Throughout the internship, I can say that I’ve learned a lot from my supervisor and her crew. From the start of the internship till the end of it. It has been an amazing experience, seeing how much it takes for a photo session to happen. I had the chance to work with crew members that are willing to work together and network with me. My supervisor was able to give me flexible hours in which I would be able to work with her. Some days would be shorter than others and there would be some days where it would take most of the day to complete a photoshoot.
I found the whole process of setting up for a photoshoot interesting. I had the chance to work with soft boxes, different tripods, learn about different cameras and lenses that were being used. The amount of time and effort it takes to set up is just incredible. Everything comes into play, from the lighting in the room to the amount of space there is in the room.
This is a behind the scenes photo before the photo session began. You’re able to see the different type of gear being used.
I do want to say how I was encouraged to ask questions. If there’s anything I don’t know, to ask. I felt comfortable around my supervisor and her crew members. I wasn’t scared at all to ask any questions. Communication is key in the industry, especially when it comes to talking to clients and how they want their photo to be taken.
During this week, my supervisor was getting more than one photoshoot a day. Luckily, she has an amazing team that had her back and was able to help her throughout the day. At this point in the internship, I was able to notice a few things about myself. I was able to remember how to properly pack and load the gear that’s needed for the photoshoot. My supervisor likes things done a certain way and us, as her team will always have to load the gear her way. In the few weeks as her intern, I listened carefully and gained her trust especially with her expensive gear. Gaining her trust is a huge plus because it showed how quickly I was able to learn and adapt in a setting that I wasn’t familiar with.
At some point, her crew members also had told me that I was a quick learner and that I would remember the steps in order to load up the gear. At first, it was tough to load up and prepare for a photoshoot since I wouldn’t know the equipment well. However, I made it a goal for me to try and remember how to properly set up and make sure the gear being used doesn’t get mishandled.
After I was able to take photographs of the individual at the gym for the project, I went back to edit the photos. I enjoy editing every photograph I take. I found this project to be exciting because I was finally going to show my supervisor what I am capable of doing. Apart from me learning and knowing about the equipment we would use, I would show my style in editing photographs. Every photographer has their own way of editing. I normally use Adobe lightroom to edit my photos. I’ve noticed that my supervisor uses photoshop as well in order to edit photos.
While editing, i tried to use some of my own presets to see if the preset would help the photo or not. I was able to find a preset that made the individual stand out and made the photos look very appealing to my eye. I took photos from several angles and I made sure the individual felt good about the photos taken of him. Once I was done editing the photos, I sent the files to the individual’s email and to my supervisor.
From the start, Jill had mentioned to us about responsibilities and tasks we would have as her interns. One main responsibility that we had was to take care of the equipment that was going to be used for the photo session. Some of the equipment that we would be using was borrowed from a photography shop which will then be sent back. Another responsibility that we had would be to take background photos of the sessions. These background photos would help the photographer and us remember how we would set up the room in case we come back.
Every equipment used would have to be placed on the right location that way the photo comes out as expected. It would be tough sometimes to decide how many soft boxes we would use for the session. It all depended on the amount of sunlight there was in the room.
A project that Jill assigned to us was to go out in public and take photos of an object or subject without using a flash. She wanted us to use natural lighting. Whether it was sunlight or the lights in the room. I had the idea to go to a public gym and ask anyone if they wanted photos taken of them while they worked out. Luckily, the first person I asked agreed and I began to take photos. I was nervous to ask people if they wanted photos taken of them at the gym but the individual who I took photos for was excited about it.
My supervisor is the creator and owner of her own private company. Over the years, she has photographed politician, ad campaigns, and celebrities. She has been part of many private events and famous parties where she is able to capture many celebrities that attend the events. My supervisor has also been part of Fashion Week taken place in New York City. She is known for her enthusiasm and her creative drive to deliver the perfect shot for her clients.
At the end of the interview, my supervisor had told us that it was our choice if we wanted to continue with the internship. Some people that were in the group interview were located in other states. I was the only one who was in New York City at that moment. Apart from letting her know if we wanted to continue, she told us that she wanted a recommendation letter. The first person i thought was one of my communication design professor’s. Professor Josh Kapusinski was my professor for my Story Telling course. It was a video class in which I had done very well, especially because I was interested in creating and editing videos.
I reached out to him for a recommendation letter which he did send to her. The following day, she had emailed me saying she had received my recommendation letter and that she was excited to work with me. The only thing that was left to do was to send her the paperwork required for the class where she had to sign.
Looking for an internship that I wanted to focus on was tough. I was mainly looking for a photography internship or a videography internship. Where i can continue to develop my skills in editing and experience what it’s like in the real world. The course had already started and I still wasn’t able to be part of an internship.
I kept applying throughout several websites like Indeed and linkedIn. I noticed that in most internships, they required a portfolio, a recommendation letter, and some even wanted a degree already. At the time, I didn’t have a set portfolio for myself so I had to create one. It was easy to develop my own portfolio with the help of Adobe Portfolio. Once my portfolio was set, I was able to send it out to those upcoming internships that I was applying to. Fortunately, an internship that I came across with my supervisor’s internship.
It was an internship that had caught my attention because it was based in the city, it would allow me to gain experience in the field and I was going to be able to be part of the industry. A few days passed by and I had the opportunity to receive an email from Jill herself. I was elected to be part of a group interview which would be held through Zoom. During the interview, she explained her roll in the industry, the tasks we would face as an intern, and the few projects that we would have for her. Overall, I was eager to start and be part of her intern crew.
