So if you are a fan on facebook or follow my twitter at all, you’ll know that Saturday I was second shooting a wedding with my friend, Sarah. This was the first time I’ve officially second shot for someone before and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. So I thought I’d share some of the the things I learned and some good things to know about second shooting experience particularly for any of the photographers who read my blog.

• Always arrive a little early.
Most photographers that I know like to arrive about 30 minutes ahead of time to get an idea of the area and scope out the location. A lot of times this is the first time you’re seeing the ceremony/reception site so it’s important to get an idea of where you will be working before you need to start shooting.

• Ask any questions you can before you start working
Once photography starts – there’s a good chance there isn’t going to be much time for asking questions and you especially don’t want to be a nuisance to the main photographer. So before you even get to the event – go over the time line and what your photographer wants you to do, what he/she expects of you, and any other questions you can think of.

• Remember who you’re working for
This is really important! Especially if you have your own business. It’s crucial that you remember that you are shooting for someone else, under another business name. This means that it’s important you respect and try to mimic (unless instructed otherwise) the main photographer’s style. It’s important for the photographer to be able to create a nice cohesive look and if you can’t keep up and work in his/her parameters, then your images aren’t going to fit with their overall wedding images.

• Don’t pull focus away from the main photographer
There’s a good chance you’ll end up shooting the bride and groom while the main photographer is shooting the them as well. It’s important to remember that it’s not your job to come up with ideas or direct the couple. If the main photographer is shooting and you tell the couple to do something different – you’re not only going to frustrate and embarrass your employer, but you also start to confuse the client.

• Look for a different perspective
There are certain images the main photographer is going to have to take – like the formals and lots of straight on images. You get the chance to be creative and shoot from a different perspective and notice the little things going on in between all the big things. Take advantage of this awesome opportunity to catch those genuine little moments.

• Pay attention to details
If you notice the bride has a funny bump in her hair or the groom’s tie is crooked. Let the photographer know and hop up there and fix it! He or she has a lot of photos to get through in a short amount of time and it’s easy to overlook these little details. So if you notice something – everyone will be glad to have you fix it – the subjects will feel comfortable knowing that you are catching the details and the photographer will be glad they aren’t going to have to spend hours in photoshop later correcting it.

So there’s just a few things that are helpful to know if you’re second shooting. I had a lot of fun working as a second shooter for the first time. There’s a lot less pressure and a lot more room for creativity when you are required to make it through an entire shot list in a specific amount of time. And if you’re interested in shooting weddings someday but aren’t quite there yet – it’s a great opportunity to see how the wedding day works for a photographer and begin to build a portfolio.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and a great week ahead of you! Happy Monday!

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