The First Steps to Becoming a Second Shooter

Issue #15

[Read Time - 6 Minutes]

We’ve recently discussed building your wedding portfolio as you prepare to become a photographer.

The focus has been on building in ways that DO NOT involve working at a wedding.

Building Your Portfolio Part 1

Building Your Portfolio Part 2

Now, it’s time to get serious.

If you genuinely want to become a wedding photographer, the absolute best way to “get your reps” is to be a second shooter for an established wedding photographer.

If I’m being honest, and why shouldn’t I be, the gig as a second shooter or “associate photographer” at a wedding is probably the most fun any photographer can have. (Full disclosure - I do miss those days a bit)

For starters, the money is pretty decent, or at least it can be.

Once you get wheels under you, show you can handle the gig, and become a valuable member of the team, you should be making around $100 per hour, given the magnitude of your role and the overall photography budget of the wedding.

But let’s not get greedy too soon, especially if you’re new to shooting weddings.

Shoot for free if you have to, and learn as much as possible while you’re there.

This is a fantastic learning ground for aspiring wedding photographers, so please, PLEASE take advantage of this.

Another key reason, if the first isn’t good enough for you, is that you get all the creativity without any of the actual responsibility of the main photographer for the day.

No, you’re not making four or five figures, but taking home a few hundred bucks for a day behind the lens and learning how a real wedding is photographed is what I would call a great day.

And let’s not forget, you NEED the reps anyway.

Being a second or even a third shooter at a full-blown wedding and reception is a sa-weet way to build your portfolio, gain experience shooting and play a valuable role in helping out a fellow wedding photographer/mentor.

So, how do you do this?

Finding a gig as a second shooter is easier than you might think.

• Get online and familiarize yourself with the local talent.

• Choose a handful of photographers you admire and call or email them for a face-to-face meeting. Meeting with them in person is important because weddings are a personal business, and no one will hire you before meeting you in person.

• Buy them lunch or coffee and talk to them. Tell them straight up - you’d like to learn how to shoot weddings from them.

• When you meet, be upfront with them. Tell them why you’re doing this, what has drawn you to weddings and photography and why you chose them over other photographers. BE HONEST if you’ve talked with photographers. They all likely know each other, so no need to be cagey.

• This is not a “brain-picking” session but rather an interview for a job (or at least that’s how you should be looking at it)

• Offer to shoot a wedding with them for free.

This offer is SO much easier than back in the days of film when it used to actually cost money to click the shutter. Now, it’s free digital clicks.

There are a decent number of things you’ll want to work out with the photographer. They’re not just going to let you roam free at their wedding.

You’ll have some responsibilities, and they’ll probably have suggestions on what to wear, how to act and who you’ll be allowed to talk to.

This is not a big deal if you’re just starting out, since this whole experience will be brand new for you. As you gain more experience, you’ll earn more responsibility and play a larger role.

One big thing to negotiate is being able to use the images YOU take as portfolio pieces. Make sure this is UNDERSTOOD up front.

I prefer letting my associates give me their Raw files to process in my preferred style and then letting them process their own files in their style.

This lets everyone work together but separately.

Another important angle to consider is using this second shooter role as an easy side hustle.

This is a wonderful option for good photographers who aren’t ready to start a business of their own but love to keep shooting and getting better.

If this is NOT you, read on.

Where else can you find photographers? I’m glad you asked.

Online groups set up specifically for local wedding photographers frequently post opportunities for second shooters.

Many photographers hate shooting alone and keep trusted talent close to them, often hiring them as part of their business.

On the other hand, some photographers fly solo and don’t want to hire people for their business (payroll, Social Security, benefits, headaches).

They simply want a good shooter to help them when they need it.

I fall into this second category.

It took me over a decade to finally accept the fact that I should have a second shooter with me (and how to actually use them).

I won’t deny it, I loved (and still love) to shoot weddings by myself. I am the prototypical Solopreneur and wear that badge proudly.

BUT, once I decided to try a wedding having a second shooter with me, a great weight was lifted. I no longer felt pressure to get every shot, running from place to place. I had someone there to cover important parts of the day and cover my back.

That’s the biggest value of having a second shooter.

Back in the old days, when I started, professional photographers were shooting film.

My first job was loading film into medium format “backs” for a local pro. This was like loading bullets into a magazine and would hand those to him when he ran out.

He was a good photographer, and even though I didn’t get to shoot anything during the weddings, standing silently next to him and watching him work taught me a great deal.

Since I was shooting on my own time and letting everyone I bumped into know I was a photographer, word eventually got around to a young couple who wanted a photographer for their wedding but had no money.

They were in luck because I wanted to photograph a wedding, but I had no experience of actually shooting one.

A few weeks later, I shot my first wedding, and I was hooked. Not long after, I shot a second and took the two weddings to land a steady gig as an actual shooting assistant.

More portfolio pieces - more experience.

(You can read my full origin story of how I got started here)

The bottom line is the process works.

You don’t have to second shoot for years before you can strike out on your own. Some savvy photographers second shoot, build their skills, pocket some cash, AND book their own weddings for themselves.

One BIG note of caution

Wedding photographers are competitive, so PLEASE be respectful if you’re second shooting.

• No business cards at your employer’s wedding

• No sneaky deals with the wedding party

Be a great photographer, learn what you can, and show gratitude for those who help you build your dream.

I promise that everything you do well and with integrity will return to you through referrals and recommendations.

We may be competitive, but we also know we can’t shoot every wedding (as much as we would like to). I love setting up my friends and fellow photographers with a pre-wrapped wedding ready to book. You’ll like those gifts too!

So, if you’re not quite ready to make this a full-time gig, but you still want to build your skills, confidence and portfolio, I love this opportunity as a second shooter.

It’s worth noting that many of the top professional wedding photographers have full-time associate shooters who make a great career as a second shooter.

The photography market is typically made up of solopreneurs, so take advantage of this opportunity. And when you’re a hotshot pro, don’t forget to help a young photographer build their dream.

“A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people.”

– Will Rogers

I personally think you learn an awful lot by DOING, but Will is a brilliant man, so who am I to question his wisdom?

PS,

There are a LOT of details that go into being a good second shooter or even starting out as one. If there are some specific areas you’d like more info on, pop a question in the comment section below, and I’ll expand this to cover what you want to know.

Becoming a second shooter is one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography.”

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