I am currently studying photography at Riverside City College. I became interested in the photography program after joining Photo Club at the school and was able to get an internship with Adams Photography, Inc.
Each day I worked I was assigned as either a photographer or a stylist (mostly stylist). As a stylist, my job was to make sure the children we photographed were well-groomed. This included taming any flyaways in the hair, making sure buttons were buttoned correctly, making sure faces were clean, and correctly posing them for their pictures. As a photographer, my job was to make sure photos were taken with the correct crop and helping to children smile for their photographs.
Other duties included loading equipment in and out of the vans, setting up a photography station and making sure everything is measured out correctly. If other stations needed help setting up or breaking down after my station was finished, I would help the other stations finish. A goal I achieved during this internship was being able to work a job that involved photography. Doing so offered another perspective for me since it’s a different type of photography from what I normally do.
Working here gave me work experience in the photography field. Although the photography work itself was not what I am used to in terms of how I photograph day-to-day, it offered experience in working with kids, working as a team, and even working a photo set-up individually when needed.
I would say if an opportunity to intern arrives, students should take it if it will work for them. If it’s an opportunity that will offer them experience that will benefit them and help them long-term, it will more than likely be worth it. Different opportunities will offer different experiences so it’s important to go for the ones that will benefit you the most.
