Got my new business cards and...sa-weet!

My new visual identity is way more pro than my old one. Jennifer Pyle did a great job on the design.

I'd sleep with them next to me but I worry I'd fold, spindle or mutilate them.

Went to a photo assistant event last night. The photo buyers on the panel started off by saying that it was totally cool for assistants to promote to them, on the set of the hiring photographer. I was all....no way.

That reminds me. I was working on an ad set for the first photographer I ever worked for. There was a whole creative team there. I got a little crush on one of the designers, so about midway through the shoot, I gave her my card 'if she ever needed it' (I swear, I didn't wink). Further, the account exec was getting married, and hey, I can shoot a wedding, so I gave her my card too.

After we wrapped, and were loading gear, the photographer walked with me along the hall. I can't remember exactly what he said, but it was basically, "So, there's not to be any passing out of cards to the creative team on my shoots." I immediately realized how my actions looked and felt horrible. I explained the wedding/crush angle and he explained that I can do that, no biggie, I just need to alert him to it first.

And that makes sense to me. At last nights event, the panel eventually got around to expressing what I think had been their assumption all along - promotion like that happens, but it's got to be low-key, appropriate, and timely.

Photographers, assistants, and buyers know:

• that assistants are pursuing careers in photography
• that photographers would like to keep working for their buyers
• that buyers need to work with new photographers

Everybody's on the same page, and it's inherently awkward. The whole assistant/photographer dynamic could be so loaded with tension I'm surprised it works so well.

Usually. I worked for one photographer who approached the client of the photographer he'd assisted, and that client abruptly hired him to the exclusion of the old photographer. When I first heard the story I thought it was nasty, but now I'm not so sure...perhaps it was time.

There was another photographer I worked for, and on one shoot, the AD handed his card out to everyone (me and the photographer - it was editorial). Five minutes after the AD left, the photographer turned to me and said "I'll take that business card if you don't mind.", and I was all "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA here you go, chief." I don't work for guys like that for very long.

And happily, I have my own gorgeous loving girlfriend now, so there's no passing cards around for that anymore.