Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Nine (Planning Ahead Makes People Happy) + Adventures! This lesson is less about interning and more about being a photographer. Nevertheless, it came to my attention how lackadaisical photographers really are at procuring releases at my internship and not through my four years of college (in which I may have gotten one model to sign a release. Maybe). This is not for lack of trying on my professors' account, it's just a matter of real world experience instead of theoretical lectures.
All photographers should be made to secure release as they shoot, not after they shoot, move on, and turn in their photographs for the magazine to use. I'm talking to you, location photographers, and you lifestyle photographers. I cannot begin to count how many times I had to go back and find location releases and appearance releases and even location AND appearance releases. Get that business taken care of ahead of time. It is so much more difficult for the assistant photo editor (or intern as the case may be) to track down the people and places you shot than it is for you to slap a piece of paper in front of the owner while you have them there, trapped in front of your camera. There's even an app for just this purpose. And we all know most photographers would not be caught dead without their trusty IPhone. Put that $700+ worth of technology to work for you and your future employers and everyone will be much happier in the long run. I know the people in the photo department will appreciate it when you say "Why yes, I do have a release for that random person I shot in the middle of Toronto."
This lesson applies to all photographers who are a) invested in saving their own ass should the need occur and b) want to work for a publication and keep working for the publication because they make the photo editor's job so breezy and carefree. I'm pretty sure that is the majority of photographers.
In other news: The continued Adventures of Mumsy, Naughty Nicki, and I.
The next day of our trip (well Mum's trip), Friday (and to think this is only the second day of adventures), we went in search of discounted theatre tickets for later that night. But first we had a wonderful lunch sitting outside in the sun, munching on fish tacos and sipping margaritas at Blockheads. Mine had an upside down Coronitas in it. Clearly I am always up for an experience.
Once this had occurred, our search began. We went to the TCKTS line, but as we had had an enjoyable lunch instead of standing in the line from hell for hours, the line looked like a barely contained mob. We decided that this was something Naughty Nicki could not handle (not us of course, we can handle anything).
So on an off chance that there would be cheap tickets, we went directly to the theatre that was showing out first show of choice, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. It was an interesting journey through the throng of tourists who continually occupy Times Square, but we finally made it. It is extremely possible we ran over a few toes on the way there.
Alas, there were not cheap tickets (i.e $60 balcony tickets), but there were RUSH tickets. For those of you who are uneducated (I was, but not anymore) this means that they are partial view seats, but most importantly that they are only $30.
We decided to take this risk, and after a perilous journey to the grocery and home we came back for the show. On the way in I overheard this statement, "OMYGODNICKJONASISINTHISBUILDINGWITHUS." I kid you not.
We were escorted into our seats, as apparently my mother is 'handicapped' and needed special help. I enjoyed it, everyone was VERY considerate of her. Even when she ran them over.
We actually had pretty awesome seats. Only the very top of the stage was cut off, which only became a problem when a person got dangled from the ceiling, so not much of a problem at all. Needless to say, It was a very enjoyable show. 
What came after it was just funny, and made me a little sad for the world in general. Nick Jonas and another character, Bud Frump, came out to auction off J. Pierrepont Finch's bow-tie (Nick Jonas). This of course caused those very same girls who had screeched earlier to become highly agitated. Although one grown woman in the front was trying to get them to auction off Bud Frump. She was very adamant, but was finally dissuaded from buying him and persuaded into actually bidding for the bow tie. It got to the point that one man yelled out "ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS" and then tried to temper it by saying "for my daughter." This girl was clearly a) thrilled and b) probably a spoilt brat.
My mother and I made our escape at that moment, wondering about the nature of people who have the ability to pay $1000 for a man's sweaty bow-tie.
At least it was a tax-deductible $1000.