Hey,

I was wondering what the best way to get a job as an assistant?

Thank you,
Justin

You need to market yourself almost as if you are a product. If you have expirence, it will be easier for you. Create an ad, a resume, a bio - which ever or all and use them where applicable. List every piece of camera and lighting equipment that you know and start contacting studios, photographers, and model agencies for additional listings of photographers. Also alot of camera stores and labs have bulletin boards where you can put your ad. Also, you can list the type of photography if any that interest you. You can also do a search on photo assistants as there are a ton of professional assistants out there.

Thank you. I shall get started on creating a resume and get an ad in the paper and at the photography stores...

-Justin

expect to be a photo slave until the photog can count on you to be his second shooter

make friends with a shooter and start as an apprentice.

Alright, works for me... I'd settle for hauling around gear and placing lights and whatever he/she needs. Aslong as I learn a few things...

-Justin

Contact your local ASMP chapter.

http://www.asmptucson.org/
http://www.azasmp.org/

Go to meetings and presentations. Network with the photographers. Ask them if they use assistants, get business cards, etc... 

Send emails to photographers (or phone them) and ask if they use assistants. Ask if they can put you to work sometime.

FWiW - an ad in the newspaper is useless.  You need to market yourself where the photographers are -- Camera Stores, Photo Labs, Gear Rental Houses. 

So far, Steven has given you the best advise. I'd like to add a few things to what he has said.
1- Follow up. Photographers get a lot of one-time calls from would be assistants, many of whom they never hear from again.

2- Be upfront about your abilities: Don't be afraid to say "I've never done this before". Bad things can happen on set at the hands of a novice who is afraid of looking bad.

3- Network with other assitants. You will learn a lot from them....and assistants DO refer work to other assistants.

3- You are NOT an apprentice!!! You are in Business. I cannot stress this one enough. If you go looking for work with the "apprentice" mentality, you are giving the unscrupulous photographers out there carte blanc to abuse you. Don't be duped into working for free "for the experience".....because your "experience" will be a sore back and an empty hand where there should be a check. Just about everyone starts out as a pack mule. In some cases, that's all a photographer needs. Over time, you will learn to be a better assistant, and thus, a better photographer. Pay attention on set. Time is money, so most photogs will not be imparting knowledge while a shoot is happening.

Also, here are a few sites worth checking out:
www.photoassistant.net and www.photoblacklist.com

I wish you the best of luck. You've got a long, hard road ahead of you, but it's a very rewarding one. Take care,
Daniel Bergeron

Ive been assisting for about 4 years now and thought I would invoke a few words of advice.

1- Contact ASMP they are a great org and can help alot. Go to meetings and talk to the people there, print up some buisness cards and hand them out.

2- When you are hired for a job BE ON TIME

I’ve been assisting for about 4 years now and thought I would give you a few words of advice.

1- Contact ASMP they are a great org and can help a lot. Go to meetings and talk to the people there, print up some business cards and hand them out.

2- When you are hired for a job BE ON TIME cant stress this one enough. Be prepared Ask the photographer what type of shoot you will be working on, what you should where if its an office setting you might need to where nicer clothes than if you are shooting outside at a junk yard.

3- Pay attention to what is going on around you, don’t stand around like a bump on a log if there doesn’t seem like there is anything to do check out the photographers equipment make sure you know where everything belongs and put it back in the right place.

4- Stay out of the way especially when you are just starting out the last thing the photographer needS is advice from someone who doesn’t know what he is talking about, and try not to talk to the client, models or art director too much you dont want to distract them from the job at hand. No horse play you must act like a professional at all times. The above doesnt mean you should keep your mouth shut at all times if you see something wrong tell the photographer, Light not going off, something distracting in the background, camera not working correctly, or posible lens flair.

5- try to stay one step ahead, if the photographer is standing on his tip toes to see through the lens get a apple box or something for him to stand on, learn the lingo flags, screens, rimlight, backlight, spot, and several others I cant think of right now.

6- Learn the digital systems Capture One, Cannon and Nikon Software, Flex Color you can get most of these for free on a 30 trial basis. And don’t forget Photoshop it’s a must.

7- believe it or not some people still use film so go to the local camera store and play with some of the cameras they have there.

8- Did I mention BE ON TIME.

Oh and here is one more bit of advice...Ask.

All the advice here is good but you need to practice your pitch to whatever photographer you want to work for.  Make a list of the three photographers you want to work with and pitch number three first.  When you are done grade yourself.  Then pitch number two.  Then number one.  By the time you get to one you know your stuff.  I picked three photographers as an arbitary number by the way.

If you are planning on working in Arizona know that it will be a tough living being a photo assist.  But, you experience will carry you far later.

good answers, will also use this advice...Thanks guys !!