Happy Friday, Lovers! I hope you have had a beautiful week full of sunlight and plants and laughter! I have a few home projects going on right now (as usual … I can’t remember the last time I did NOT have a home project going on lol), but the biggest one at the moment is that last weekend we planted a tree in our front yard! Finally, two years later, we have a tree in the yard. Now I just have to keep it alive. Pray for me.
This week’s blog post is about second shooters! I used the term “second shooter” when talking to a wedding officiant once, and he looked startled for a few seconds and then chuckled, before informing me that in the army the term “second shooter” means something very different. It was a funny moment, but it made me realize that even people who work in the wedding industry may not be familiar with what a *photography* second shooter is, and that maybe future brides and grooms have heard the term but are not 100% sure what it means.
So, if you are getting married, planning your wedding, and wondering whether you should request that your photographer hire a second shooter or not, this blog post is for you! Enjoy!
What is a second shooter?
In the photography world, a second shooter is simply an additional photographer that helps the lead photographer – the photographer you hired – to capture your wedding day. Typically, they turn over all the photos they take to the lead photographer who will edit the second’s photos in their editing style so that your gallery is cohesive and matches the previous work of your photographer’s that you fell in love with.
What do second shooters do?
Typically, second shooters will help the lead photographer to photograph wedding day details (e.g. wedding gown, bridesmaids dresses, table settings, food, etc.), groom and groomsmen photos, different ceremony angles, and they will help to capture the reception. They will sometimes also act as an assistant during wedding party photos, family photos, and throughout the day as needed.
Are second shooters paid?
Sometimes the second photographer is paid, and sometimes they agree to second shoot for another photographer simply for the experience. Usually the pay rate depends on how long they have been a photographer and what type of gear they use. Also, sometimes new photographers will second shoot for free to gain experience photographing weddings.
Should I request that my photographer hires a second shooter for my wedding?
While it’s definitely a conversation worth having with your photographer, especially if your wedding venue is super tight on head count (for example, my Rocky Mountain National Park intimate wedding ceremony site only allowed 60 people total, which included vendors – we did not end up having that many people there, but we had to plan accordingly), your photographer should let you know if they think they will need the help of a second shooter.
In my wedding packages, I automatically include a second shooter for any wedding with more than 50 guests (more on that later), but I always have the option to add on a second shooter if the couple wants to – for example if your timeline is really tight, the bridal party is getting ready at two separate off-site locations, etc.
What does Bree look for when she’s hiring a second shooter?
A second shooter should always be someone chosen and hired by the lead photographer who they are comfortable with. When I am hired to photograph a wedding, I take that responsibility extremely seriously. That’s why, if I’m searching for someone to second shoot with me, I never hire someone who I have not met with, reviewed their previous work, or am not confident will represent me in a professional manner.
Typically, I look for someone who has an editing style similar to mine. I consider my editing style to be filmy, earthy, and romantic with a touch of warmth. I probably would not choose someone to second shoot for me who has a “light and airy” editing style, nor would I choose someone who edits “dark and moody”, simply because the way they shoot would be vastly different from the way I shoot and would make editing harder – not that it couldn’t be done, but I like to simplify my editing process as much as possible.
I would also like for my second shooter to shoot on a Nikon camera because that’s what I use and my editing software is able to integrate the photos easier if they are all from the same brand of camera. Also because different brands of cameras have different looks to their photos, which also makes editing easier if all the photos are from the same brand. And the last thing that I would definitely require is that my second shooter use a full-frame camera, which just means that they are using a professional grade camera that produces very high quality photos and is able to use two memory cards at once, that way if anything were to happen to one card, there would be a backup card.
Why does Bree require a second shooter for weddings with more than 50 guests?
The more guests there are at a wedding, the busier the wedding day is and the tighter the timeline is. Since I always want to devote enough time to each of the major portions of your day, having a second shooter can really help create more time and space so that we are not rushing through photos.
There are special circumstances where I would recommend a second shooter for even a smaller wedding, and it is always an option to add on to any of my wedding packages, even simple elopements with no guests! If it is something you are wondering about or interested in, just let me know when we have our complimentary pre-booking phone consultation and we can definitely talk about it.
I hope you enjoyed this post all about second shooters and that it has answered any questions you have! Again, it is definitely something you should discuss with your photographer, but I would not spend too much time worrying about it. If your photographer thinks they will need one, they will bring the subject up with you. Happy planning!
*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. If you are interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!
I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a couples/intimate wedding/elopement photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!
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