Second Shooter - yes please!

Second shooters, for weddings, can be a super beneficial add on to your wedding packages. I offer it in all my packages, it’s a must to me on the most important day of my bride and groom’s life…I don’t want to miss ANYTHING and my second shooter is my insurance against that. There are a lot of ways to use a second shooter below are mine.

Angles

Ever try and be two place at once? Yeah me too and failed, but I can with a second shooter. During special moments, especially the wedding ceremony it is key to get all angels at those special times. My second shooter at my last wedding, got the sweetest shot of the groom looking back at his bride as she walked up the aisle. I of course was shooting the bride walking up the aisle with her father. First looks, bouquet toss, garter toss, crowd shots during speeches, etc the list goes on where it really helps having that second angle.

Have you ever seen a more genuine adoring look??? I totally missed this look while shooting the bride coming down the aisle but my second shooter got it!

Family Shots Organizer

My FAVORITE thing about having a second shooter is to use them to organize ALL the family shots, that have a million different combinations, with a million different people (okay a million is an over estimate but GEEZ sometimes it feels as if it’s a million). Part of my bride’s questionnaire is to fill out all the different combos she and her groom would like of different family and friends. I give this part of the questionnaire to my second shooter, she organizes the flow of the family shots, the people, and the checklist of my bride and groom’s combos. SO GREAT!

Moments Saved

Weddings are long!!! Whew, I get tired just thinking of them! As photographers, it’s imperative to give our bodies frequent breaks throughout our marathon shooting sessions at weddings. BUT what if we miss something, a moment, a memory, a time when all the guests get out their cell phones to snap the picture (like when all the groom’s childhood playmates hoist him up in celebration) but the professional photographer is nowhere to be found because they were taking their break! Having a second shooter, will ensure the professional photographer is there to snap the picture (either they do it themselves or can alert the head photographer to grab the moment).

ALMOST missed this moment because I was on a break.

Comic Relief

Sometimes you need a good laugh to break the tension or to relieve the stress. Your second shooter can provide just the amount of stress relief and sense of security you need to keep going…remember weddings are LOOOOONNNNG! I always give my second shooter a walkie talkie with an earpiece. We can coordinate important details like the first look between the bride and her groom or my personal fav whispering dirty words to get a good laugh.

But you have to pay the second shooter!

I know, I know what you’re thinking. Hiring a second shooter is money out of your pocket. But hopefully with the points mentioned above you can justify paying someone a second shooter to ensure your bride and groom get all and more out of hiring you. Best tip, build your second shooter into you pricing.

Look for second shooters in your local community by utilizing local photography facebook groups.