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.