I am 23 years old and I have already managed to make one of my dreams come true; from April through November of 2008, I was a working photographer.  By “working photographer” I mean professional, as in, my photography put food on my table and gas in my vehicle.  It was a freelance position with my alma mater, limited to 15 hours a week, and my paychecks barely got me by.  But I wouldn’t have traded it for anything and when it finally came to and end, I was sad to leave.

More than a source of income, being the Assistant University Photography was yet another course in the College of Hard Knocks.  It gave me access to venues I’d never have gotten into otherwise and gave me a place to practice and further develop my skills – I did some really neat shoots while I was there, had some great successes, and really screwed up a time or two.

The point of this nostalgic little trip is this – none of it would have been possible without the internship I did while a student there.  For anyone who wants to learn photography, there is no better way than to work with a professional photographer, and an internship is the best way to get the hands-on experience you need.

I contacted the Department of Communications & Marketing and made the request for an internship soon after buying my first DSLR – I knew that books alone wouldn’t teach me what I wanted to know, so I took the initiative and ended up partnering with Jonathan Cohen, the new University Photographer, who had just taken the job after working as a highly successful photojournalist since graduating college himself.  He’d been published in the New York Times, among other well-known publications, which is certainly the kind of credentials you want in a mentor.

I’m not going to lie – it was not always glamorous.  I spent a lot of time setting up and breaking down lighting gear.  I learned a lot about carrying bags and maneuvering towering piles of gear through narrow doorways.  I spent more time acting as a human light stand than I did holding a camera, at first.  But I also got to listen to the internal dialogue of a professional, I got to ask questions, and I got excellent instructions regarding every step of the process, from packing gear to editing the final photos.

I interned for two semesters.  At the start of each I sat down with Jonathan and the editor of the University’s internal newspaper and chose a topic for a photo essay, which I spent the semester shooting.  Both times my photo essay was printed in the newspaper and distributed across the campus, which aside from being very cool, made for excellent portfolio material.

And since I had formed a friendship with my mentor, I continued to stop in every week or so to see what he was working on or to ask questions or to help out.  Which is why I was able to land a long-term freelance position when the previous assistant quit unexpectedly.

I tell you now, and firmly believe, that whatever successes I have as a photographer, they are a result of my internship, and subsequent friendship, with Jonathan Cohen.  And I do not believe that he was unique in his willingness to share his knowledge; there are plenty of other photographers out there who are just as willing.  Photographers learn from other photographers – there is no better way to learn photography than to work with a professional – if you hold any dreams of being a photographer yourself, do whatever it takes to find a mentor.

And when you have the chance, show that same willingness to share what you know and help a struggling photographer make a start.