I’ve recently started up a relationship with Duggal, and they asked if I’d write a guest blog of my choosing.  Last month, one of our other assistants, Michael Cali (http://www.michaelcaliblog.com) and I taught a class at Dubai’s Gulf Photo Plus Expo, called “Building a Career in Photography”, and we had an amazing response– so thought I’d try to do a bit of a blog series diving in a bit deeper.

This is an experiment of sorts, in that I’m turning a class/lesson plan into a couple of blog posts- and we can go any way you’d like with this– so please comment as to what stands out, what you’d like to hear more about, etc.  Happy to mold it any way you’d like.

Essentially, in the course of a couple of blog posts, here’s the basics of what I’ll be covering:

• Starting out in the Photo World
• The importance of becoming a photo assistant

•  What exactly does a photo assistant do?

• Opportunities I’ve had working with Joe/a BTS look at working on-assignment
• Personal Shooting/Portfolio Building
• Taking the next steps in the industry

Starting Out in the Photo World

I got interested in photography when I was starting high school.  I had always been a big music fan, was constantly seeking out live shows, and I happened to be family friends of an up-and-coming band called Guster.  I simply thought it was a cool thing to capture photos of a band I loved, and they gave me photo passes anytime I wanted to shoot- which in the end, was something like 50 times.  Most of that black and white film was completely awful (and by that I mean lots of completely blank negs), but that’s how I learned the technicalities of taking a picture.

I ended up going for my BFA in photography and graphic design in college, and while there, I interned for two prominent NYC-based photographers, Joe McNally (National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, LIFE), and Danny Clinch (http://www.dannyclinch.com) (Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair) and had an absolutely amazing experience with both.  For a young photographer, they were the best contrast in technique and overall style of work I could possibly experience.

The first question a lot of young shooters ask when I mention these internships is “How the hell did you pull that off?”  It was surprisingly easy, and really came down to persistence.  Each Fall/Winter, I’d start flipping through the Communication Arts Photo Annual, bookmark NYC-based photographer’s work I liked, and gave them a call.

I found that making calls and setting up interviews during the Fall/Winter put me way ahead of the pack, and by the time everyone else started looking, I already had my plans set in stone.

I finished school in 2005, was playing drums in a Philly-based rock band (which lasted for almost seven years), and started freelancing in the photo world.  I was living in a relatively small market, an hour north of Philadelphia, and made the better chunk of my income as the head shooter for a local wedding company.  Though it’s not exactly what I wanted to be doing, it did enable me to make my entire living as a working photographer- which was a very big milestone to achieve.

My schooling left me ill-prepared for the marketplace, and I knew I needed to start looking for a change, so in 2008, I started applying to grad schools for photo journalism.  I had always kept in touch with Joe’s studio manager, Lynn, and during one conversation in late Summer, she asked if I’d ever consider assisting Joe.

Brad Moore (http://www.bmoorevisuals.com), Joe’s assistant at the time was looking for a bit more of a normal lifestyle, and took a job assisting Scott Kelby, so the doors opened for Joe’s first assistant position.

Joe was a bit apprehensive at first, as I was shooting full-time, and this would force me to put the camera down for a bit.  We spoke, and after a short phone conversation, offered me the job as his first assistant.

At the time, it was a big move for me..I was essentially breaking up my band, which had seen some mild success, and leaving a relatively well-paying freelance gig to essentially be a pack mule for another photographer.

It turned out to be the absolute smartest career move I could have ever made, and has positioned me in the marketplace somewhere I couldn’t have ever dreamed of being in four years ago.

Stay tuned for part two in this series: The Importance of Assisting

Duggal’s interactive team designed and manufactured the 625 square foot custom map in Duggal’s New York facilities. The size of the map required that it be divided into 25 sections and then reassembled at the installation site. The main elements of the map included the support structure, lighting elements, electronic components and the printed surface panels.

Once the elements were fabricated the ten-person team installed it on site in three days.  The perimeter support structure and lighting chassis panels were laid down first. The finish wiring connected each of the panels into one larger 25′ x 25′ unit. It was important to make sure the entire foundation structure was level before the top panels were placed. Internal support for the top surface panels was then placed and leveled.

Check out photos below and CLICK HERE to learn more and watch a video on the production!

Duggal mounted two images that Tyler provided for his vignette. Both images were from LUX Archive, Male Cardinal by Paul Nelson and Aqueous One by mark Mawson, and were finished with a gallery plexi mount.

Check out photos below of Tyler’s vignette at Design on a Dime and CLICK HERE to see a video of Tyler putting it all together!

Duggal conceptualized and designed backdrops, specialized lighting, interactive pieces, and a 16′x30′ backlit billboard. Duggal created virtual 3D renderings and mechanicals detailing what the stage and scene would look like in the end. The renderings were then translated into a full size stage in our Brooklyn workshop. The individual pieces were shipped to Atlanta, GA where they were then installed the following day.

To learn more about this project check out our latest video HERE

 Main stage (above)

 Full size stage for game show (above)

Temporary backlist billboard with 10,000 watt floodlights (above)

Interactive scratch off ticket (above)

 Banner lit up with the largest fireworks display in the South East (above)

Landscapes – 25% (44 voters)

Portrait – 14% (25 votes)

Travel – 14% (24 votes)

Wildlife – 12% (22 votes)

Fashion – 8% (14 votes)

Macro – 7% (13 votes)

Architecture – 6% (11 votes)

Other – 14% (24 votes)

The categories for this years contest included illustration, photography, design and multi-media and was open to illustrators, photographers, designers and new media artists as well creative directors, art directors and producers.

The winners will be receiving prizes from Wacom, Agency Access, Blick, Moo.com, SmugMug and Duggal. CLICK HERE to see the winners!

The voting process consisted of both a popular vote by the masses and a juried vote from a team of judges who are industry professionals from the advertising, publishing, editorial, design and entertainment industries.

Duggal is printing 16 digital c prints from 16″ x 20″ to 20″ x 24″ and doing gallery plexi mounts for 11 of the winning images. Stay tuned to see the winning images!

For more information, please contact at: 

Altpick Awards (212) 675-4176 
Email: altpick@altpick.com 
Contest: http://awards.altpick.com

To learn more about the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge visit http://www.mta.info/bandt/html/veraz.html