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|| SportsShooter.com: News Item: Posted 2003-01-29
Internships? Or assistantships?
By Jim McNay, Brooks Institute of Photography
Students in traditional journalism schools often know about internships. These tend to be at newspapers, magazines or other media outlets, i.e., at companies with numerous employees.
What about assistantships?
These tend to be opportunities to work with photographers in the more commercial world of advertising photography. Instead of working in a large company, the student might be working with just one photographer and possibly other supporting staff.
Both internships and assistantships are valuable, though they are often different.
In each case, students are around working professionals. They see the pros in action. They observe how seasoned photojournalists interact with people from all strata of life. Student interns may find themselves photographing this range of humanity in the course of the internship.
The photography assistant is more helper than shooter much of the time. Still he or she sees how the professional interacts with clients, particularly tough art directors and sensitive subjects in front of the camera. Just by observing the student obtains considerable insight into how to make these interactions go smoothly.
The student assistant also has the chance to learn valuable lessons about how professionals run their business. For good or ill, the professional's ability to be effective in this part of their life may do more to determine how long they continue in photography as do the pictures they take.
Just as aspiring commercial photographers can benefit from a summer on a publication shooting for tight deadlines, the aspiring photojournalist can learn much assisting a commercial photographer for at least a school term.
The insights from the photography "on the other side of the tracks" from the student's main interest can only broaden their foundation for life in photography after school.
Bottom line: Whether someone interns or assists, either will enhance a student's understanding of the working world and help students decide where they want to be after graduation.
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Photographers, particularly those in school or seeking to break into the photojournalism, are welcome to send ideas for future columns to Jim McNay at jmcnay@brooks.edu.
Questions about getting started in photojournalism that might be answered in future columns are also welcome.
Related Links:
Jim McNay's Member Page
Brooks Institute of Photography
Related Email Addresses:
Jim McNay: jmcnay@brooks.edu
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