The benefits of a second photographer – Assistant photographers and second shooters (or even more!)… what are the benefits?
I am often asked if I think a couple should have a second shooter – meaning another photographer attends your wedding with me and assists me with your photography. As usual, it doesn’t come with an automatically simple answer. Some weddings are borderline, while others would benefit, and, surprisingly, certain weddings would be better without an additional photographer.
Broadly speaking
There are some simple, basic rules if good photography is a priority for you. Here is a brief breakdown of guest numbers and how this impacts the benefits of a second photographer.
Under 40 Guests – Unless there is a particular reason, it is generally better to have just one photographer. Having too many cameras pointed at such a small event can make the photography feel more intrusive than it should be. The images could also potentially be quite repetitive, as we tried to capture the best photos!
40-75 Guests – Typically, one photographer is usually sufficient to capture all the key moments and remain unobtrusive. If you have something of particular importance that you want captured, it can be beneficial to have an additional shooter, or if you would like both of you to be getting ready in the morning. You can explore the option of having a second photographer for just 2-4 hours, which can be perfect, but is not always available at peak times.
75-100 Guests – A second shooter is recommended. Keeping up with your day’s plan, getting group shots done and still being in the right place to capture natural images can be very tricky indeed. Whilst I can assure you I will always do my best, I would recommend an additional photographer to cover your event fully.
100+ Guests – A second shooter is strongly recommended and advised. The additional guests make it very tricky indeed to capture the entire story with just one photographer. Why risk it? It’s far better to have a second shooter to take some of the pressure off and enable us to provide even more great images!
Even more photographers? – Yes, it can be helpful at certain weddings to have even more. Some of the 500+ guest weddings that we have done have certainly benefited from having multiple photographers assisting
As most weddings sit with guest lists somewhere between 75 and 120, you may still need a bit of help figuring out if a second shooter is right for your wedding, hopefully the remainder can help with that.
Our Second Shooters
We do not keep ‘assistant shooters’ on staff. Instead, we utilise a collaborative community of full-time professional photographers to source our second photographers, and this approach works exceptionally well. The community is tight-knit, and I have worked with the vast majority as well as shooting with them myself when required. I know their work, their professionalism, their work ethic and, quite frankly, their hunger to catch the best images.
There are two or three that I work with extremely regularly, and I am delighted that this community offers alternatives, so that my regulars are not already booked.
This is the perfect system, guaranteeing consistent, reliable, high-quality second shooters for my couples. I only work with other friendly professionals who I think you would want to have at your wedding and who can deliver the goods! If you would like a second shooter, please let me know as soon as possible so that the best available second shooter can be sourced for you.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS
The full story
Some weddings are planned so that the couple gets ready at the same venue, guests arrive for welcome drinks, and the ceremony takes place on-site. This is a great set-up, and if you have a smaller wedding, this kind of planning can negate the need for a second shooter. Instead, I can work out the timings and dash between the rooms and the areas to try and capture as much of the story as time allows.
More often than not, however, you are getting ready at separate addresses, and a second photographer can take the pressure off as they head to spend time with one half of the couple (usually the groom). This allows us to coordinate to capture the whole story for one another to enjoy afterwards, a definite benefit!
This can also be useful if, later in the day, events are split for any reason. One photographer can ensure they stay close to the couple, whilst my second can capture the guests and what they are getting up to.
More pictures
It might sound a little obvious, so I will keep it brief. If there is more than one photographer present, we will both view each scene slightly differently and capture it as we see it best. We will, of course, not be together at all times, as we will be covering individual events and moments respectively. For you, this means additional images; it doesn’t necessarily mean double the number of images, as repeats are inevitable, and you will showcase the best of these images.
More natural shots
This is a similar point to the above, but it is more specifically relevant for natural shots. Natural images are vital to me; I don’t think you can accurately tell a wedding story without them, but sometimes, larger, key events are happening. When I work on my own, I mainly calculate in my head how things are running and what the best place is for me to be at any given time to do my job to the best of my ability. Sometimes this means making tough choices – as try as I might, being in one place at once is still the best I can manage (although many of our reviews claim differently!). A second shooter removes a lot of this pressure; for example, I can prioritise the group shots while being confident that they are capturing all the natural moments as they happen.
Faster Group Shots and couple shots
Having a second shooter during a key event, such as the group photograph session, can be very handy indeed. I will, as always, review the exact shot list and timeline with the couple so that I can be as efficient as possible with these important images. The running of the day is always typed and shared with my second shooter, allowing them to be in the right place at the right time and also to assist in organising the group shots. My second shooter can collect wayward guests, begin to prepare for the next shot, or ensure that natural moments are being captured while we are busy with formals.
I find that when it comes to couple shots, they can be invaluable for speeding up the session and getting you back to your friends and family. I am doing the majority of the direction, whilst they zip about with different angles and takes on the scene, it usually means we can produce more images for you in about half the time.
More Angles and Braver Angles
We’ve touched on the additional angles a second shooter can find, but it is a key benefit of having one. I always think this advantage gives the final set of images a more comprehensive and cinematic feel. In particular, this works particularly well for moments like the ceremony, confetti, and couple shots, as those additional angles bring in an extra element of storytelling.
A second shooter can also allow me to choose braver angles over ‘safe shots’. A safe shot is what most photographers call the ‘expected’ images of key moments, and therefore, shots we can not always take risks with. By having the additional camera support there, I can instead ask them to cover the safe shot whilst I can go off in search of an exciting new angle to capture it in a different way!
Wow shots and actual assisting
Some of the ‘wow’ shots that I love to create involve fairly elaborate setups. Sometimes they include moving furniture, liaising with staff to use specific spaces, and having lights turned off, etc. Sometimes I need reflectors or lighting held, and having a second shooter to assist in these scenarios is invaluable. I almost always need some assistance with these (for practical reasons, as I unfortunately have not grown any additional limbs yet), and I am not above utilising an enthusiastic guest. Still, of course, my assistant is even easier to work with. They speed me up and light the couple and the scene with greater accuracy than I could alone; it makes a difference!
Because they are brilliant too
As I have mentioned, our full-time second shooters are already professionals and impressive photographers. I would be wasteful not to tap into those available resources. My second and I will find moments throughout the day to explore other parts of the venue and come up with entirely new concepts together! Far from any concerns that either of us might be distracted by the other, we bounce off each other to create natural moments, to find new shots, and spot special patches of light. I love my seconds!
A Safety Net
I would rather not write this one in, but it is an inevitable truth. I am permanently mindful of the importance of the data (pictures!) on each one of our memory cards. We have a multitude of processes in place to prevent unexpected issues and protect all those important memories. Saying all of that, of course, it does stand to reason that if there are two of us shooting and we have collectively more cards and more images across more cameras… the risks of losing any data are lowered even more – *dashes off to touch some wood.
