Have you ever been asked to second shoot a wedding or event?  Are you a photographer looking for someone to second shoot for you?  I have been on both sides of the fence now and thought I would share what I have learned.  Being a second shooter is a great way of learning even if you have been doing photography for years.  I have learned a lot from the other photographers that I have worked with and hope that I will learn even more along the way.

Here are some helpful DOs and DON’Ts.

DOs

• Meet with the photographer in person if possible.  Get to know one another a little before you work together.  Talk about styles, what the schedule for the day will be, etc so there is no question about what is expected of you on the big day!
• Grab a few of the primary photographer’s business cards.  That way if you are asked who you work for, you can pass along their business card.
• Dress appropriately.  Check on what attire should be worn to the event.
• Come prepared with all your gear.  Ensure you have fully charged batteries, extra memory cards, extra batteries, etc.
• Be helpful.  Help gather people for family shots.  If a vendor, family member, or guest needs assistance, don’t hesitate to step in and help them out.  Be genuine because people will see if you seem put out by
• SMILE!!!!!!  Interact with guests and the wedding party.  Your smile will be contagious ultimately get some fun shots from the day!
• HAVE FUN!

DON’Ts

• Don’t be late!  Allot yourself extra time to get there and have everything ready to go the night before.  If you need extra batteries and whatnot, try to get it the night before.  If you are in an area that you don’t live in, be sure to keep traffic in consideration.
• Don’t blog or post photos from the event you are shooting prior to the primary photographer.  The photographer is not only going through what they took, they are going through what you took as well.
• Don’t promote yourself.  You are there working for the primary photographer and are representing their business.  If you are asked, you work for “insert name of their business”.
• Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get all the shots you wanted.  You are there supporting the other photographer.  You are there to be their second pair of eyes and assist them in getting amazing shots that he/she might not be there to see.
• Do not hand out your own business cards.  Hand out the other photographer’s business card because you are representing them and their business.

Was this helpful?  Want to hear more?  Leave a comment and share what other tips you would like to see on the blog!