As any established photographer will tell you, forging a career can be a long and arduous journey, with no instruction manual to guide you through the process. The lofty world of top-notch pros is often shrouded in mystery and full of things they don’t teach in photo school. In today’s show, we get to peek behind the scenes of this complex, and often chaotic environment in a chat with two colleagues who’ve found a way to balance their freelance careers as independent creators with lucrative work assisting in a high-profile photo studio.
Listen in, to learn how a casual job application through LinkedIn landed Mike Foley an interview, ultimately resulting in a salaried role as first assistant to a world-class portrait photographer. While technical mastery counts for a lot, we discuss the critical importance of soft skills like personality and work ethic to success in such environments. We also distinguish between salaried full-time work and more common freelance roles, and the juggling required to coordinate the complex planning involved.
As freelance lighting assistant (and longtime café owner) Alex Savidis admits, “the juggle becomes quite hard at times, but I think it's a necessity, especially when you're trying to pursue something that you're passionate about. You can't just become a successful photographer overnight. It takes years to build up to that.”
Guests: Mike Foley & Alex Savidis
Episode Timeline:
- 2:57: Mike Foley describes heirloom portraiture as his bespoke brand of portrait with the ability to last a lifetime.
- 5:10: The backstory to Mike getting hired as a photo assistant for a world class portrait photographer.
- 11:25: The personality and skill set needed to work in a high-end photo studio, Alex’s take on being added to the team, plus the various roles within the studio.
- 17:30: The role of a B-cam operator to capture the finer details of a video shoots, plus an overview of a typical shoot day.
- 23:05: Mike talks about the video work in his portfolio as a differentiating factor in his getting the assisting job.
- 28:23: The work structure and expectations for photo assistants, from freelance to salaried positions, plus discussion about length of tenure.
34:50: Episode Break
- 35:55: Memorable stories from the studio—from the largest two-day shoot with a crew of 150, to the core personnel involved in work-a-day shoots.
- 42:28: NDA’s and the etiquette of what an assistant is able to share when dealing with high-end clients.
- 46:30: The growing acceptance of photographers who do freelance work and juggle regular 9-5 jobs with photo assignments.
- 52:07: Learning outcomes from working in a world class portrait studio, and the mindset to hold yourself to a higher standard.
- 57:49: Mike and Alex share advice for budding photographers based on what they’ve learned from working in a world-class photo studio.
Guest Bios:
Mike Foley is a New York City-based photographer specializing in heirloom portraiture and editorial photography. After starting out photographing weddings and small events, Mike quickly grew into commercial work, providing clients with timeless images they can use to elevate their visual presence and define their brand. His approach behind the camera is warm and humanistic, allowing his subjects the space to be themselves. In addition to his own photo services, Mike is currently content manager and digital designer for an internationally renowned portrait photographer. On set, he serves as first assistant and B-camera operator, while also providing on-set and post-production support behind the scenes for clients like Balenciaga, New York Magazine, and many more.
Australian native Alex Savidis is passionate about storytelling through both still and moving imagery. Based in New York since 2020, he pushes creative boundaries by merging elements from his street and landscape photography into his portraiture & wedding work, weaving memories into art. For the past year and a half, Alex has also worked as lighting assistant and B cam operator in the same high-profile portrait studio as Mike, catering to world-renowned clients and political leaders. On B cam, it’s his job to focus on finer details and provide viewers with a deeper, more intimate perspective on a given subject, capturing nuances that enhance the storytelling. Additionally, when he’s not juggling camera gear or fine-tuning lights, you can find Alex behind the counter of the café Regular NYC in southern Manhattan, an establishment he founded in early 2024.
Stay Connected:
- Mike Foley Website: https://mikephotographs.com/
- Mike Foley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_mikephotographs/
- Mike Foley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaeljamesphotos/
- Mike Foley Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-foley-3095a7126
- Alex Savidis Website: https://www.alexsavidis.com/
- Alex Savidis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex.savidis/
- Alex Savidis Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-savidis-14155b272
- Alex Savidis Regular NYC Cafe: https://regular.nyc/
End Credits:
- Host: Derek Fahsbender
- Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman
- Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein
- Executive Producer: Richard Stevens
B&H Photography Podcast