As the 2015 shooting season begins to wind down, I’ve started to reflect on all the sessions and weddings I had the amazing opportunity to capture. I’ve started to think about what worked and what didn’t work, and how I can make next year even better. I made a goal to create a pricing guide that I could send to potential clients when they inquire about prices with me. I just finished making my Wedding Experience pricing guide, and one of the questions I anticipate people might ask when they read over my pricing structure, is Why do I want a second photographer at my wedding?

I’ve shot weddings solo before, and it definitely can be done. But when I shot my first wedding of 2015 with Laura of Laura Hagood Photography by my side, I realized I never wanted to go back to shooting weddings alone again. It’s not that I’m not capable. Or confident. I certainly could shoot a wedding by myself, but I’ve learned that that is not ideal. And I want to give my clients the IDEAL experience for their wedding day.

 

Now, I know every photographer does things a bit differently in regards to hiring a second shooter vs. hiring an assistant, and what duties they give to their hired help. This past year I hired Sarah Wells from Freckleblossom Photography to be a kind-of mash-up of both shooter and assistant. I could go on and on about how incredibly invaluable her assistance was to me – not to mention, all of my brides loved her as well. Just a few of the MANY things she did for me include:

– Climbing up a rickety old ladder hanging off the side of a tree to sit in a tiny hunting look out to get a shot of the bride walking down the aisle.

– Telling me EVERY HOUR where I last left my bag, my car keys, my lens, my spare camera, my light stand, my flash, my extra battery….my wallet…my BRAIN. Seriously. On a wedding day, my thoughts are running a million miles per hour, and she collects me as she runs alongside me.

– Holding my flash for the entirety of the first dance, and a few songs afterwards, and following weird eye and hand signals to know exactly where she needs to hold it.

– Grabbing behind-the-scene shots of me and our locations.

– Shooting the reception details while I’m shooting family formals because we’re on a time crunch.

– Taking shots of the small, otherwise-unnoticed details of the day like kids running around and playing together, parents of the bride dancing, reactions from guests during toasts.

– Snagging each bridesmaid and groomsmen to take an individual shot of all of them, as well as parents of the bride and groom when there is time.

– Being a model when I’m setting up my Off-camera flash for a portrait.

– Chatting with guests who just need a friend or a listening ear so I can get the shot I need to without being rude.

– Being a friend, a confidant, someone to keep me awake on the long car rides back, someone to bounce ideas and dreams off of, someone to keep me excited on hour 8 of a long wedding day, someone who always answers with a smile and can give me a concrete yes or no when I’m being wishy-washy about something.

So far I’ve listed reasons why I love having a second shooter with me, but here are three reasons why any bride should want a second photographer at their wedding, too!

1. A more variety of shots in your final gallery. As your photographer, I’m here to get the BIG stuff. Bride putting the dress on, the groom’s reaction to seeing his bride as she walks down the aisle, the two of you dancing to your first song as husband and wife and cutting the cake. But while I’m shooting that, my second-shooter will be capturing the flower girl watching in awe as she sees her aunt turning into a princess, the father of the bride’s tearful smile as she looks on to her groom, and the mother of the groom holding hands with her husband of 20 years. She also is able to get just a whole different view of a shot than I can. If I’m shooting a bride and groom straight on, she will take a step back and get a wide, side view, which creates a totally different portrait to add to the gallery.

2. The ability to have me in two places at once! There have been many times where the timeline was just too tight, and I’ve had to send Sarah or Laura to go take photos of the reception decor while I finish up family formals. I can do this confidently, knowing that they not only have the skills to accomplish whatever I ask them to do, but they also know my style and are able to replicate the types of shots they know I would want.

 

3. Makes the day go smoother. Everything just goes smoother when there is one more person there to lend a helping hand, keep everyone on schedule, and wearing a smiling face. If guests know they can come to either Sarah or myself, we’re more accessible, and then they value us more. And if guests value us more, then the bride and groom do, too. I give my second-shooter a copy of the timeline as well as a copy of all family formals. So she is there to help round up family members, make sure everyone is looking at the same camera (mine!), answer questions, and give me a heads-up when something important is about to happen.

I’ve learned that having another eye, another shooter, a fellow friend, and helper there with me on the wedding day makes not only my experience better on a wedding day, but it ultimately results in a greater experience for my bride and groom and all their guests, as well. This kind of value is not something I want to sacrifice. Not only does it increase their wedding day experience, but it also adds beautiful images to their final portfolio – images that I could never have gotten if I were on my own.

 

ALL IMAGES in this post were taken by either Sarah, Laura, or my husband, Adam.

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