If you’re in the market for a wedding photographer, you’re
probably going to come across this term “second shooter.” A second shooter is a second photographer
that will be present on your wedding day to help cover the event and assist the
main shooter you hire as your wedding photographer. Most professional wedding photographers offer
a second shooter and they are very popular among brides these days, but for
brides on a budget there is always some temptation in cutting the second
shooter from the wedding budget.
Hopefully this blog will dissuade the discerning bride from doing
so.
What does a second shooter do? When your wedding photographer brings a
second photographer to your wedding, you will see the second shooter doing
everything from carrying bags and getting coffee for the bridesmaids, to making
family portraits and shooting candids on the dance floor. Sometimes they will be backing up the main
shooter during key moments such as the processional and recessional, sometimes
they’ll be shooting the same thing as the main photographer but from a
different angle, such as the ceremony and the kiss, and often second shooters
will take on their own assignments throughout the day, such as shooting the
cake or décor on their own or making a portrait of each person in the bridal
party while the main photographer is shooting the bride and groom alone.
Why is a second shooter important? A second shooter is integral to the way that
I shoot weddings and I highly recommend that every bride hire a wedding
photographer with a second shooter. The
second shooter provides backups and duplicates of the most crucial moments of
the day, so you have peace of mind that nothing important will be lost due to
an accident or bad memory card. The
second shooter also frees up a lot of time so that your main shooter can focus
on getting the shots you want the most, such as the creative portraits of the
bride and groom. Your photographers can
split up for bridesmaid and groomsmen portraits, and one can photograph the bride’s
details such as the ring and dress, while the other shoots the cake and décor. In doing so, you’ll be sure to have both on
hand for the key moments and during the high pressure times such as family
portraits and time sensitive times like the creative portraits of the bride and
groom alone when all of the wedding guests are patiently waiting for the bride
and groom to return and get the party started.
Lastly, second shooters bring their own creative eye to the day and
brainstorm some amazing ideas on their own.
Put them with a good main shooter and you’ve got yourself a recipe for
successful wedding photos on your big day.
What questions do I need to ask about a second shooter? First, make sure that any wedding
photographer you consider offers a second shooter. A small handful do not, and if you are
considering them you’ll want to be extra careful in reviewing full weddings
from them so that you can make sure they aren’t missing key moments, or running
out of time for creative portraits.
Second, ask a potential wedding photographer who they use as their
second shooter. I personally use only
professional experienced wedding photographers who regularly shoot weddings on
their own so that I know they can handle the pressure of a wedding day should
something happen to me. Third, ask how
the photographer utilizes a second shooter on the wedding day. Do they split up throughout the day? Is the second shooter more of an assistant or
a full time shooter? You want to make
sure your potential wedding photographer knows how to make the most of their
second shooter if it’s something you’re going to invest in. In my business second shooters are hired
primarily to shoot; they are professional photographers and I want them
shooting all day. I hire a separate
assistant to assist the second shooter and myself so that the second shooter is
doing minimal assistance work and both of us can be focused on photography all
day long.
This blog is part of my on-going series on how to choose a
wedding photographer. I wanted to
provide brides with a serious educational resource they can consult before
jumping into the wedding photography market.
Last year I wrote 5 tips for hiring your wedding photographer, with the
first tip here. There are lots of other tips for brides
scattered throughout my blog and if you scroll down you can search for “tips
for brides” or click the “tips for brides” link in the word cloud below, or
simply click here.
I am a Montana wedding photographer located in Billings MT. I’m in love with Montana but available for any
wedding destination in the world.
www.paulbellinger.com
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