Second Shooter {Why it's important}

Why is having a second shooter at your wedding important? I firmly believe in having a second shooter at every wedding I shoot. Why? It's not that I can't shoot the wedding alone, or that the images will be better, but it will give the Bride & Groom a lot more variety of images to choose from & will allow the main photographer to focus on the more important things/details of the day, while the second shooter is capturing different angles and photographing smaller details. Also, while the main photographer is photographing the "girls" getting ready, the second photographer is shooting the "guys" getting ready, allowing the main photographer more time with the Bride and less time traveling between the two locations. Having a second shooter can also come in handy when things run behind schedule, which in most cases, happens.

What if we plan to see each other before the ceremony - is it still important to have a second shooter? I think in any case having a second shooter is always the best plan for the Bride & Groom. Why? Because, I truly believe that choosing the right second shooter can make a huge impact on the day. Having a second pair of eyes & knowing that if things run behind schedule, you have another set of hands & camera to help you out. Believe me when I say that no matter how organized and smoothly things run, it will never be a waste having a second shooter. They are there to help out the main photographer in any way needed, whether the main photographer needs help carrying all their equipment, help with difficult light situations, holding an umbrella over their head if weather permits, getting them water when needed, and of course, helping capture posed & candid images in a variety angles.

Below is a wedding I second shot forJoleen Willis  back in November. Mike & Hannah chose not to see each other beforehand & so I had the privilege of meeting up with the guys & shooting their "getting ready shots". There was a lot of traveling involved in the day & a lot of traffic to go along with it, so it made Joleen's job a lot easier (I hope) having me along to second shoot. I chose a variety of images to show how effective having a second shooter is. All of these images were not posed & simple where "in the moment" images. As a second shooter I am not in charge of directing the "posed" images - I am strictly there to help out the main photographer & shoot at different angles. When I talk about shooting at different angles I mean that I (the second shooter) am always behind the main photographer to the right hand side of them, shooting with my 70-200mm. This is the most effective way of doing it, because you never want to get in the way of the main photographer - the second shooter is simply there to help capture different angles to give a variety of posed and candid images.