Right after I posted Riëtte’s engagement photos it really hit me that one of my favorite second shooters for Virginia-based weddings is leaving and moving to Charlotte, NC. It made me think about what’s important to me when I am looking for people to work with me on a wedding day. Now don’t get me wrong, every photographer has a system that works for them and theirs may be totally different from mine, but I’ve had horror stories and I’ve heard even worse horror stories, so for people that want to second shoot weddings either to gain experience or just because being solely a wedding photographer is not their desire, here’s what I value in a second shooter:

1- Have a Solid Portfolio: I want to know that if I have to rely on someone else to capture some of the wedding day that they are confident in their ability to produce the shot. I tend to grab shots that my second shooter may have already gotten just for blogging purposes. Because weddings happen in so many different lighting conditions, it’s important that someone shooting knows how to operate their camera and/or flash in these conditions, otherwise I am unable to deliver the photo to the client.  The question that is often asked is “how can I have a solid portfolio if I’ve never shot a wedding?”. For many photographers, if someone is honest about their level of experience it increases their chances of photographers allowing them to come along to learn.  In these cases, it may be necessary to work a wedding or two unpaid just for the learning experience, but that’s up to the individual and the primary photographer.

2- Be Professional: When second shooting for another photographer, you are essentially working for that photographer’s business. 99.9% of the time it’s not okay to represent your business when second shooting. Essentially it’s a no-no to hand out your business cards or try and make business dealings with the primary shooters clients or guests. Unfortunately I’ve had this happen and will no longer work with these individuals. It’s important to understand your role and involvement when working with different photographers because each one will most likely have their own way of doing things.

3- Be Present: Being present means know what you’re supposed to be shooting, check to see what the primary photographer is shooting and make sure you’re not in the primary photographer’s way. If the primary is shooting wide, you may want to see if you need to shoot tight/close. If the primary is shooting straight on, you may see of you can find a different perspective of the same shot, perhaps to the side or higher/lower.  Look for ways to grab shots that compliment the primary photographer’s shots.

4- You Are Not  A Guest: I love that my clients become my friends and I value that but the photographer/client relationship may not be the same with everyone.  I may dance some during the reception and my contract covers a meal, but I usually wait until I am offered cake or anything else before I grab it.  Also, the wedding favors are for their guests unless the client offers.  Follow the lead of the primary photographer before helping yourself to food/gifts that were not intended for you.

5- Have a Clear Understanding of Photo Usage: Prior to working with any photographer as either the primary or secondary shooter, have an understanding of how the photos will be used after the wedding.  With the social media craze, it may be unprofessional to “friend” and tag the primary photographers clients.  Also, the primary photographer may want to post and/or deliver the images prior to the secondary photographer doing anything with the images.  The clearer you are in the beginning (and in some cases a second shooter contract may be necessary) the less chance you’ll have with any post wedding miscommunication.

Happy Shooting!