Canon5Dtips Photography is more than words.
Last weekend, I shot my first wedding of the season with my friend Robert Cato (see below). This gig had me play with a few new pieces of gear, like using a monopod instead of a shoulder rig (more on this in the next post) but what I wanted to talk about is the newest genius idea Robert had: hiring an assistant for the day!
Yes, adding a +1 to the crew cost some money but I think it pays for itself pretty quickly.
How? Time saved: having someone else worrying about moving the gear around and keeping it safe while shooting outside is a great time saver. The guy is the last to leave the set so he is in charge of managing all the gear and making sure you are not leaving something behind which is one of my constant worries. He manages batteries, CF cards and lens changes. Forgot a lens in the hotel room? No problem, send the assistant! Want a drink during the cocktail? Send the assistant! (this last part was my idea)
Of course these are all things you could do by yourself but having an extra pair of hands and eyes to take care of everything that is not directly related to shooting makes the whole experience even better.
I am now wondering how I will ever be able to shoot without an assistant!
Here is the clip, edited the next day by Robert, the guy is a real trooper. What I was doing while he was editing? Sleeping!
