Portrait Photography - Paid Summer Internship

Looking for a summer intern at a boutique photography and video company in Estes Park, Colorado.

Dates: May to August. The actual start/end dates are flexible based on your school schedule, but it is desirable for as early as a start date in May and as late of an end date in August. 40 hours/week.

Personal transportation and a personal camera system (anything works!) are needed. Housing is needed as well. Summer sublets in Boulder, Colorado, through University of Colorado students are a great option since finding summer housing in Estes Park can be challenging but attainable. From Boulder, it is a beautiful hour drive to our gallery in Estes Park which is the gateway town to Rocky Mountain National Park.

 Please send your resume and 2 references to alex@skypondphotovideo.com

We will reach out to you after your application and references are received to set up an online meeting or phone call to see if we are a good fit for each other. 

The majority of Sky Pond Photo and Video’s business originates from portrait photography. In essence, I am looking for someone who is passionate about people photography and has the goal to learn the ins and outs of how to become a successful independent portrait photographer. 

The shoots all take place outdoors either in Estes Park or Rocky Mountain National Park and involve everything from senior portraits to family reunions of 150 people. Regardless of your experience (there really isn’t any “level” I’m looking for) what I am really looking for is someone who is motivated and creative and can add diversity and a fresh spin to my business. Since I only hire a single intern, my goal is to have the camera and lighting in your hands as much as possible. You should be photographing on your first shoot and hopefully running the show by the last. 

Direct experience with clients in real world situations is the key to success in this business and my busy summer schedule will definitely expose you to this. No matter how talented you are at photographing people, learning to be nimble on your feet whether it be challenging lighting conditions, weather or location are equally as important. Honing your technical skills so you can react and adjust quickly to almost any situation is crucial to being a successful portrait photographer. I am also very motivated to teach you the business side of things. When it comes down to it, watching someone learn, grow and gain confidence while having fun is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.

As for the job description, you will be spending roughly 1/3 of your time in the field shooting and roughly 2/3 in the editing bay. Although portrait photo editing can be repetitive, you will definitely learn the skills to create professional portraits that people will pay a premium for. If you look at my website, you are also very likely to work on many other projects from weddings to real estate photography to philanthropy videos (video experience is not required). I am also a passionate nature photographer and would love to go out and catch a sunrise or sunset with you and teach you what I’ve learned photographing Rocky Mountain National Park over the past 25 years. 

Thanks for looking!