Tips for Second Shooters
Getting to second shoot for a photographer you admire is an opportunity I dont think you should take for granted! You can learn so much from working with somone who is at a point in their business that you want to be at! I have had some amazing second shooters, and when they really impress me, I ask them back to help me at other weddings as well. There are a few things I expect from my second shooters and I think these tips will help you stand out in the mind of any photographer you are working with!
First, its important to realize you are attending this wedding as an extension and representative of the main shooters business, not your own. Don’t promote your own business, promote the photographer you are working for that day. Ask your main shooter how they like their business represented, as photographers take different approaches to this. Personally, I love interacting and mingling with my couples guests and I expect my second shooters to do the same. Dont be the awkward person shoving a camera in everyones face all night. Get to know the guests, have a good time with them and most importantly, SERVE them.
Set your camera time to match mine. This way, the images we take will show up in the gallery at the appropriate times.
Dress appropriately. Every photographer has a different idea of what this means, so just ask.
Be on time. The main shooter has other things they should be focusing on, not wondering where you are or if you are going to show up.
Shoot something different from what they are shooting. Get different angles and different people. I don’t need another card full of the same images I already got.
Help me - grab a bag, lead the crowd, grab a lens out of my bag when I ask, ect.
Show me your images to ensure I like your exposure, white balance, ect. We all have different shooting styles and its important to me that the editing feels seamless from your images to mine and that I dont have to spend hours in post processing making our images look the same because you shot darker or lighter than me.
Follow my lead on posing - I personally shoot with more of a fine art posing style. So if I ask you to grab a few shots of the bridesmaids while i’m doing something else, dont shoot a completely different posing style that will feel out of place in the gallery with my fine art images.
Be kind, polite, helpful and cheery. I dont like when photographers hide in the corners and stay completely separate from the guests. Get in there! You will get more genuine shots of guests if they see you smiling and engaging with people.
Save me time - shoot something for me while I’m doing something else. While i’m finishing up the family photos, maybe grab some individual shots of the bridesmaids. I usually give my second shooters assignments like this.
Be creative! So often when i’m the main shooter, I have to go through my mental checklist of all the must have shots before I can start focusing on just being creative. As the second shooter, you can be creative and try new things whenever you want (other than when I give you a specific assignment) because your main shooter is getting the must haves which leaves you open to just try new things.
Let me teach you how to do it my way. I know I sound like a control freak, but the thing is, my clients expect their images to look a certain way. Let me show you the flash style I like. Let me show you how I prefer to capture detail shots, etc so that the gallery I provide, including your images, will look consistent.
Last, but not least, dont be afraid to ask questions! I love having second shooters who ask questions! Obviously my main focus will be capturing images for the client, but I am grateful for your help and want it to be a good learning experience for you!