I second shot this wedding with Justin Hill from Dekuji Photography. This was my first time second shooting at a wedding, and I must say I rather enjoyed it. Personally I haven’t used second shooters too often when I’m photographing weddings, I’ve always thought- “if I can do it well, why would I need a second shooter?”…”They might get in the way”…”it might be too distracting to have 2 photographers”…etc… Now you can see my control freak tendencies! Anyway. I’ve had a shift of focus. I can now see how second shooters can be beneficial and a great help to the main photographer on a wedding day. My sister Lydia has been a great second shooter for me on a few weddings, and hopefully lots more to come!
From my (limited) experience in having second shooters and being one, here’s what I think is really important to remember.
1 – Your main goal as a second shooter is to get great shots and help the main photographer out as much as possible…even if it means missing out on the ‘best’ photo opportunities at the wedding.
2 – Try to find unique and interesting angles (not behind the main photographers shoulder!)
3 – When second shooting, always make sure you are dressed appropriately to reflect the main photographers brand. You don’t want to stand out too much, I think darker colours work great and I always wear a dress.
4 – A second shooter should always give out the main photographers card to guests when asked.
5 – Help out as much as possible when the family photos are taking place. Round up stray grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins and recruit someone to help you find people if needed.
6 – Communicate with the main photographer. If you are in separate locations during the day, always let the main photographer know where and when you will be at places.
7 – Focus on getting great detail shots, shots of things happening in the background that the main photographer may miss.
8 – When the main photographer is shooting bride and groom portraits, always ask if he/she would like you to take some bridal party shots, or individual shots of the bridal party. This is also a great time to get details of shoes, bags, flowers etc.
9 – Offer to carry the main photographers bag or equipment, and bring them water if needed.
10 – Make sure you know the schedule of the day, where you need to be and when.
I hope that didn’t sound too bossy… let me know if you would add anything!
Here are some of shots from my second shooter perspective…
Guests were asked to bring flowers to the ceremony that meant something to them – which Hannah’s bouquet was made from.
Hannah & Rob’s beautiful, intimate ceremony was held at the Ochre Gallery in Collingwood, such a unique venue!
Very helpful tips and nice photos! In addition to different angles, a second photographer can provide alternative depths (eg, very wide, if the first photographer is shooting telephoto, especially during the ceremony) and styles (eg, photojournalistic/candid if the first photographer is shooting posed). It might also help the bridal couple on getting confused as to where to look.
The appeal of having a second photographer for a bridal couple is also the opportunity to capture different subjects, particularly guests, as bridal couples often miss out on a lot of what happens throughout the day. With so many guests at a wedding, it is difficult to ensure all the guests are captured on film so greater coverage is a real bonus to a bridal couple, even if these photos do not end up in the album.
The only separate tip would be to smile. It’s always nice and adds to the atmosphere to see the second photographer enjoying him or herself on the job.
Yep, I used to shoot weddings all on my own. And I was wondering why I was so stressed… stress is a creativity killer, and when that happens, I seem to always revert back to “safe” shots.
Great advice – I wonder if you found it quite freeing not to have all the pressure to get the ‘must-have/traditional’ shots? Thanks for the insight!
It was definitely less pressure! Although I must admit it felt rather odd not to be ‘in charge’, but it was nice :)
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great tips, thanks Kate. i’m doing a second shooting gig this weekend and this helps alot :)