Wedding assistant required

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Jellycat

Jellycat

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Lyn
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Mods I hope this is ok to post??

Hi all, due to me becoming pregnant and my baby being due this july (perfect timing hey lol) I'm looking for an assistant to help with this years weddings.

It is a non paid position and you must be local to Chesterfield, Derbyshire. You will accompany me to the weddings and be responsible for carrying my gear but you will also have the opportunity to photograph too. This is an ideal position for someone looking to get into wedding photography and wanting to learn the ropes.

For more details please pm me.

Thanks
Lyn
 
Thats seems like a great chance for someone very lucky, good luck with your search.
 
I'd love to take you up on this offer but due to memory loss I can't trust myself to be reliable as what I would've been prior to my accident.

I am only in Mansfield too. Grrrr I'm also unable to drive...... Until we know more.......so it'd be a little bus into chesterfield for me......

If you struggle and wish to take on me..... Send me a pm
 
Curse work, if I wasn't stuck in a job working days,nights and weekends almost at random and being on permacall it would be great.

Good luck and I hope you find someone
 
Hi,

Unable to pm you though this forum as only just starting posting and don't have enough posts so I have sent an email via your website.

Regards

Phil
 
Argh if only I still lived in chesterfield but travelling from Norfolk would get a tad expensive.

Good luck with finding someone seems like there might be no shortage of offers.
 
Jellycat said:
Mods I hope this is ok to post??

Hi all, due to me becoming pregnant and my baby being due this july (perfect timing hey lol) I'm looking for an assistant to help with this years weddings.

It is a non paid position and you must be local to Chesterfield, Derbyshire. You will accompany me to the weddings and be responsible for carrying my gear but you will also have the opportunity to photograph too. This is an ideal position for someone looking to get into wedding photography and wanting to learn the ropes.

For more details please pm me.

Thanks
Lyn
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Not wanting to be the one who says it but why is it a non-paid role? You are effectively relying upon having an assistant whilst pregnant so the least you can do is offer minimum wage IMO. People may say you will be receiving good experience and training but how are you going to be receiving training from someone who is meant to be documenting every moment of someone's special day? If you were a builder and needed an apprentice/assistant you would have to pay them so why not with a photography assistant?
 
jacob12_1993 said:
Not wanting to be the one who says it but why is it a non-paid role? You are effectively relying upon having an assistant whilst pregnant so the least you can do is offer minimum wage IMO. People may say you will be receiving good experience and training but how are you going to be receiving training from someone who is meant to be documenting every moment of someone's special day? If you were a builder and needed an apprentice/assistant you would have to pay them so why not with a photography assistant?
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Cos in this game people are prepared to do for nothing :shrug:
 
Jacob, I agree with you on this. It does sound a little like an unpaid intern position, and whilst it may be established practice in the industry it surely wouldn't be entirely unreasonable to provide minimum wage and expenses.

If nothing else, there's a reputational liability issue if the couple started to ask, "We pay you how much, and you pay nothing?"
 
Alastair said:
Jacob, I agree with you on this. It does sound a little like an unpaid intern position, and whilst it may be established practice in the industry it surely wouldn't be entirely unreasonable to provide minimum wage and expenses.

If nothing else, there's a reputational liability issue if the couple started to ask, "We pay you how much, and you pay nothing?"
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I don't have a problem with people working for nothing when the photographer is gaining or loosing nothing from them being there, but surely if your ability to work and earn relies on the assistant it's a whole different ball game surely?
 
I can see the distinction your making Jacob, I think we're coming at the same thing from different directions but are in agreement. If a contractor requests an assistant because they can't meet the requirements of the contracted assignment (for whatever reason - sometimes it's just a bigger job than usual) then that should be a paid position. If the offer is for tag-a-long/job-shadow (and they'd better not get in the way), then that's different.
 
Alastair said:
I can see the distinction your making Jacob, I think we're coming at the same thing from different directions but are in agreement. If a contractor requests an assistant because they can't meet the requirements of the contracted assignment (for whatever reason - sometimes it's just a bigger job than usual) then that should be a paid position. If the offer is for tag-a-long/job-shadow (and they'd better not get in the way), then that's different.
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We are definitely in agreement :-D
 
I'm not relying on an assistant to do my job as I can manage well enough on my own. I managed to work through my last pregnancy fine but just though someone may like the opportunity to gain experience as I would have killed for this opportunity when I first started out!!

If I was after a second shooter then I would be happy to pay a wage but as I won't be gaining anything apart from someone to carry my gear as I will be getting to the size of a small country i dont think its an issue (i could get my husband or sister to carry it for me but like I said this is a great opportunity for someone wanting an insight in to the wonderful world of wedding photography). If they want to take some photos they can.
 
people are prepared to do it for nothing cos basically they have caught the photography bug. While I agree, in this case esp, it seems totally unfair, it's still a good deal with those wanting to get involved into shooting weddings. Who know where it msy lead? Probably no-where, but it's the thought of getting your foot-in-the-door blah blah blah.

If it came down to morrels, perhaps the OP should pay, but on the other hand when there's a demand for people wanting to do it for nothing...

I've worked for nothing in the early days for a photographer who let me keep and use the pics for portfolio, supplied me with sample albums that had my shots used in them etc. etc.
So for me working for nothing has to be a two-way thing.
 
we recently had a thread slagging someone off for asking if anyone would give them this kind of experience - now we have someone getting greif for offering it :thinking:

welcome to the freindliest forum on the internet :shake: :bang:
 
NigelPaul said:
If it came down to morrels, perhaps the OP should pay,.
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If it came down to morrels people might do it because the OP is a 'fun guy' to be with :lol:
 
big soft moose said:
we recently had a thread slagging someone off for asking if anyone would give them this kind of experience - now we have someone getting greif for offering it :thinking:

welcome to the freindliest forum on the internet :shake: :bang:
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Knew when I posted this I would get grief but hey ho that's how it is on here!!
 
thats how it is here
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yeah it really shouldnt be though

I'm not up for it myself - but its a perfectly reasonable offer and valuable to someone who wants to build up experience
 
Jellycat said:
Knew when I posted this I would get grief but hey ho that's how it is on here!!
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yeah you'll never win :)

I'm just down the road from you but weddings aren't my thing, good luck with finding someone.

At least you were upfront and honest from the off :)
 
Pete, it's not that clear-cut.

If someone request experience and someone says, "Hey, you can tag-along with me and see how it's done". That's one situation. That's great.

If someone offers experience, unconditionally with no expectations other than that they don't get in the way. That's another situation. That's also great.

But if what's being offered is essentially an unpaid labourer situation with experience by osmosis, being conditional on carrying out a role or function. That's a very different situation. It could be classified as employment, and is being classified as employment by HMRC under some circumstances (see earlier link).

And I deliberately used the term "contractor" in my earlier post as I would also distinguish between assisting on a paid commercial assignment (e.g. a professional wedding photographer shooting a wedding for reward), and assisting on a personal project where the photographer themselves is not being paid.


Perhaps the original post may have been badly phrased, but if being bag carrier is a condition of the experience.. it certainly sounds like unpaid employment.
 
Quaker said:
Its always the same folk too...
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I'd love for you to find another post where I have commented on people working for free being wrong. Its normally okay with me, heck i've even offered to give a hand to my cousin on the first few weddings he did for free. However when somebody is demanding a certain role be played i.e bag carrying, that's employment which MUST be paid.
 
I think what people, including myself has written is reasonable debate and are not the same folk as put by one poster. These are the sort of posts that make good debate turn into arguments.
C'mon, it's new year, no need for jibes. and I apologise to the OP if she believes this is grief.

Now, I need some more mushrooms...
 
Its essentially volunteering/intern which isnt considered employment ( I was a volunteer coordinator for nearly ten years) though they do fall into the broader category of 'worker' with regards to stuff like insurance and meal breaks.

however my main point is why is it anyones business but lyns and anyone who takes it - if you don't like the terms on offfer don't take it, but dont give her a load of greif (that's a general point not aimed directly at alistair or any other specific poster)
 
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Well, Pete, it is on a forum and it's human nature for us dis-interested parties to put our tuppence worth in.:p ;)
 
big soft moose said:
Its essentially volunteering/intern which isnt considered employment ( I was a volunteer coordinator for nearly ten years) though they do fall into the broader category of 'worker' with regards to stuff like insurance and meal breaks.

however my main point is why is it anyones business but lyns and anyone who takes it - if you don't like the terms on offfer don't take it, but dont give her a load of greif (that's a general point not aimed directly at alistair or any other specific poster)
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Bang on
 
big soft moose said:
Its essentially volunteering/intern which isnt considered employment ( I was a volunteer coordinator for nearly ten years) though they do fall into the broader category of 'worker' with regards to stuff like insurance and meal breaks.

however my main point is why is it anyones business but lyns and anyone who takes it - if you don't like the terms on offfer don't take it, but dont give her a load of greif (that's a general point not aimed directly at alistair or any other specific poster)
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Quaker said:
Bang on
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It has been posted in a forum called 'Talk Photography' :thumbs:
 
Quaker said:
Its always the same folk too...
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Like that was helpful to the OP? And Honest?

Bang on
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Likewise one could say if you haven't any thing good to say then don't post. :shrug:

Anyhows, Happy new year to you. :thumbs:
 
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Jellycat said:
If I was after a second shooter then I would be happy to pay a wage but as I won't be gaining anything apart from someone to carry my gear as I will be getting to the size of a small country i dont think its an issue (i could get my husband or sister to carry it for me but like I said this is a great opportunity for someone wanting an insight in to the wonderful world of wedding photography). If they want to take some photos they can.
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This sums it up for me - lyn's making this offer because its good for the person who takes it up , not because she wants to take advantage of an unpaid worker

theres loads out there who are looking for this kind of opportunity, and its refreshing to see someone offering it.
 
Perhaps those people criticising should go over to the Sports shooter US website and see what they do unpaid for the course of a year or more.
If the OP is gracious enough to offer experience then if people wish to participate send her a PM. If they don't perhaps, they would be better turning their attention to another post rather than flaming the thread? I didn't read anywhere that people were being handcuffed and forced in chains to assist with wedding photography - a little more maturity would be welcome -
 
jacob12_1993 said:
Could I ask who has deleted my post above and for what reason? I replied in a fairly respectful manner to what was effectively an personally insulting post?
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Jacob - your post was removed, as it quoted a post by Pete, which he was sensible enough to realise was not really suitable. As he removed his comment, your quoting of it was un-necessary, and frankly, "stirring it".
 
Perhaps also worth noting that a request at the start of the thread was made to ensure everything was ok with the request so if the mods have let it run it doesnt need others to interfere?
 
my feeling (which is only my opinion) is that while the discussion of the ethics of unpaid internships are an interesting and worthwjile discussion - this might not be the best place to have them as it takes lyns request off topic and essentially derails her thread (and questions her morals could be seen as insulting) but hey what do I know I'm not a mod annd if they are okay with the discussion being here who am i to argue
 
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In the Business forum it mught go unremarked as it's convention to advertise this type of opportunity. However, this isn't the business section and a degree of discussion and debate is expected.

Anyway.. interesting reading here. Where interestingly enough cornishboy's mention of shackles and chains is relevant to the application of national minimum wage (second bullet point).
 
cornishboy said:
Perhaps those people criticising should go over to the Sports shooter US website and see what they do unpaid for the course of a year or more.
If the OP is gracious enough to offer experience then if people wish to participate send her a PM. If they don't perhaps, they would be better turning their attention to another post rather than flaming the thread? I didn't read anywhere that people were being handcuffed and forced in chains to assist with wedding photography - a little more maturity would be welcome -
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I said I was going earlier, but I'm going to continue to comment on post saying mine and others posts where immature etc We posted informed replies, pointing out issues which could actually get the OP in trouble, the lack of maturity and respect have been from people posting against the original posters if anything :cuckoo:
 
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