Are you in the process of planning your wedding day and looking for all the help you can get!? I’ve been photographing weddings since 2010 and I am more than happy to share all the knowledge I’ve picked up during the hundreds of weddings I’ve worked. For more tips, definitely check out other posts in this series about topics including engagement sessions and why you should definitely hire a professional to photograph your wedding day.
A second photographer is exactly what it sounds like- a second person onsite with your photographer that day that is carrying around a camera and capturing moments. They also do tons of other things like carry props, find missing family members, run errands, bring the couple water during their portrait portion of the day.. Really, whatever needs to be done to make that day run smoothly. Second shooters are something many people don’t think about or just don’t believe are an essential component to a successful timeline and day. I have had the opportunity to photograph tiny elopements as well as 300+ people events and all I can tell you is that having another person there, particularly at those larger events, is absolutely invaluable for a number of different reasons we will discuss below.
A good photographer will choose a second shooter that they jive with both personally AND creatively, so that the final product is polished and streamlined giving the client the best final product possible. My second shooter happens to be my very cute and talented husband who has, been working with me since the very beginning of my career. We’ve got our dynamics down pat, we can anticipate what is going to happen at the event and where each of us should place ourselves to get the best and most diverse angles. PLUS, we have fun while we do it 🙂
The Main Reason: You Can’t be in Two Places at Once!
The biggest moment of the day, your ceremony, should be covered from as many different angles as possible to be sure you get the emotional shots you want to look back on and remember. It’s completely impossible for one photographer to get both shots of you coming down the aisle, shots of the expression on your fiance’s face and photos of the loved ones in the crowd all at one time. If there are two people working this portion of the day, it’s entirely possible to get all of these things happening. Below are a few examples of what I mean!
In this situation, while I was placed at the front of the aisle capturing the bride and her father walking in, my second was placed to the side of the crowd with a distance lens and was able to capture this sweet hug between father and daughter just as he gave her away. It would have been literally impossible for me to capture both of these images with the configuration of this venue, so having Charles there was a huge benefit to these clients who would not have had both of these images otherwise.
Here are a few other examples of the different perspectives you can get during the entrance of the ceremony that are only possible when you’ve got two people working.
Another really common situation: The bride and groom are getting ready in two completely different places. Any couples that are interested in getting ready photos will have plans to be in different rooms or even sometimes totally different locations to get dressed with their bridal party. Having two of us allows for us to split up and spend that time capturing each group. Here are some examples!
Reason 2: You Need Help.
Let’s just be real here. There is a LOT going on during a wedding and you want to feel assured that your photographer is getting all the important people and moments. A second photographer can help to wrangle the people who are missing during family photos, adjust ties and fluff dresses, make silly faces to get the kids to laugh, make adjustments to any lighting that needs to be set up, all while the lead photographer is busy posing and arranging groups. These little details aren’t something you’ll want to be worrying about on the big day – and you’ll be happy there are people there who are taking care of it.
Having a second shooter not only allows for different angles and more possibilities, but you can have peace of mind in that there is another body there to help specifically with capturing everything you want efficiently and smoothly.
Every single wedding and event is different and I fully understand and appreciate that. In all of my experiences I have found that having a second shooter onsite has never been anything other than fabulous (and it’s not just because it’s typically my wonderful husband!).
