One of the things that I highly encourage my brides to consider is including a second shooter in their package. A second shooter is just that – a second photographer that captures different angles and moments that a primary photographer may not be able to on their own. There are so many pro’s to having a second shooter, but I will save that for another blog 🙂

This year, I’ve second shot for 3 different photographers and I absolutely LOVE it! It has been one of the best opportunities I’ve discovered to learn and grow in my field. Each time I take my camera out of the bag, I learn something new, and that’s what I love about this business of mine. I am constantly learning new things, and I should be! If I were to a point where I am not learning new things and allowing myself to be stagnant, then that isn’t good for you, or for me. Second shooting is such a great opportunity for a variety of reasons.

1. You get to know other photographers. I’ve gotten to know other photographers much better through second shooting with them. We have the whole day together, so it is a great opportunity to ask questions, learn about their styles and listen to what really sets their hearts on fire. You can build relationships with them that extend beyond the wedding world. Who knows, they may become some of your close friends! After all, they’ve seen ALL of your RAW photos! haha

2. Second shooting weddings allows you to be creative. What I mean by this is that the primary photographer needs to capture the traditional pictures with everyone looking at the camera and the traditional angles. The second photographer’s main role is to capture the day from a different angle. So for example, when the main photographer is photographing the bride and groom from the front, I may be on the side capturing the the way he has his arms around his bride or the bride’s look on her face as she looks up at her new husband. You have the freedom to be creative, and it is so much fun!

3. You learn different ways to handle certain situations. Every wedding is different, and that’s something that you need to be prepared for as a wedding photographer. It may rain all day and you are forced to take all of the pictures inside. The timeline may be running and hour behind and you need to really be effective and keep everyone on track. By helping the photographer, you are not only exposed to a wide variety of situations that could occur on a wedding day, but you also learn the best ways to handle certain situations as well.

There are so many reasons that I love second shooting, and these are just a few. I could really go on and on. It has been one of the best business decisions I’ve made yet, and I cannot wait to continue it next year on off weekends!