Second Shooting Do’s and Don’ts

This week on Get the Picture?, we’re talking all about second shooting — how to get started, how to find opportunities, and what actually makes someone a great second shooter. I’m breaking down the dos and don’ts of second shooting, from how to support the lead photographer and stay out of the way to what you should (and definitely shouldn’t) be doing on a wedding day. Whether you’re trying to get your foot in the door, looking to build experience, or want to become a second shooter photographers actually want to work with again, this episode’s for you!

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Transcript

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Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of Get the Picture. I am your host, Tori Elizabeth, and welcome back to another episode. Today we are talking about how to get into second shooting and how to be a good second shooter. So just second shooting as a whole. I'm going to start with how to get into second shooting and then talking about being a good second shooter and just kind of like second shooter etiquette, I guess. So yeah, I hope this is a little bit more geared toward beginners or people who aren't as familiar with second shooting, but hopefully it can be a good episode for everyone. If you have any comments or like things you agree, disagree with, I would love if you would go to the YouTube video of this podcast on my YouTube. It's at Tori Elizabeth Photo, just like my Instagram and TikTok. And there's a playlist called Get the Picture Pod, and you can like click on there, find this episode. It'll probably be called like second shooter etiquette or something like that, um, or like how to be a good second shooter. Um, and just anyway, comment your thoughts. Um, anyway, we'll get right into it. So if you are um a beginner and you're unfamiliar with second shooting, second shooting is um being a second photographer at a wedding um under the lead photographer. So you are contracted through the lead photographer, you're not hired by the couple. The couple hires their wedding photographer, and that wedding photographer finds their second shooter, sometimes a third shooter, um, and it's just a backup photographer who's there to get extra angles, extra perspectives, help with the timeline, etc. Um, so you are contracted through the main photographer, you are paid through the main photographer. Um, standard second shooting rates are anywhere from like $40 to like $80 an hour right now, from what I've seen. Um so yeah, personally I charge $75 an hour. Um so you're not making like a ton of money as a second shooter, but if you're not familiar, you're shooting, not editing. So you're like there for maybe five to ten hours, um, sometimes five, sometimes the whole day. Um, and you're just shooting, you hand over the SD card at the end of the day, and you get to leave and move on your merry way, and you don't have to do any editing. So you're just getting paid to show up and shoot and leave. Um, a lot of photographers let their second shooters use the photos they take for their portfolio. Um, personally, I do. I only second shoot when other people allow that as well. Um, that's like, in my opinion, the right thing to do. I think it's personally wrong for people to not allow that. I do understand it in situations like with celebrity weddings and things like that, but like for normal weddings, um, I don't understand people not letting their seconds use photos for their portfolio. It's giving threatened a little bit. I don't know. Um, but anyway, so yeah, that's that's what second shooting is being a backup photographer, taking photos for another photographer, they edit and deliver those photos to their client with their gallery, and then you're able to use, generally use the photos for your own portfolio after they have delivered the final gallery to their clients. Um, you can post them on your social media as long as you credit and tag the main photographer and say that you were second shooting for them. Um so if you are wanting to get into weddings, the best way to do that is to second shoot first, to gain experience, build a portfolio, um, just like learn how to be a good main shooter by watching the main shooter. Um, a good way to do that is to make photography connections with people around or slightly above your skill level. For example, if you are a beginner and you have um three months of experience and 200 followers on Instagram, and you try to DM a photographer with 10 years of experience and 20,000 followers on Instagram and say, hey, I would love to second shoot for you, they're not gonna hire you. You don't have enough experience. Their second shooters have five plus years of experience, um beautiful portfolios, etc. You don't have the experience to second shoot for a photographer like that. You need to second shoot for a photographer who is just getting into weddings. Um so the best way to do that is by making connections and making connections by making friends in Facebook groups, following people on Instagram. Honestly, just follow people around your skill level. Um, I wouldn't just like straight up DM people you just followed. It feels a little fake. I would um engage with people for a while, kind of make friends online, not in a fake way or like to get something out of it, but just like genuinely make friends and like hype people's work up. And then maybe if you've like both been commenting on each other's stuff for a while, you can DM them and say, hey, like I would love to second shoot for you, even for free. If you ever need a second shooter, I would love to just like get some experience and use the photos for my portfolio. Um, so totally you can just like volunteer to second shoot for free. A lot of people would um accept that. Um, I think that's more successful than just DMing a random bigger photographer and being like, Can I shadow you? Can I second shoot for you? I think it's better to DM a less experienced photographer and ask to either second shoot for free or just if they need a second shooter that you would love to be on their list. Um sorry. That's how I personally would recommend getting into second shooting. Um, a lot of photographers post that they need second shooters in Facebook groups, so follow all your local Facebook photographer groups as well. Um, you just kind of have to be one of the first people to respond to those, so I would turn your notifications on. That's kind of how to get into second shooting. Um, I am going to talk now about like second shooter etiquette. Um I'll say this really quickly. Like, for example, I get DMs daily, um sometimes daily, from like multiple photographers being like, I'd love to second shoot for you, love to second shoot for you. I don't know you, sometimes you don't even follow me. So, like, that is not the way to do it. Okay, the way is to build a connection with someone, otherwise, they have no reason to ever trust you or hire you. Um, so yeah, just don't. I love you guys. Please don't DM me. Go DM someone that you actually know. If I don't know you, I will not respond to your DM. I get too many of them. Um, hopefully it doesn't come across as rude or anything. It's just like practically like doesn't make sense. Um, if you don't know someone, they're not gonna hire you as a second shooter. It just doesn't work like that. Um so anyway, second shooter etiquette. There's a few things that are like unspoken rules, and then a few things that are like written rules. So I'll start with the should I start with the yeah, I'll start with like the the written, like the real rules, um, the set and stone rules. So these are I say written because it's dependent on the photographer's contract. You should always be signing a contract when you're second shooting. If the photographer doesn't send you a contract, that's a red flag, that's weird. Um, there should always be a contract. Um so the written things would be things like um when you're allowed to use the photos, if you're allowed to use the photos, um, like non-compete clauses, things like that. So what that means is like it would say in the contract, um like second shooter may use photos there for their portfolio if they tag the main shooter second shot for at Tori Elizabeth photo. Um second shooter may not use the photos until the final gallery has been to delivered to the clients at eight weeks or whatever. Um, or and sometimes it says, and until the photographer has posted on their own social media about it, like posted the photos on their own social media. Um, and then it would say um, like you may use them for your website. Um and then a non-compete clause would be like you can't um solicit or promote your business at this event. If anyone asks for like your contact info, you give them my contact info. Um, you're not allowed to like um take any weddings that would result from this wedding. So, like any like friends of the bride or something like that, you would need to refer them to the main photographer. Those are like typical um like things that are written in a contract. So if you read a second shooting contract and it says things like that, those are not red flags, those are very normal. That is like industry standard. Um, so if a photographer does not have that in their contract, it would be the correct etiquette slash just the safe option if you want to keep that relationship to make sure to ask them before posting on social media to make sure that they're okay with you posting and they don't want to wait for any reason. Um, always tag them when you're posting behind the scenes, tag them when you're um posting photos, second shot for at Torialis with photo. Um and just like double check everything. Um, and then like maybe ask them for a couple of their cards or something so you can pass them out on the wedding day if anyone asks you for your card or something like that. Um, but that's just like general, those are like the rules, okay? I'm gonna talk about like unwritten rules now. Um, the most important thing, in my opinion, is as a second shooter, you are there to assist the main photographer, not um like further your own business. You are there to further their business, not yours. That goes for promoting, that goes for the shots you get, that goes for um making them look good or bad. I just feel like it all the way around, like you are there for them and their business and their couple, not your own business. Um you are representing someone else. So that goes everything from like the way you talk, what you wear, the jokes you make, um, the way you shoot, the way you talk about the main shooter, um, everything. So as far as clothing, um typically I'll ask the person I'm second shooting for or tell my second shooters like, hey, you can wear all black or you can wear color. I don't really care as long as you look professional. Um personally, I always bring like an all-black backup option if I'm not wearing all black, just in case they want me to wear all black and they haven't told me. Um so it's always good to check like if they have a preference on what you wear. Um it's also good to kind of gauge the type of people the couple is. Um, for example, if your um photographer is like a little bit more reserved and like like the sweetest photographer ever, and that they would never hurt a fly, and like their clients are more reserved and like whatever, like you're not gonna walk in and like start cursing and making dirty jokes, right? Like that's just not not the vibe. So it's good to first of all read the room, but also just like kind of ask them about their clients and figure out what type of people they are so that you're like matching that energy. Um, so yeah, unspoken rule is don't ever curse unless like it's clear that like the clients and photographer are okay with that. Same with like vulgar jokes or like dirty jokes. Um yeah, that's I think generally that. Um you should never be promoting your own business. Um, you should never do anything that tries to make the undermine the lead photographer or make them look bad. That goes for um telling them they did something wrong or bad in front of a client, uh, as well as jumping in and posing. You never, ever, ever as a second shooter, just step in and start posing. That's like basic second shooter etiquette. Um, like for example, if I'm second shooting, I don't care if I have 10 more years of experience than them. If I'm second shooting for a main photographer and I'm working under them and they're posing, I am never jumping in and posing. I might run up and be like, can I fix her dress really quick because maybe the photographer missed a little piece of the dress? Or I might ask, oh, do you want me to hold the veil or something like that? But I'm never going to just like start posing as if they're my own clients. That's just completely inappropriate, completely undermines the photographer. That's like the best way to never get hired as a second shooter ever again. Um, so that's like basic, that's like one of the most basic things for second shooter etiquette. Um sometimes as a main shooter, I will, and I know some other main shooters will like ask their second shooter, do you have any poses you want to do? Do you have any ideas? Then it's obviously okay to jump in and pose, but also like maybe keep it brief to like an idea. Um, so you're not taking advantage of like their generosity to like let you pose for a minute. Um generally just read the room all the time. But yeah, you never jump in and pose, you never undermine the main photographer, you are working for them and their client, and you're not, it's not about you. Um also like the day is about the couple, not about your shot and your portfolio. So while you are probably second shooting to build a portfolio, that is not why you're there. Like that's why you personally are motivated to do it, but that's not your purpose on the wedding day. Your purpose on the wedding day is to um enrich the couple's gallery to provide extra angles, to take a lot of candids, um to shoot something different than the main photographer is shooting, um, just to provide value. So it's not, oh, I need this perfect main shot. The photographer's getting that shot. Well, I want the same shot I'm as the main photographer. I'm gonna go stand next to them. That is not your role on a wedding day. Your role is to go elsewhere, to get a different angle to provide value, something different. It's not to get the same shot as the main photographer. So that is the best way to get rehired as a second shooter is to get all different angles than the main photographer. Maybe you can grab one center aisle shot at the at the ceremony really quick because you want one. But like your job is to be getting all kinds of different angles that the main photographer is gonna look back and go, wow, this adds so much value to the gallery. I want you to second shoot again. And like the client is gonna love this. That's how you'd be the best second shooter ever. Also to look for like little candid moments while the photographer is like doing main photographer duties. So, for example, they're posing family photos and they're looking at their family shot list and they're about to get the next group out, and you notice the bridesmaids are over here giggling about something. I don't know, whatever. Your job is to snap that photo really quick. Um, or like main photographer happens to be distracted because she's posing family photos, but you notice bride is hugging grandma, like take a photo. Like your job is to be proactive and capture things that the main photographer might miss because as a second shooter, you don't have a bunch of responsibilities like the main photographer has. You get to just like coast and chill all day. And so you might have more of like the mental capacity to notice little extra things, whereas like the main photographer might be tied up in the logistics of the day. Not to say they aren't gonna get great candidates and like capture great moments, but like you can like fill in the gaps that they've missed because they are like shouldering the weight of being the main photographer, and there's just like a lot more pressure and like a lot more like logistical things that you need to deal with. Um so yeah, the best way to get fired as a second shooter is to um undermine the photographer and jump in and start posing or something, or just only get the same exact shots as them. Best way to get rehired is to be super helpful um and get all different shots, all the best angle, all different angles than the main photographer. Um, and like go out of your way to be creative. As a second shooter, don't be afraid to get creative. I love when my second shooters get creative. Um, I love when they show me their shots during the day too, when they like feel like they got a really good shot, be like, hey, look at this one. It makes me feel like, oh, they're doing a good job, they're getting good stuff, like they got something I missed or whatever. Like it just like reassures me. So don't be afraid to like show the main photographer your work. They're not gonna be like, oh, you think you're so good or like whatever. They're gonna love that. They're gonna love the reassurance, um, just the same way clients like to be shown their photos. Um, so yeah. One other one, one, two, whatever, um, other good things you can do as a second shooter that are not the main priority but are really helpful and good for making connections and just like really nice um is getting behind the scenes for the main photographer and getting photos of the main photographer working. Um, so for example, if I'm second shooting and I it's like during couples portraits or something, and like I get like a cute side angle and I grab a couple photos, I might step back and just grab like one or two photos with the main photographer in frame to where like they're shooting the couple, and like maybe that's a photo they could use on their website or something. Um, it doesn't help me, it just helps them. It it's just like nice. Um, it's gonna make them like working with you. Um, they might want to send you a tip, or they might just say thank you, or it might make them want to hire you again. Um, or if they second shoot for you in the future, they might want to do the same thing, which helps you because then you have photos of you working. Um, and then like along the same line, it's really nice to get behind the scenes videos. So, like without being asked to just whip out your phone and just like grab a 10, 15 second video during couples' portraits. Um, as long as it's not interfering with like your ability to get good photos, like it's just super nice. The photographer appreciates it. It honestly helps them be more present on the wedding day because they're not worried about behind the scenes. Um, and then like I said, like they're more inclined to do that for you in the future, um, to tag you and they post their behind the scenes maybe or whatever, and you can just like airdrop all the behind the scenes at the end of the wedding day. That's just like a really nice there's like no-nos with second shooting, and then there's unspoken rules, and then there's like going above and beyond. And this is in the category of like going above and beyond. Um, that's just like yeah, a nice thing to do. So just this is kind of a shorter episode, but just to recap, the ways to be um the best second shooter are get all kinds of different angles, um, promote the lead photographers' business, uh, make sure you're respectful of when they want you to wait to post photos and that you're tagging them on social media, um, get behind the scenes, take photos of them working, um look for little details that they might miss, stray hairs, the dress, um, candons that they might be missing, that type of thing. Just be a good backup and support for them. Um another nice gesture you can do is like offer to like get them a plate for dinner if they're like having to take photos of like the couple getting their food or whatever, go ahead and just like get them a plate for dinner or something like that. Um if it's like a buffet style type of thing. Um, or grab them an appetizer so that they have one or whatever. Okay. Just any nice things you can do, get them water, offer to get the bride water, just anything like that. Just be helpful. Um, my I'm gonna tell you my favorite second shooter experiences that I have had personally. Um I'll tell you my favorite one that I've done as a second shooter, and then my favorite one that someone else has done. My favorite one I've done as a second shooter was I was shooting with a photographer and I was shooting film with her. Um, so like I was shooting film, she was shooting film, um, and I had just got this new film camera too. But anyway, she was like inside, I think either taking a breather or um like helping someone fix something. I don't remember, but she wasn't there. And the bride and groom have a son, and the son walks in with grandpa, um like in his little suit, mini suit. He's like two years old. Um, he's like tootling in next to grandpa holding his hand. I like quick turn and all I had on me was my film camera, like, well, not on me, like I had my digital camera on me, but it was like down at my side, and I was about to miss this moment. So I was like, oh gosh. And like he's walking, first of all, it's movement, and also it's like a candid photo. It's like you only get one chance at that, and doing it on film is like a little bit scary, especially for someone like me who shoots film, but it's not like the thing I'm most confident in. So I was like, okay, we're gonna try this one on film because like this is what we have, and so I adjust my settings super quick and I snapped like one or two of the photos. It turned out perfectly. I had like a slight tilt to it. He's like smiling and walking, the shadows are really pretty, the lighting is gorgeous. Um, I mean, I put it on YouTube if you're watching on YouTube, but it's like a super pretty photo. I'm super proud of it. Um, I feel like if I were the couple, I would love this photo. Um and so that was like an example of like main photographer wasn't there, like I was able to capture a moment, like I tried really hard to capture that well. Um my favorite thing that a second shooter has done for me is let me think. Um I've had great second shooters. Um first thing is when a second shooter has gotten like a nice photo with their camera of me working, of me taking photos of the couple, um, and like made sure I looked good and my hair looked good from behind and stuff like that. Like I love that photo. That photo is super good, and I can use that on my website. So I really appreciated that. But like as far as working goes, um I think one of my favorite photos is like a second shooter getting like a close-up while I'm getting a wide shot of like them smiling. Because sometimes I'm more focused on the photos that they would print for their wall, and oftentimes that's like a full body shot. Um, for like those are like the the safe shots that I get first before I get creative and get close-ups and stuff. And so when my second shooter one time got like a really cute photo of them like close-up smiling together, when I had really just been getting like a wider shot, um, and they loved that photo and like they posted it. Um, so I really appreciated that. Like, like I was wide and then they were tight. Um, and so we were getting a lot of variety in that one moment. So I really appreciate things like that, just getting different angles and getting close-ups when I'm wide, paying attention to if I'm wide or close up, and then doing the opposite. I really appreciate that. Um, or like I had one photographer who knew that I really like wide shots, so she went like super wide while I was taking couples' photos. Uh, I appreciated that. Um so anyway, those are kind of my tips for second shooting, how to get into second shooting. Like I said, if you have any questions, comment on my YouTube at Tori Elizabeth Photo, go comment on this video. Um, or comment if you have any like episode ideas or things you want to hear more about. But go follow at GethePicture Pod on Instagram, my podcast Instagram, because I'm gonna ask for more like topics that you guys want to hear about on the pod over there. So at get the picture.pod. Um, and yeah, rate and review the podcast. Thank you guys so much for listening. I am planning on having some more guests on soon, and I'm just really excited, I don't know, to keep recording episodes. It's been so much fun, and you guys keep coming back every week. And I'm just so glad that you guys like listening to me talk. So thank you so much for being here and have a great rest of your day, you guys. Bye.