ScrapBook inspirations' Design Team member, Cheryl Johnson, is also a photographer who runs online classes. At the end of her latest one, the People Imagery workshop, she had the idea to run a challenge competition based loosely on her fave tv programme, The Apprentice. And so The Assistant was born!
Cheryl explains, "The Assistant was the ultimate photographers four-week job interview, where fifteen of the finest competed in a series of rigorous assignments, which required creativity, technical ability and determination, in order to show me, the boss, that they were the best candidate to become my very first assistant.
"They were split into two teams and set a weekly photographic challenge. I assessed the final images the first week, and the losing team were sent to the darkroom, where four people were fired (well two had actually resigned). The second week the teams were mixed up and set another challenge, this time individual images were scored and those with the lowest scores were fired. The third week it was every woman for herself and I used the points system again to select the final three photographers who would go head to head in the final week and face the public vote. The final three are Kerry, Rosemary and Dawn - see below for their profiles.
"Final Assignment: The final three candidates had to conduct a single photo shoot (with hopefully a willing model) in a natural light setting. To meet the brief they had to present three images that tell the story of their models personality/interests or lifestyle. At least one of the images had to be a head and shoulders mugshot."
And this is where you come in. The photos from the final assignment are on display now and the winner will be decided by public vote. The voting is open until 6pm on Monday 9th June 2008 so head over to http://www.feelgoodphotos.com/blog/?p=674 now and get voting! Cheryl says, "Please vote once for the set of images that you think best meets the brief and take a moment to leave them feedback in the comment section below - they have really worked hard and I personally think they are ALL winners - thanks!"
The Finalists
Name: Kerry
From: Southport
Status: Old free & single (just me & the cat)
Amount of years behind a lens & camera kit used: dabbled with manual SLR in film-only days, played with developing and printing, but couldn't get dream of own darkroom so gave up for years and years. Only got seriously interested again when doing PWL last year, bought a new camera then which gave me more control. So, digitally, probably one year at most (Sony DSC-H7 bridge camera)
Day job: Civil Servant
Age: 50 something
Scrapping: 4 1/2 years
Dream portrait: After doing People Imagery, this would have to include Street Photography. So probably, right now, I would like be out and about with my camera in Zimbabwe, or China, or Tibet. Just to point my camera at the people who are in the midst of our news. Away from the politics, I'd like to capture the real people behind the news stories, and show their emotions.
Name: Rosemary
From: Northern Ireland
Scrapping: 18 months
Status: Married, 1 grown up son married 3 yrs and 1 son sadly in heaven (I would rather have him here now)
Amount of years behind a lens & camera kit: Point and shoot past 40 yrs, DSLR 1 year
Day: job—Retired
Age: Very Very Very early sixties going on 30!
Dream portrait: A future grandchild
Name: Dawn
From: Salisbury
Scrapping: 3 years
Status: Married to a gorgeous hubby with a 2 1/2 year old and 7 month old twins
Amount of years behind a lens & camera kit used: Since I was about 7! First SLR when I was 18, first DSLR a year ago.
Day job: Housewife/Mummy
Age: 39
Dream portrait: All three children looking in the same direction and smiling!
So those are the finalists, visit http://www.feelgoodphotos.com/blog/?p=674 to see their photos and vote on your favourite!
