To Have a Second Shooter or Not to Have a Second Shooter…That is the Question
December 20, 2023
Now that you are engaged to the love of your life, it is time to plan the celebration of a lifetime.
Unfortunately, one of the most exciting times of your life will also be stressful. Roughly 96% of couples say that planning a wedding is stressful. There are so many decisions to be made… where to get married, who to invite, which food and beverages to serve, which vendors to hire… It can be quite daunting (unless you’re a type-A weirdo like me who actually LOVED planning her wedding and kept a meticulous wedding binder with regularly updated checklists).
Even once you find vendors that you click with, there are always more decisions to be made. With photography, the two biggest decisions, apart from picking a photographer, is deciding how much coverage you need (I addressed this in a prior post) and whether or not to have a second shooter.
When I first meet with a wedding couple, we spend some time getting to know one another and discussing their needs and visions for their day. I cannot even count the number of times people have asked me if they “need” a second shooter or if they’d be alright with just one. It’s a very common question and can be hard to answer if you are new to the wedding planning world, which obviously, most couples are. But, as I always say, this ain’t my first rodeo.
The simplest answer depends on your budget. Does your budget comfortably allow for a second shooter based on the packages your photographer offers? Then it shouldn’t even be a question… do it! You will not regret that extra coverage.
The more complicated answer depends on many factors. In this post, I am going to highlight 6 factors that may make you want to consider a second shooter (and 3 reasons why you might not need one).
What’s the job of a second shooter, anyway?
The specific job description of a second shooter will vary depending on the primary photographer. However, generally a second shooter is there to be an extra set of hands, pair of eyes, camera, and creative juices for the big day. The second shooter will independently get shots of one side of the bridal party (usually the guys) at the same time that the primary is with the other side (usually the girls). The second shooter can also act as an assistant to the primary by keeping an eye on the shot list and timeline, bringing items to the primary, or even fluffing dresses and straightening ties of those in posed portraits.
Factors that may warrant a second shooter
1. You and your beloved are getting ready in different locations
Despite the fact that I am part-ninja (yes, it’s a thing… google it), I cannot be in two places at once. Bridal party candids while getting ready are some of the most underrated photos of a wedding day, in my opinion. Some of my favorite shots from weddings are those moments when the bride is sipping mimosas and laughing with her girls or the groom having an INTENSE video game battle with his guys. When you have a second shooter, this means each shooter can devote themselves to one side of the bridal party which means no part of the getting ready process is missed. When I am shooting a wedding on my own, often only the highlights of getting ready are captured, if that, because I have to bounce between rooms or even locations.
2. Your venue and/or guest list is large
It’s happened before… The cake cutting isn’t scheduled to start for 10 minutes. I’m on the other side of the hall taking candid photos of some of the bridesmaids having a good time. Then suddenly the DJ announces the cake cutting. I have to awkwardly run through a sea of people to get there to capture that moment before it’s gone because there isn’t another photographer with me who is possibly closer to the cake.
Another scenario… it’s the dancing portion of the evening. You’ve got guests having a blast at all ends of the reception hall. The groom is sitting at the bar sharing a beer with his grandfather, so I discreetly take photos of that. Through the crowd, I notice the bride having a sweet moment with her mom. There’s no way I’m getting over there before the moment is over. But if I have a second shooter, they likely would have caught it before I even noticed it.
Moral of the story? The bigger your venue and/or guest list, the more things will happen that you are going to want captured. This is one of the best days of your life… you don’t want to miss anything.
3. You would love having different angles of things
We’ve already established that a person cannot be in two places at once. Having a second photographer allows the opportunity for multiple angles of the same thing to be captured. Your walk down the aisle? If it’s just me, you will only get the view from the front. But once you get a second shooter in the mix, then you get a shot from behind with your gorgeous train behind you as your dad walks you down the aisle (like the photos below).
Another example of different angles is shown in the first look above. Because my second shooter and I were both there at different angles, we were able to get the reactions of both the groom AND bride, better capturing the beauty and intimacy of the moment.
Another good second angle opportunity is during speeches, vows, or other important moments. I always prioritize the bride and groom in said moments. But having a second shooter allows you to possibly get a shot of your mom blotting away a tear with her handkerchief while you say your vows or your dad roaring with laughter at a joke the best man told during the speech. Can I get those moments on my own? Sure. But not as easily.
Even during couple or bridal party portraits the second shooter can get a cool angle that I didn’t, like this example below. While I was snapping the photo on the left, my second shooter was crouched down getting the photo on the right.
4. You get double the creativity
You’ve heard the saying that two heads are better than one. One of my favorite parts of editing a wedding that I brought a second shooter to is popping their SD card into my computer and seeing what they got. I just love seeing ideas and shots that I didn’t think of. Even in the moment, my second shooter can offer a different perspective or idea to capture that I wouldn’t have thought of. Below is a prime example. While I was capturing the photo on the left, my second shooter had backed up beyond some low-hanging branches and got this AMAZING shot on the right.
5. You want more images
This may seem obvious, but two shooters will mean more images. If you’re someone who wants as many photos of your wedding day as you can possibly get, a second shooter is a wise decision.
The image below is one that my second shooter captured literally around the corner from me while I was taking posed photos of the bride and her bridesmaids. The guys were bored so they just started playing on the playground equipment. I never would have even known about this moment if I were shooting on my own. Thankfully my groomsman-wrangling husband of a second shooter got this awesome shot (along with a dozen others of them playing) while I was occupied.
6. A less stressed photographer
I’ve been shooting weddings for 13 years now, so I am very confident in my skills to do my job well. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t prefer the weddings where a second came along with me. It’s much less stressful for me when I’m not required to bounce from A, to B, to C, to D, in a matter of 20 minutes. I don’t have to play as much tetris with the timeline and a lot of my time is saved when I can ask my second shooter to go grab something for me or to hold a diffuser so I can get a better shot of the details. Having a second shooter basically gives me an assistant to help keep me organized and sane. It also allows me to stop and enjoy the moments I’m capturing rather than worrying about where I need to be next.
Reasons you might not need a second shooter
1. You are keeping it simple
Have you decided to have a small, intimate wedding? If your guest list is under 50 people and/or your bridal party only has 1 or 2 people on each side, you may find that a second shooter isn’t needed simply because there won’t be as many shots to capture. This also applies if your day has less “frills” than the average wedding. The less things that you want captured, the more likely you wouldn’t need a second shooter.
2. Your budget just doesn’t have room for it
Not having the budget for a package that includes a second photographer is totally fine. As long as you are aware of the limitations of one photographer vs two, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it to one. My biggest piece of advice is this: one great photographer is better than two mediocre ones.
Let’s say you’ve narrowed it down to two photographers. Photographer A has a higher cost so you would only have one shooter if you go with photographer A. However, they have lots of experience, an awesome portfolio, great customer service, and you get along with them really well. Photographer B, on the other hand, has lower package costs. You’d be able to afford two shooters with photographer B. However, photographer B is only a year or two into shooting weddings, has a very inconsistent portfolio, and is not very professional.
In that situation, photographer A would be the wise choice. Sometimes quality is more important than quantity, and this is one of those scenarios.
3. Photography isn’t your highest priority
There are some people who are happy with only the highlights being captured during a wedding, and that’s completely okay too. If the idea of getting several hundred to over a thousand images from your wedding makes you feel overwhelmed, a second shooter may not be the best decision for you. There are definitely couples who would rather spend more money on other aspects of the wedding.
Balcony shot, courtesy of my second shooter, while I was on the main level getting a zoomed-in shot of the couple saying their vows.
Bottom line…
Every wedding is different and every couple is different. There is no right or wrong answer to needing a second shooter, but it’s important to weigh the pros and cons against your vision to make the best choice for you!
