Top 15 Second Shooter Wedding Photographer Tips
/It’s an honor to be hired as a second shooter to photograph a wedding. You’re representing someone else’s brand and business on a day as important as a wedding. That’s huge! The lead wedding photographer trusts you to capture a wedding day just like they would. The lead photographer’s clients trust them to choose a rockstar 2nd shooter to be a part of their day. You should be super proud of yourself!
These are the top tips for how to do a stellar job when you’ve been hired as a second photographer at a wedding. Keep in mind, these are what make me want to give out 100 gold stars and continue working with the same second shooters over and over again. Other photographers may have different expectations, which is what brings us to the first tip.
How to nail it every time as a Second Shooter
Communicate expectations. Ask them what they are looking for, what they are expecting of you, what would it look like to do an excellent job in this role?
Agree on pay ahead of time. The average pay for second shooters at the time of posting this is around $50-$75/hour based on experience.
Ask to see a final wedding gallery the lead photographer has recently delivered. That will give you a great idea of their expectation. I would even screenshot some images that stand out to you and reference them throughout the day to stay on track with the lead photographer’s vision.
Sync camera times. The lead photographer has a lot on their plate on a wedding day. Take initiative by asking to sync camera times before you take your first photograph. This will save the lead photographer so much hassle in the long run in the event your camera times were wildly out of sync.
Get creative! I absolutely love when my second shooters capture details or poses in a unique way. As lead photographers, we don’t want to go through your memory card and find duplicates of the exact poses we were already capturing. However, if you’re far off to the side, capturing a unique perspective, or using an 85mm while the photographer is capturing with a wide lens, that will be super refreshing for the lead photographer to cull through.
Take charge when needed. Being lead photographer, our minds are working overtime during a wedding day and sometimes we just need a minute to collect our thoughts. During couples portraits, if there is a pause, kindly ask to take the lead for a minute and offer up some prompts/poses of your own to give the lead photographer a break.
Capture photos and BTS of the lead photographer doin’ their thing. I love culling through a memory card to see that the second shooter snagged some photos of me working. I then edit those and use them to post on social media and my website. Capture videos with your phone of the lead photographer working and then Airdrop them before you leave. Real talk, this will make me want to work with you over and over again.
Make sure the lead photographer is fed and hydrated! Grab them a water if you see one, it’s so easy for lead photographers to forget to eat and drink on a wedding day. I once had a second shooter bring me an appetizer while I was taking family portraits and I thought that was so thoughtful and kind!
Look for the details. During couples portraits, zoom in on the groom’s hand pressed on the bride’s back. Capture the veil blowing in the wind. Did Dad wipe a tear away during the ceremony while the lead’s camera is focused on the couple? These little moments help tell the story of the day. You’ll be doing the lead photographer a huge favor by always noticing and capturing them!
Use at least a 50mm for portraits. If you’re directed to take portraits, refrain from using a wide angle lens like a 24mm or 35mm. A 50mm will give high-quality portraits and look cohesive with the other portraits the lead shooter typically delivers. Make sure to get full body portraits. Back up enough so you aren’t cutting off any feet and are centering the subjects.
Focus on the family members. I love when my seconds focus on family members faces and reactions while I am focused on the couple. For example, during speeches, I’m usually focused on the person talking and the couples’ reaction. An awesome second shooter would notice that the Best Man is the groom’s brother and therefore focus on the groom’s parents’ table to get their reactions during the best man speech. Same thing for first dances. Help the lead photographer by capturing mom’s reaction of the bride and the bride’s dad during their first dance.
Keep in touch with the lead photographer. Text them the day before the wedding letting them know you’re prepped and ready to go, and reach out again the morning of the wedding. Even just shooting a quick text to the lead photographer saying you’ve arrived at the groom’s getting ready location will be received well. I realized this may sound like overkill but I’ve had a couple second shooters bail very last minute. The last thing you want is the lead photographer worrying you didn’t show up!
Keep your backup files. Even once memory cards have been exchanged to the lead shooter, don’t delete them off your copy/memory card. You’re the keeper of someone’s wedding day photos so please treat them with the care you would want if it were your wedding day files. Keep files safe until final gallery has been delivered, or around 8 weeks post wedding date to be on the ultra safe side. For reference, I always deliver final galleries within 4 weeks.
If you have permission to use/share photos from the wedding day on your IG or website, wait until the final gallery has been delivered from the lead photographer.
Ask the lead photographer is he/she has any dress code expectations. For reference, my only rule for my second shooters is no white and no blue denim. If you’re wondering what to wear, you can never go wrong with all black.
