Freelance Assistant: Maya Sharp
Maya Sharp (https://sharpmaya.myportfolio.com/) came to my university to give a talk about how to get into Freelance Assistant work to several photographers. As she graduated in 2020 it was nice to hear advice from someone that has just started out in the industry as it was still fresh in her mind. She gave several advice including:
Where to find different photographers (LinkedIn, Association of Photography etc.)
How to network and send a professional email out to get assistant jobs
Not to be worried about taking unpaid jobs as this can lead to paid work
Adding testimonials from different photographers onto your website
Keep up with your personal work to show your passion for photography
Freelancing is a good way to get started as a photographer, with many great photographers starting out this way. With freelance you can work with different people and learn a range of things. You get to meet a lot of different people which also means that everyday can be new and exciting, it also grants you access to some cool places. You get to have freelance freedom but also support while starting out, it can pay decent enough to pay the bills after getting regular work from different photographers and allows you time to explore different types of photography to learn what avenue you’d like to persue in the future. One thing Maya said stuck with me in particular, she said that the ones who keep trying always make it in the industry, you just have to not give up.
