I’ve been working with shooting assistants since 14th February 2013 and can’t imagine working any other way; an extremely talented shooting assistant (a true second photographer) is one of the important things that sets my coverage apart from most photographers who work alone or with an assistant who merely carries equipment or does other non-photographic tasks while the name photographer does all the shooting.
No matter how talented the primary shooter is, a good shooting assistant can always contribute to the wedding coverage. That’s because so many wonderful things are going on at any wedding and the primary photographer simply can’t be in all places at one time.
During the ceremony, when the photography should be as unobtrusive as possible, having two people working simultaneously lessens the amount of movement either one of them needs to do during the ceremony. Typically my assistant and I take opposite vantage points at the ceremony, which means we can offer you more variety of the ceremony without moving around and distracting your guests. And, if–heaven forbid–nasty weather moves your outdoor ceremony into a cramped indoor area where there is just no room at all for moving about during the ceremony, having two photographers means you get two views of the ceremony and not just
I have a rule when working with second shooters, and anyone who has worked with me knows this rule: Never stand where I am standing. I move around a lot during the ceremony, and if I happen to walk toward where you are standing, all I ask is that you move somewhere else and get a different shot. It’s so helpful if you can set this expectation with your second shooter so you don’t have to constantly be telling them where to go. And those of you who second shoot, do this! Your photographer will thank you.
No matter how talented the primary shooter is, a good shooting assistant can always contribute to the wedding coverage. That’s because so many wonderful things are going on at any wedding and the primary photographer simply can’t be in all places at one time.
During the ceremony, when the photography should be as unobtrusive as possible, having two people working simultaneously lessens the amount of movement either one of them needs to do during the ceremony. Typically my assistant and I take opposite vantage points at the ceremony, which means we can offer you more variety of the ceremony without moving around and distracting your guests. And, if–heaven forbid–nasty weather moves your outdoor ceremony into a cramped indoor area where there is just no room at all for moving about during the ceremony, having two photographers means you get two views of the ceremony and not just
I have a rule when working with second shooters, and anyone who has worked with me knows this rule: Never stand where I am standing. I move around a lot during the ceremony, and if I happen to walk toward where you are standing, all I ask is that you move somewhere else and get a different shot. It’s so helpful if you can set this expectation with your second shooter so you don’t have to constantly be telling them where to go. And those of you who second shoot, do this! Your photographer will thank you.