Being a second shooter at weddings can be a great way to gain experience and build your portfolio as a wedding photographer. Being a second shooter is quite an important role to fill, especially if you are new to the industry. In fact, every professional wedding photographer today was a second shooter.
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Thus, in this article, we will discuss how you can become a second shooter at weddings and the importance or benefits attached. I will provide some useful tips to help you get into the wedding photography business as a second shooter and how you can climb up to be a team leader. Additionally, you will get to learn the importance of being a second shooter and how you can receive the maximum benefit from the role. So, continue reading!
Below are a few collected tips from my personal experience and several other resources about how to be a second shooter at weddings:
Have some basic knowledge of photography:
To be a second shooter at weddings, you must possess some knowledge about photography, but not necessarily wedding photography. You must at least know about the importance of lighting, composition, and some simple camera settings. Furthermore, you must at least know how to click portraits or full-body pictures of people.
Wedding photography, a genre of photography that focuses on capturing the special moments, emotions, and details of people on their wedding days, is a competitive but lucrative niche. The niche requires a great deal of skill, creativity, determination, and attention to detail alongside professional gear to produce stunning images of couples. Our Master guide has some helpful information to help you start.
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As a wedding photographer, I have worked with several second shooters at weddings, and most of them had at least a basic knowledge of wedding photography. So, to become a second shooter, you must know photography in general.
Have all of the necessary equipment:
Furthermore, you must be prepared by having all of the necessary equipment, such as a digital camera, sturdy tripod, lenses, and lightboxes. You must ensure they are all in good working conditions. No major wedding photographer will hire a second shooter with the proper tools. In fact, one of the reasons wedding photographers hire second shooters is that they need someone with high-grade tools to provide backup.
Be creative
Wedding photography requires a lot of creative skills. So, you must learn how to capture unique photos from different angles. Generally, it is recommended that you know how to take candid and well-detailed wedding pictures that the main photographer might not be able to capture.
Communicate with the primary photographer:
As a second shooter, you must note that you have no business with the major photographer’s clients or couples. So, you have to make sure you communicate and understand the primary photographer’s vision and expectations for the day and what you are to do.
Be flexible and punctual:
Additionally, you must be flexible and learn how to adapt to unexpected situations or demands, such as time changes, that may arise. When you are hired as a second shooter, try to be punctual and ready to start clicking once the event begins.
Act professionally
It is important to act professionally as a second shooter at weddings. Although you are not yet a professional wedding photographer, you must learn to dress and act like one throughout the wedding session.
Be humble and respect the primary photographer’s work:
Although you click some of the wedding pictures as a second shooter, you cannot edit or share them because they belong to the primary photographer who hired you. So you must respect the work by not posting or sharing them without authorized permission.
Learn to take constructive criticism:
Realistically, no wedding photographer fancy being a second shooter at weddings. So to level up, you must learn to accept constructive criticism from the primary photographer and engage in frequent practices to hone your skills.
Now that we have discussed how you can be a second shooter at weddings, it’s wise that we also explore the importance of being one. So…
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Why Is Being A Second Shooter At Weddings Important?
There are many importances of being a second shooter at weddings. Some of them include:
- The role provides opportunities for growth – you will learn how to interact with other wedding vendors and how to talk to clients or couples
- As a second shooter, you provide backup for the primary photographer
- You reduce the workload of the main wedding photographer
- The role allows you to gain real-time experience of the industry – what it involves and how to go about the business
- You will learn how to treat second shooters – Soon you will become a primary shooter. By being a second shooter, you will know how to treat your second shooter or assistant.
Although it’s good to be a second shooter, we suggest you should always strive for the top! Aim to become a primary wedding photographer by practicing, taking classes, and applying for the roles.
In conclusion, you must know photography and have your own tools to be a second shooter at weddings. Furthermore, you must also be creative and know how to act professionally. Finally, you should note that being a second shooter at weddings is an important job. It provides opportunities for growth and honing of your skills. So, take it seriously. But nonetheless, aim to become a primary wedding photographer.