Pros
-Lots of hours in August and September
-Not a boring job in an office
-Good for people who want a seasonal job
-Out early, if you don't do sports photos
-Inspiration and networking from working with other creative people
-New school every day, don't have to see the same kids often unless you do sports and spring proofs
Cons
- Owners have no boundaries; super MAGA.
- No good benefits, but they're nice for the owners.
- No reliable work outside of Yearbook Photos, Spring Proofs, Graduations.
- Cliquey and elitist, hero crew leaders have lived long enough to see themselves become the villains- will fight with each other in front of new photographers, talk down to people, talk badly about other crew leaders and how they are not real photographers or good at their jobs, and discuss people in general, as soon as they leave.
- Will not be hired if they sense you are LGBTQ+ or mildly alternative.
- High stress and overstimulating environments with mass amounts of loud children, in addition to crew leaders who yell.
- Owner dead names and uses the wrong pronouns for transgender employees in private conversations with other employees.
- Lack of creativity or evolution in job due to helicopter micro management.
- Some studio call times as early as 3 AM, some sports jobs as late as 8/9 PM... not much consideration of this during scheduling and you'll often be running on very little sleep.
- You'll be told how important it is to take a break, but almost never take breaks unless you're in a van, on the way to/from a job. You'll be talked about and fall victim to the clique if you insist on having a break.
- Belittling nicknames and jokes that you're expected to take.
- Ownership involves employees in their marital problems, bring it to the workplace, employees have to act like embarrassing situations didn't happen
- Lots of religious schools with faculty who make judgmental and backhanded comments to photographers.
- The especially unstable side of ownership can turn on you, regardless of how committed you've been. Talks to you like you're "the help."
- Unprofessional/unstable ownership showed up at my new, public job, and made a scene in front of customers and other employees.