[Information] Work Experience and Blue Lights Photography

Recently, I have seen an uptake on the amount of calls and emails that I am receiving about Work Experience especially of school-age children.

Unfortunately, I am unable to take on any work experience pupils, I have looked into it in the past, as I definitely wanted to do something – but unfortunately due to lots of rules and regulations, I am unable to take anyone on – and whilst I know that many other photographers are in the same boat, I also do not know anyone whom I can refer you to either. 

Many photographers, especially in the local area, are self employed and we work on our own. Each day-to-day and week-to-week is completely and utterly different – and similar business can also run completely different too.

Here are my top 3 reasons, why some photographers may not take work experience students.

1. Insurance.
When people enquire, about work experience, if we are self employed and we do not need employers insurance and liability – however we do for work experience students. It’s an additional expense that we need to pay yearly for, for 1-2 weeks per year.

2. Checks
Checks, Checks and more Checks! They are all needed if we have work experience students. Health and Safety, School Checks, personal safety checks, you name it – we have to take the time out from the business to have all these checks. Not only that, as children will be in our care, alone, the school/LEA will then need to pay for us to be CRB checked, as it is not something by law, that photographers need, as we are not left alone with children under the age of 18 as parents are always with us during sessions.

3. Work & timings.
Working as a photographer, and especially alone, work is so varied. Some weeks, you are working Monday-Friday 9-5 due to work, other days, you are working only a couple of hours, and then the rest is editing, or admin, and things that people need training on, which within two week we are unable to do. Then you have to think weekends, some weekends can be 10-12 hour days, especially when shooting Weddings, and then there’s a difference when you get home too! So being a “photographer” isn’t as easy as coming into work and going home at a set time. It’s blooming hard work! 

For work experience pupils, rather than just look at photographers in general, look at what type of photography you want to get into, as there are so so so many different types of photography, and each one has different ways of getting into it properly.

Running a successful photography business isn’t mainly about taking pretty pictures.