The life of a Photographer: The Second Shooter

The life of a Photographer: The Second Shooter: I have met and talked to a number of photographers, who have both been and have employed the services of a second shooter for photographin...

The Second Shooter

I have met and talked to a number of photographers, who have both been and have employed the services of a second shooter for photographing weddings. During these talks several things became apparent; The reasons some photographers use a second shooter. The reason why someone becomes a second shooter. How much freedom a second shooter is given during the shoot. What is the intended end game for the second shooter. Lets look at number 1. There would appear to be two main reasons for a photographer to use a second shooter. First is the capturing of candid images that the prime photographer normally misses as they have to focus so much on the main couple. Second is to bring on, train up, another photographer to be used for full wedding coverage later on, when they are seen to be ready. The majority of photographers would probably gravitate towards the first reason, it is always nice to have some of the pressure of you regarding candid shots. I would however advise some cation here, especially if your not considering point 2 above. You may just be training up your competition. Also I would seriously suggest that you check on your second shooters commitment and attitude while with you, as any negativity here will reflect on you and not them. Now Number 2. This again appears to be limited to; First, they want to be able to take photos at weddings without the pressure of responsibility for delivering the service fully to the clients. These can further be broken down into two groups, paid and unpaid. If you are using unpaid labour then the second shooter really has no obligation on them at all to attend or deliver images to a standard that we would accept. A paid second shooter can be worth their weight in gold however. I normally start new second shooters off unpaid, so that we can see the level of their commitment and talent, but as soon as I start to value their input I insist on the relationship becoming a paid one, even if I can only cover their travel expenses. My end goal with second shooters is to get to the point when I can use them as photographers in their own right, covering weddings for me. What is your end goal? Then these is 3. Some don't really bother much with their second shooter, allowing them to do their own thing during the day, without coordinating their activity with yours. This approach can be very counter productive or very unproductive, which is normally in the hands of the gods as your not taking control over any of it. I think if your not going to integrate the second shooter into your overall event strategy then you are just wasting each others time and wasting a valuable resource. And then we are left with 4. You cannot overlook this point. Unless you fully understand your second shooters end goal you cannot in all conscience allow them anywhere near your clients. Whatever they do on the day will reflect on you and your business. If they are viewed as unprofessional or un interested that it will be your business that will carry the stigma of this perception. Also when clients see a second shooter they themselves will have an expectation of additional shots, which if not delivered at the end of the shoot will again reflect adversely on your business. There are many very professional photographers out there who only work as second shooters. These people normally have another job to pay the bills and remove the stress and concerns regarding delivery of service to photography clients, but can be exceptional assets to what you are able to offer your clients, regarding overall coverage on the day. These people normally want their travel expense covered as a minimum and are worth every penny. Then there are those who are thinking of setting up shop themselves and want some free on the job training, from you, where they can learn the admin side as well as the organizational and then the technical side of covering a wedding. I personally would shy away from these, unless they came from an area outside of your patch or had a style that did not provide a direct competitive attack on your co business. Conclusion Professional paid second shooters are worth their weight in gold and I would recommend them for every event. But can you name another industry where businesses are so open to sharing their competitive edge to their future competition? Why then do we think this is OK in our industry. I think this casual attitude harms our standing as professionals and a service which requires fair payment. So, yes I do use second shooters, but only those I feel provide a direct benefit to my business, and I have no interest in their individual portfolio, just the servicing of my clients needs. I think all professional photographers out there should thin carefully about the use of second shooters and tread with care and with purpose when engaging their services.

The life of a Photographer: Caldicot Male Voice Choir - 50th Anniversary

The life of a Photographer: Caldicot Male Voice Choir - 50th Anniversary

Caldicot Male Voice Choir - 50th Anniversary

The Purpose of the Wedding Album

What do you think is the purpose of a wedding album? Do you think it is an historical document? or do you think it is a portfolio of artistic images? Well I know most of you out there will be shouting out, BOTH, but here is the rub, how often do we sacrifice the documentation of the day for the artistic image? This question was raised following a viewing of another photographers work, on their web site, which has lots of out of focus (soft focus, atmospheric focus or what ever other name you want to call it) shots. You know the kind I am talking about here, such as the bride in focus in the foreground and the groom out of focus in the background and a variation on this them. Now there is no documentation here of the event or the people present, just what some may call a very nice artistic image and there is nothing wrong with this, except when we look for it's purpose in the recording of the events of the day and fail to see any purpose at all. Myself, well I think the wedding album should first and foremost be a record of the event, the people who attended and the fashion of the time. I want this document to be handed down through the generations and provide an historic link to those who have gone before and give the viewer a glimpse into the past. That is not to say the images cannot or should not be beautiful to look at, of course they should, but the documentation of the people present for this event is the prime purpose of the album. For me, the album is not a portfolio of interesting and artistic shots to demonstrate my creativity, but rather it is an historical document capturing the people, the fashion of the time and the atmosphere that was present. I tend to shoot in a very photojournalistic style for the vast majority of the day, stopping and taking control only for the formal group shots. The rest of the day is covered as it happens. I have seen brides being directed by their photographer as though they are models on a photo shoot, and we all know the purpose of the image, it is for the photographers shop window or web page and has little to do with telling the story of the wedding day itself. I would strongly suggest to all photographers that when considering the photo you are about to take, stop and ask yourself what that image is going to contribute to the telling of the story of the day and what historic legacy it will leave behind for others to see.

Pen Y Fan Pilgrimage

Well another year has gone by and I am still alive and kicking. As I like to do every year, I head off to the highest mountain in South Wales - Pen Y Fan. Pen y Fan (pronounced pen.e.van) is the highest peak in South Wales and southern Britain, situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park. At 886 metres (2,907 ft) above sea-level, it is also the highest peak in Britain south of the Snowdonia mountain range. The twin summits of Pen y Fan and Corn Du were formerly referred to as Cadair Arthur or 'Arthur's Seat' This is my way of seeing in the new year, along with many other people, as the crowds heading up and back proved. Arriving at the car park at the mountain base I was surprised to find the car park full, I was heading up much later in the day than normal, about 10am, as I thought the weather was going to prohibit my climb this year but a sudden brake in the wether sent me dashing out of the house heading for the hills. The weather was cold, but dry and a lot of blue sky above. But knowing the mountain as I do, I did not expect the weather to remain clear for long. My legs did suffer, but I did not notice until I got to the top and started to walk back down, it was then that my inner thighs started to cramp up. Not wanting to look a plonked I ignored the pain as much as I could and walked it off as best I could, I think I may have been walking a little funny and it felt as though I was going slower down hill than I did going up. As soon as I was within a couple of hundred feet of the top, where evidence of snow was plain to see, the clouds started to close in and remained there until my decent. It remained dry though, but very cold and no view. But no matter I got there, again, proving that at 50 years of age I was not ready to be an old fart just yet. Lets see what its like at the start of next year! I have included some images that I took during the climb.