Good day all,

A lot of my friends who are in to photography suggested I look for a pro that needs an assistant/apprentice. Can anyone help me look for a photographer working in the makati area? I am very willing to learn and I really want to develop my talent. You can ask Voodoo that when I'm passionate about something, I never stop striving to improve my form and technique. So if anyone can help me out, I would greatly appreciate your help! Thanks!

My temporary Work in Progress 'Folio: http://hippospartan.multiply.com/photos

Sonny, who's Voodoo? ;)

Sonny, who's Voodoo? ;)

WHOOOOOPS!

Sir Jon Dexter Tan hahah

I have the feeling that you will not get too many offers for apprenticeship simply because many photographers in this country are very protective and scared to share information. After all, a dedicated individual like you will learn techniques from the photographer and will eventually become a competitor to your mentor. I've seen it happen all the time. And when it does, both of you won't have kind things to say to each other. The mentor will say that he/she taught you everything you know and you will say that the mentor sucks and that he/she is stuck in a time warp. :Grin:

I have the feeling that you will not get too many offers for apprenticeship simply because many photographers in this country are very protective and scared to share information. After all, a dedicated individual like you will learn techniques from the photographer and will eventually become a competitor to your mentor. I've seen it happen all the time. And when it does, both of you won't have kind things to say to each other. The mentor will say that he/she taught you everything you know and you will say that the mentor sucks and that he/she is stuck in a time warp. :Grin:

thats shouldnt be the case. if i believed in my talents and abilities i wouldnt mind sharing it with someone else who is equally as passionate as me. this is not usually the case though as some of these folks do it for a living and the thought of sharing ones talents with others could possibly shake the foundations of their security.

@ Sonny

Some photographers do offer apprenticeship. But the easiest way to get into honing your talent besides shooting on your own, reading photography literature and attending workshops is to do VA (Volunteer Assistant) jobs. I know a lot of people who have learned a lot from different photographers through VA'ng and have come up with their own studios and/or photography companies. Most famous people who accommodate/invite/encourage VA's are Jo Avila and Jong Ong.

HTH

Welcome to photography and DPP!!!

Hi Sonny,

I am open to assistants/ apprentices however, I do require that they take lessons under me first..that way, there are not too many questions asked during the day itself and the assistant wont feel like a "third leg". You can only learn so much from mentors and the rest is really up to you. I don't think that pros should feel threatened by apprentices. New photographers are born everyday. :)

Good Luck!

Hi Pilar,

I am very interested...

speaking of apprenticeship, are there documentary photographers here that won't mind me tagging along and learning from them too? I'm very much interested also with this genre.

My work can also be seen in the links below.

hi plar, what if theyve already taken basic photography and basic lighting under other photographers? would you still require it?

thanks

I have the feeling that you will not get too many offers for apprenticeship simply because many photographers in this country are very protective and scared to share information. After all, a dedicated individual like you will learn techniques from the photographer and will eventually become a competitor to your mentor. I've seen it happen all the time. And when it does, both of you won't have kind things to say to each other. The mentor will say that he/she taught you everything you know and you will say that the mentor sucks and that he/she is stuck in a time warp. :Grin:

Apprenticeship is hard but rewarding. As my mentor sez "Teaching is not a responsibility it is a priveledge" whether you are good or not or vise versa it it still up to you. We may have a lot of appretice that comes, each individual must prove his worth too. I would say thru the years that I am with Adphoto John is never selfish in sharing what he knows - I too, believe on that whatever he teach or i teach is no secret. I can say everything to anyone but what matter most is the EYE and the attitude of the photographer who takes the picture. It's like reading all the books available but how will you implement it - that matters. :)

Apprenticeship is hard but rewarding. As my mentor sez "Teaching is not a responsibility it is a priveledge" whether you are good or not or vise versa it it still up to you. We may have a lot of appretice that comes, each individual must prove his worth too. I would say thru the years that I am with Adphoto John is never selfish in sharing what he knows - I too, believe on that whatever he teach or i teach is no secret. I can say everything to anyone but what matter most is the EYE and the attitude of the photographer who takes the picture. It's like reading all the books available but how will you implement it - that matters. :)

very well said :)

@ Carlo,
Thanks for the heads up!

@Din,
Thanks for the help with the filters and for the advice! I'll make sure I look into it :D

@Pilar,
Hi :) You got PM :) I hope we can arrange something soon

@Dexter,
Weee! haha I'm low on funds so I might sell some of my X360 games, if you know anyone in davao that might need any... PM me :D I need the money for the seminars hehe.
I'm happy so far at the turn out of this thread.

Hi Sonny,

I am open to assistants/ apprentices however, I do require that they take lessons under me first..that way, there are not too many questions asked during the day itself and the assistant wont feel like a "third leg". You can only learn so much from mentors and the rest is really up to you. I don't think that pros should feel threatened by apprentices. New photographers are born everyday. :)

Good Luck!

hi pilar im interested too:) im signed up for basic photography first week of august. maybe after that

@Sonny -- you can't tempt me no more, I'll still wait for H3. anyhoo I hope you'll find what you need. :D

Apprenticeship is hard but rewarding. As my mentor sez "Teaching is not a responsibility it is a priveledge" whether you are good or not or vise versa it it still up to you. We may have a lot of appretice that comes, each individual must prove his worth too. I would say thru the years that I am with Adphoto John is never selfish in sharing what he knows - I too, believe on that whatever he teach or i teach is no secret. I can say everything to anyone but what matter most is the EYE and the attitude of the photographer who takes the picture. It's like reading all the books available but how will you implement it - that matters. :)

i agree with this... whether it's photography or some other field.

Good day all,

A lot of my friends who are in to photography suggested I look for a pro that needs an assistant/apprentice. Can anyone help me look for a photographer working in the makati area? I am very willing to learn and I really want to develop my talent. You can ask Voodoo that when I'm passionate about something, I never stop striving to improve my form and technique. So if anyone can help me out, I would greatly appreciate your help! Thanks!

My temporary Work in Progress 'Folio: http://hippospartan.multiply.com/photos

Sony,

apprenticeship is good. But never ask to be one if your fundamentals is still lacking. Apprenticeship is like doing residency if you are taking medicine or want to become a Doctor. It isn't and shouldn't be a beginner's course. You have to know your basic lighting, what an aperture is and how it affects DOF, so with shutter speeds, etc. If you still don't know this thing, then you are not ready for apprenticeship.

When you go into apprenticeship, you are basically learning when your basics don't work at all, and you have to ad lib or break the rules. You are learning the craft as a specialist (e.g. wedding, food, product, or fashion photography). So, you are immersing yourself in the environment you intend to pursue. I for one, would not make a good mentor if you want to learn fashion photography. But I make for a good wedding or sports shooter teacher. But even on sports, there are different sports, so there is much to learn from each segment.

A good teacher/mentor is not afraid to share his skills or know-how. Why? Well, a good teacher knows that it's not the technique that matters, though it is important. It's the eye. It's the vision. And even if I teach you all that I know technically, you will still not know, because until you develop your own vision, your own eye, you will not know. And it is something you cannot steal or take away from me. My timing, my angle, my vision, my imagination, my visualization is all mine and it's something you cannot copy line by line, image by image, etc. YOU have to develop that yourself.

A good teacher points and leads a student to his own awakening. If the student is better than the teacher -- then GOOD! I want that. Why? Because civilization advanced because the next generation was better than the previous. The burden is not really on the teacher. It's on the student. The true burden is for the student to equal, heck - EXCEL his teacher. That is the greatest tribute a teacher can get from a student. If a teacher is insecure and is threatened then that teacher has not learned his own lessons. And the lesson is simple - You cannot pass on your vision. But you can help find someone find his own. Knowing that, what is there to steal? What is there to lose? Technique can always be learned, but learning how to "see" or what is "important," NO technical manual or classes can teach you that.

As far as business go, well, many worry about a student being better than the teacher and takes over the business or steals it from his teacher. This notion is based on the assumption that it's the skill that sells. That is partly true. But I do know of much better shooters than I am, but will never be able to charge more than I do. Why? Because the photography side of it is different from the business side of it. I know of many mediocre photographers who will never win awards or whose pictures are canned or ordinary, but earning millions a year (I am not one of those unfortunately). Why? Because they have good business skills.

You have to understand your market. Your business acumen is as important. Besides, there's the human element. YOU may be the greatest shooter out there, but if you can't connect to your client or model, then you are just a technician. It takes PEOPLE SKILLS and business acumen to make money. And if you don't understand that, then being the greatest shooter, won't get you your teacher's client, even if you drop your prices in half.

Now, it's your call to see if you are ready for apprenticeship. But never ask to be one, if your fundamentals are not sound. It's a disservice to yourself and your mentor. You are wasting each other's time. Learn on your own first. Then when you are stuck and you have done all you can, then maybe it's time to work with a master. And know too, your "master" is only human. He too makes mistakes. In fact, lots of them. But he learns from them and learns very quickly. That is one of the many difference between a master and a student. Also, a true master knows there really isn't one. There's only degrees of discipleship. A "master" is only operating on a "higher" plateau most of the time. But he too is in his own quest for perfection. Just like you.

That's my 2 centavos on the matter. I hope it means something to you :-)

-Mel

@Mel,

Amazing insight. Thank you for taking time to explain this through for me. I guess what you said does make sense, Learn the basics, and when I feel like I cant squeeze out enough from it, go for that apprenticeship. Thanks for the tip, greatly appreciated.

Hello g-nie! Im glad to see you here. We've worked before, hope you still remember. About your post, i reallylike what u've said, I really admire photographers who unselfishly share their knowledge. For over a decade in advertising and working with photographers like you, i can say that you've been a big help for me. Everytime i have a photo shoot, i always ask photographers for pointers. Like a little kid, I really ask a lot!(baka nga minsan naiirita na sila, hehehe) But there are times nahihiya ako and sometimes intimidated, i'm too shy to ask "mr/ms photographer, pwede ba akong mag train sayo?" With John, he is a really nice person, I've always wanted to work with him... and train of course.:) See you around g-nie, good luck!

Check your goal first. Things you want to learn and unlearn. Find out whom among those living photographer's work you really admire. Check out for yourself if they have body of creative works, research, ask around, and check their recent shows, accomplishments etc (seeing their works in the internet is just a tip of the iceberg). Don't admire them because they have nice gadgets and studios, or you see their names in the magazines or newspapers, admire them of their produce and hardship (check out their images during those struggling times)
Are you prepared to see in person this photographer you admire? are you prepared to listen to him and follow his footsteps (like for the rest of your life?=) because a part his life will be imparted to you if this learning experience happened..."chapsuy" knowledge comes when you are getting knowledge from this mentor while you get side information from other mentors too. The bible says you have to choose one master only.
Are you prepared to be an apprentice for no definite end? Will you accept a mentor who doesn't talk much while doing his craft? (or even shout most of the time =) . He has much vision and technique to impart to you, and maybe he's not good in words nor writing. But willingly allow you to be on his side whatever he does. Mentoring is life transference, a trust, knowledge and secret that will pass on to you by a mentor, only if you are prepared to unlearn.
People think that "assisting", apprenticing is a quick learning like 1 week or during the shoot only, then go your own way already because you got what you want from the mentor.
Good luck there:)

Ross,

First, I'd like to thank you for taking time to read my request and adding in your thoughts.

I see where you're coming from and it made me realize that I may not be ready for an apprenticeship yet. Im not sure if I even want it now. I guess what I really want is to be able to get out more often and shoot. I need to find a group of photographer friends and explore the art with some peers. I want to be able to develop my very own signature in my photographs that when people look at them... my name comes in to mind. I do hope that with these boards I get to meet people from similar walks of life and grow deeper into photography. The recent Nikon EB has taught me some things I havent heard of before and I thank everyone for that. :)

Once again, thanks Ross :D
Your help means a lot to me :D

on apprenticeship/assistant, read the latest copy of American Photo :)