Every now and then I get asked by my couples if they need a second shooter. A second shooter is basically another professional photographer working alongside me on your day. I love working with second shooters as it’s one of the rare times I get to have a colleague! I only ever employ professional photographers that I know and trust. Chances are I’ve either worked with them before or have at the very least met them before. As a result of only using professional photographers, this means I usually choose them about two months before your day. I second shoot for people myself every now and then and wouldn’t commit myself to a wedding before then in case I get a booking of my own!
If you’re thinking about having a second shooter on your wedding day then keep reading to see why I think they’re fab.
I can literally be in two places at once (almost)
Technology hasn’t quite advanced enough so that I can actually clone myself for a wedding yet but a second shooter is the next best thing. Usually while I’m shooting your group shots my second shooter can be rounding people up for the next shot or getting candid shots of your guests who aren’t in the group shots. While I’m photographing your couple portraits my second shooter can be photographing what your guests are getting up to while we’re doing that, this is really nice because this is the bit that you would completely miss otherwise. During your ceremony having a second shooter means that I can (hopefully) be shooting from the front, whereas my second shooter can be getting the view from the back of the room, which is the view all your guests will have too!
We can capture both of you getting ready
If you and your partner aren’t getting ready together for your wedding then you generally won’t see what they get up to on the morning of the wedding. Having a second shooter can be a great way for you to get a glimpse of the chaos and emotion that goes along with your partners wedding prep.
They help me get things done quickly
Second shooters also double up as assistants. They help me organise your group shots and confetti tunnels which makes things more organised and means they get done quicker which is always a good thing. This means more time for you to chat with your guests, eat, drink and be merry.
It makes things more creative
Second shooters add in even more creativity to your day. If your second shooter comes along with us for your couple portraits they’ll get different angles to me and may suggest different shots or areas I haven’t seen. I always use second shooters that have a similar style to me so it’s always really lovely to have someone like minded to bounce ideas off.
They’re essential for bigger weddings
If you’re having an intimate wedding of 30 or less guests I probably wouldn’t recommend you had a second shooter as it would probably be overkill and would mean we couldn’t blend into the background as much as we’d like. If you’re having a wedding with 100 or more guests I would highly recommend having a second shooter. Logistically for group shots, trying to make myself heard above 100 or more people can be quite hard work and would take a lot longer to organise than if you had two people sorting it out. I also try to deliver as many natural photographs of guests as possible. I never promise to get a natural shot of everyone as this would be almost impossible to check throughout the day. However, having a second shooter means there’s more of a chance of us capturing natural shots of a good majority of your guests if you’re having a big wedding.
You will receive more images
This one’s a bit of a no-brainer but of course with two people shooting your day more photographs will be taken, therefore more images will be delivered!
They’re worth the extra cash
Of course having two professional photographers at your wedding costs more than just having one. However for the extra money you pay you essentially get double the talent. I include a second shooter as standard in my Peony package, alternatively they can be added on to any other package for an extra £450.
As you can tell I love working with other photographers and they’re always a great addition to a wedding day!
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