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Lessons Learned on Assignment: Your First Assignment
By David Duchemin
For most aspiring photographers there comes a point when someone calls and asks to hire you to "take some pictures." If it's Aunt Selma and she has particularly bad taste and deep pockets, then you're in luck - you have unlimited budget and a client with low expectations. Enjoy it while you can; this may be the last time. But if you shoot well, someone else might come to you, and at some point you're going to get a "real" assignment and, in a panic, you'll write an email to another photographer and beg that person to give you some insight into this whole scary process.
And he'll write back and it'll be something like this.
"Thank you for your kind email. Your new assignment sounds exciting. I remember those heady days of first assignments: the excitement of opportunity and the fear of total failure. Man, those were good times."
I'm going to make the assumption that you already know how to make great photographs, and that you have a style of your own - otherwise they wouldn't have asked you to shoot for them. That's a good start - they like what you do and aren't asking you to be someone else. It's you they want, not just some monkey with a camera, so you're already holding some good cards. If it IS a monkey they want, then feel free to shoot wildly out-of-focus; monkeys are notoriously bad at focusing.
The first thing you need to understand is that the client's wants and needs are the only thing that matters. Rule #1: Shoot the brief. Clients aren't photographers and if you're just starting out, they probably aren't art directors or creative directors either; part of your task is to find out what they say they want, what they really want, and figure out a way to bridge that gap.
In other words, they may give you a shot list, but shot lists are often only half the story - they ask you to shoot certain things, certain people, but they don't always tell you how. If you want to create compelling images for your client, then you need to know in which direction that client wants you to compel those who will look at your images.
Most of your early clients will not understand that there is such a thing as a visual language. Of course, they know when they like the image, when you've "got the shot," but they have no idea why or how to tell you what to look for. So you have to dig a little - ask your client what emotions they want your images to convey. In the case of advertising photographs - what benefits are they looking to communicate? For portraits, what mood or personal characteristics are most important? The more you understand, the more able you will be to interpret the brief. That's what this is all about - interpretation. You are translating from one language into another. Your camera and lens are only part of the process. If you don't understand what the client needs your images to say, it will be difficult to say those things in the visual language of your photographs.
Once you understand the brief, and feel you can translate it, you need to be prepared.
Create a shot list if you don't have one already. Visit the location and look for problems, alternatives, lighting issues, great angles, and anything else you can think of. If you can "get the vibe" then that's great too. Mostly, you just need to know what you're heading into. If necessary, revise your shot list.
Now create a gear list. Will you need extra lighting? Will you need a longer lens to compress that great background? Will you need light discs? Props? An assistant? Write it down - from camera to batteries, Lexar CF cards, lenses, tripod - everything. On the day of the shoot, you want a check-list as you pack because chances are you'll be nervous and thinking about other things, like, "Oh Dear Lord, please don't let me screw this up," or something like that. Be prepared. If there is an item you think about bringing and then think, "No, I probably won't need that," you will. Bring it. Sure it won't be raining? It might. Be prepared.
Now you understand the client's needs, you have a shot list, and you have a gear list. Make a plan. Walk through the shoot as best as you can, place shots in an order that makes sense to you and to your models. Don't waste anyone's time. Your client will appreciate efficiency and if there are problems later on, your efficiency earlier has bought you some time to deal with it gracefully. Leave room in your plan for spontaneity - cool things can happen that open your eyes to a new direction and you need to be able to go in that direction (assuming it fits the vision and needs of the client).
One last thing: leave room for the AD (Art Director) to do her job. Shoot vertically and horizontally. Shoot shallow, shoot deep. Shoot tight, shoot wide. Shoot the way you want, but give the client room to move. If they're doing an ad with full-bleed, they'll need a little more image, so at least give them a shot that's cropped less tightly. They may specify vertical shots and then wish they had a couple horizontal shots - anticipate those needs and they'll love you forever. Or at least until the next shoot. Give the client more than they expect.
These suggestions are just the beginning. The learning process takes experience, trial, and error. But it applies to most assignments I can think of at the beginning. Weddings, baptisms, cheesy product shots, engagement shoots, you name it.
Many photographers spend time hoping for their first assignment, waiting by the phone. Stop holding your breath and go create an assignment for yourself while you wait. Create an imaginary brief for an imaginary client. Maybe it's the tourism council in your town or city. Why not put yourself on assignment for them. They don't have to know. But it'll give you a chance to create a brief, anticipate the client's needs, interpret those needs, and plan/execute some shoots. So when the phone does ring, you've had a crack at the process.
Lastly, (I know, I said this once. Call it artistic license), enjoy the process. They hired you for your eye and your creativity. If you find yourself thinking, "If only I could shoot this the way I want to..." then there's likely a problem, your creativity is going to suffer, and your "eye" will go wonky (that's a technical term). When you're miserable, it's hard to create, much less think straight. Take a breath. Pull back from the camera for a moment. Allow yourself to think about alternatives and possibilities, and to ask, "Hey, what if...?" Find a way to give the client what they want while still shooting images that make you proud. That's what they're paying you for.
Good luck.
For more information on David duChemin's work, visit www.pixelatedimage.com.
David Duchemin Bio
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