A second shooter is an additional photographer at the wedding as a complement to the main photographer, who is primarily focused on the bride and the groom. This option will add to your budget but there is a strong upside. So here are 7 Reasons to Have a Second Shooter for Your Wedding.
Where is the picture of my groom fixing the special tie I picked?
In the best case, the bride and the groom are getting ready at the wedding venue itself at the same time, in their respective chambers. In the worst case, they are getting ready at different places. I have covered weddings where the bride and her entourage were getting ready at the bridal suite, while the groom and his party landed in the limousine -all ready to go. Getting ready shots are very important for a complete wedding coverage. If I didn’t have a second shooter to accompany the groom’s party on-site or off-site, I would miss all his getting ready moments.
Who is covering the cocktail hour?
In a typical eight hour wedding-cum-reception, the cocktail hour follows the wedding and before the guests are settled down for the first dance. But the main photographer will be busy doing portraits of the bridal party and immediate family members, right after the wedding ceremony. Even after the rest of the bridal party returns to the cocktail lounge, the main photographer works on getting some special moments of the bride and groom together and first time as husband and wife. The photographer is be pretty much with them until they are entering the reception hall for the dance. That one hour is the time when guests mingle and there are many light-hearted moments that create great story telling opportunities that are not to be missed. The second shooter covers these candid moments and other details and decorations from the cocktail lounge.
Where are all the pictures from my wedding ceremony?
As the bridesmaids, groomsmen, the groom and the officiant is waiting, the main photographer is nearby, for she has been taking shots of every one in that group entering and getting assembled in the ceremony area. Then as the bride is entering, the guests are turning their heads around to look at the bride – this is a shot you want to capture from behind the bride with the beautiful dress trailing the aisle. Even better if you have an overhead vantage point. As you can see it is nearly impossible for one photographer to capture all the shots in this sequence. With a second shooter on the other side, the main shooter is happily at her place near the alter since she needs to concentrate getting some great shots when the groom receives the bride and they exchange first looks before the vows.
How special is our first dance?
I don’t have to answer that, but I would say to capture the spirit of the first dance, 2 photographers are recommended. The first dance lasts for several minutes only and is once in a lifetime. There is no re-enactment. The couple is moving around and it is important to capture as many shots as possible to cover all the expressions from different angles. It is a stress even for an experienced photographer if she has to do it by herself. Then again your venue might have an reception hall with an overhead vantage point. Please do yourself a favor and get a second shooter, otherwise you would miss some great shots you could otherwise have. In fact, the advantage of having 2 vantage points is something that you would certainly appreciate throughout and not just for the dance.
Don’t the little things matter?
Sure do. A lot, if you ask me. Those go long way to make your wedding stand out from other weddings. Think about all the time and energy you invested in finding the perfect seating cards. Think about all the back and forth with the bouquets and the centerpieces and the cuff-links. With a second shooter you can rest-assured that none of the details that make this your wedding are missed from your wedding photographs.
Did the photographer eat?
Wedding photography is a demanding job and rightfully so, since it’s on the photographer to capture your special day for ever. Eight hour is a long time when you are carrying 2-3 professional cameras with lenses on you. Without a second shooter, it is a challenge for the main shooter to catch a break for a drink or a bite. I have covered weddings on my own and I have been graciously asked to wine and dine but I knew while on duty the first and foremost job was for me to capture as many great shots as I could and that left barely any time to re-charge myself. A second shooter helps to keep the fatigue level down and overall that affects the work of the main shooter in a positive way.
Would I cover your 10 hour wedding without a second shooter?
Yes I would and yes I have done that before. I carry 2-3 cameras with lenses on my body(2 hitched on 2 hip holsters and a third hitched to my torso) yet I cannot replicate myself. So even I would do the best job possible I could on my own, I could possibly not match the performance of me working with a second shooter. A lot of times the main photographer needs an extra hand to carry gear or change batteries or hold a reflector. In those situations the second shooter doubles as the photo assistant.
So what do I do now?
Not having a second shooter is certainly less expensive than having one. But it might be that considering the amount you spend on your wedding and on wedding photography, the additional expense of the second shooter might not have a huge relative impact on your bottom line. And we are talking about photographs from your dream wedding, a dream that you want to last a lifetime. So with these 7 reasons to have a second shooter for your wedding , I hope you have all the inputs you need to make the decision that could make your wedding photographs extra-special.
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