covering any future losses by gaining more access to more photographers and their work. in turn my own business has grown year after year from additional contacts.

the world of photography is not black and white for me (excuse the pun) rather i keep the lines blurred, stay diversified, so that my income comes from a variety of sources. its kept me "alive" in this business as i have watched many others business shrivel up and die. my goal, as a professional photographer, is to get the work and fulfill whatever requirement is asked of me, whether that be shooter, assistant, tech or post production. in the end...its all photography to me.