Being a Second Shooter: 5 Tips & Tricks – Chilliwack & Kelowna Wedding Photographer

This past summer, I had the opportunity to spend quite a few of my Saturday’s working with other photographers as their second shooter. For the majority of them, I was with Hannah Cummins of Hannah Cummins Photography who will be up on the blog next week with her killer golden hour portrait session (for a sneak peek, check out the snapshot below!). While I am far from being a gifted (or very articulate) writer, I decided to give it a shot and share with you a few thoughts for other second shooters to think of going into next wedding season. And of course, I couldn’t help but include a few behind the scenes and favourite shots of mine from second shooting this season. So without further ado…

Being A Second Shooter: 5 Tips & Tricks from a Newbie

• Make a Good First Impression:
  • You are representing the main photographer’s business. This is their heart and soul that they have poured into this, and it is your job as a second to support that. While most photographers don’t have a dress code, I maintain a flexible one for myself. Presenting yourself as professional and put together (typically I wear all black) helps form guests’ impression of you and your primary which in turn helps with referrals and business down the road. As a second shooter, I frequently get asked if I’m the photographer – guests asking this quickly assume you are the one and only. While it would be easy to state that you are & mention your business name this is a huge NO-NO. Politely state that you are helping to photograph the wedding working FOR [insert photographers name] here. Always be respectful, friendly & willing to help, and….
• Go Above & Beyond:
  • To me, this should go without saying but it never ceases to surprise me how many people will squeak by and do the bare minimum. It is an honour to photograph a wedding, it is a privilege to get to work alongside other professionals and learn from them – make it worth their while (both the client & the photographer). Snap a few behind the scenes shots of the main photographer working – they’ll appreciate having those for their portfolio. Have a killer eye for details – see a make up smudge or something out of place? Respectfully step in and fix it for the main photographer before they’ve noticed it. Try and know what’s going to happen before it does. Study the timeline for the day (if you have one), grab the bridal bouquet and hold it for the bride, have the umbrellas ready, etc. A little goes a long way!
• Don’t Step on Toes:
  • As much as I make an effort to go above and beyond, there is still a time and a place. This isn’t about me getting my shot, this is about providing support & assistance, in whatever fashion, to your primary. Sometimes that can be suggesting poses, or snapping that second wider angle shot, but other times it means carrying bags, calling out names on lists for those extended family pictures, and putting down your camera! Our job is fun – even when that means you’re not taking pictures. Take pride in handling all the mundane details for the photographer so they don’t have to.
• Take Care of Yourself:
  • Hydrate hydrate hydrate! Often times at weddings, we are so focused on that beautiful bride & groom and making sure they’ve had something to eat that we entirely forget about ourselves. Remembering you haven’t had a drop of water or anything to eat in 12 hours when you’re about to pass out is not the time to realize this! You need to take care of yourself. On wedding days, I find the only time (reception excluded) I have to grab a sip of water is in the car, so I come prepared. You’ll find my car loaded up with a variety of back ups (umbrellas, change of clothes, jackets, reflectors, tripods, etc), but what you’ll also always find is 2-3 ice cold water bottles in the front seat with me. The minute we hop in that car to drive to the next location, I am slamming back as much water as I can. I also like to stash a few snacks in the car to help keep me going (bananas, crackers & cheese, nuts, cliff bars, etc). Keeping your energy up and your head focused is so crucial on a wedding day, but hydrating is even more crucial to avoid that “wedding photographer hangover” that so many of us get hit with the next day. (Don’t worry clients, no alcohol necessary here – 10+ hours of carrying gear and working will do that to you!).
• Pat Yourself on the Back:
  • You did it, you survived the wedding day as a second shooter/assistant/pack mule/slave (joking)! All jokes aside, give yourself some credit. While on the outside, being a wedding photographer may look like a walk in the park, everyone in the industry knows that is far from the case. We work hard and pour every ounce of our creativity and heart & soul into these days to ensure that they create lasting memories for our clients. Now go, have a glass of wine, curl up by the fireplace and relax, and if you’re like me be glued to your computer pouring over the images of the day for the remainder of the night….

A couple favorite snapshots from weddings this season..

with Hannah Cummins waiting for our bridal party to arrive for portraits (left)

me with list & cheat sheet in hand gearing up for family portraits (right)

this last wedding I played traffic spotter and would give the bridal party & Hannah a heads up to get out of the way (left)

Hannah grabbing bridal portraits in Langley of our B&G (right)

To celebrate the end of wedding season, Hannah & I went exploring the back roads of Abbotsford and exchanged portrait sessions for each other. She absolutely rocked it & I’m now convinced she was a model in a past life. Look for her up on the blog next week!

Thanks for the great season Hannah Cummins, Bree Mader , & more. It has been a privilege to work with you and watch you do your thang! You are all so talented and I’ve had a blast learning from you all this year.

To all the amazing brides & grooms, guests, and vendors that we met this season, it was an honour to meet you all! Keep being beautiful.

There are still a couple more weddings from this season that need to hit the blog, so don’t go away. There’s still more goodness to come!