CoPA Student Photographer

Chapman University Careers•Irvine, CA

21h

About The Position

The Student Photographer supports the College of Performing Arts by photographing dress rehearsals, live performances, and other CoPA events, then preparing images for marketing and archival use. The role involves shooting unobtrusively in low light, culling images to identify viable selects, and delivering edited files promptly to the College’s Marketing Specialist. The position does not follow a standard weekly schedule. Hours vary based on departmental productions, with most work taking place during weeknight and weekend music, theatre, and dance dress rehearsals and/or performances. Photo editing is paid time and may be completed during the student’s weekday availability.

Requirements

Currently enrolled student in good academic standing.
Demonstrated experience photographing live events or performing arts.
Ability to shoot in low light without flash.
Proficiency with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for culling, basic edits, metadata, and exports.
Strong file organization skills and attention to detail, including naming, backups, and consistent workflows.
Reliable and punctual, with the ability to work evenings and weekends as productions require.
Professionalism in performance environments and the ability to remain unobtrusive and follow safety and house rules.

Responsibilities

Photograph designated dress rehearsals and performances for theatre, dance, and music productions.
Work unobtrusively in low light without flash and follow house rules and stage management directions.
Capture a variety of images—including wide, medium, and tight shots; vertical and horizontal orientations; key moments; audience reactions; and behind-the-scenes images as assigned—in line with brand needs for web, social, and print.
Coordinate with the Marketing Specialist on artistic direction and asset priorities.
Cull images to remove non-viable photographs, such as out-of-focus images, misfires, and duplicates.
Create curated selects that highlight each production and apply basic global edits while preserving the intent of the lighting design.
Tag files with essential metadata and keywords, including show title, director, venue, date, performer names if provided, and photographer credit.
Name files according to CoPA conventions and export high-resolution JPEGs for print and archival use and web-optimized JPEGs for social or digital use if requested.
Retain RAW files according to college retention guidelines.
Upload selects to the shared drive within 48 hours of the shoot or by an agreed deadline.
Coordinate with the Marketing Specialist on final selections and any deletion beyond initial rejects.
Confirm call times and shot lists proactively, and check in with stage management about safe shooting locations and movement paths that will not disturb the performance.
Provide availability in advance and promptly notify the supervisor of conflicts.