Second Shooter

[Azriel]

Any thought on the general rules you have for your second shooters?

 

[Big Mike]

There don't seem to be any hard and fast rules about 2nd shooters/shooting. It totally depends on the situation and the people involved. If it's someone has has little or no experience, they could work for free to gain experience. Someone better (more experience) might garner some form of compensation. And if you want someone who you can trust to take over and get the job done, if needed, then they should probably be getting paid well.

Also, you may want to make a distinction between 2nd shoot and assistant. Some photographers will have assistants who don't shoot at all, some might let their assistants shoot and some might have 2nd shooters that also assist.

When I 2nd shoot or hire someone to 2nd for me, it's all hands on deck. Whether shooting or assisting, the goal is to get the best images for the client.

You should also decide, before hand, on the image rights & usage. Will the 2nd shooter be allowed to use the images they shot, for their portfolio? Will they be allowed to post them on-line?

 

[bigtwinky]

Assistant or second shooter, your job is to be there for the photographer and help them out in anyway possible. Check in with them to ensure that you know what types of photos they are wanting you to capture. Specific family members, macros, setups,... its all about the main photographer.

I find that as a second shooter, you are doing alot of candids of people. Often shooting between the photographers setup formals and such to capture more intimate moments, so have your camera ready, even if you are assisting.

Image rights is definately something to discuss ahead of time. If you retain rights for your portfolio or what not, make sure you do not post them up anywhere before the main photographer and given the images over to the clients.

 

[Azriel]

How many second shooters do you think one should have in their pocket? Is there a huge difference when they have a different setup than you? like you're Canon and they're Nikon.

 

[Big Mike]

I think it's always a good idea to have a network of photographers that you can call on when needed. I have a few close photography friends that I could call to shoot with me, but I'm also associated with a large group of wedding photographers in my area.

On one hand, other photographers might be busy on the same days you need them (Saturdays during the summer), so it would be nice to have someone you can call anytime...the problem with that may be that it may be hard to find someone who is good but not busy themselves.

I don't think it would be a huge problem if they are shooting different systems. I've shot with a photographer who uses Nikon (I'm a Canon guy). The photos may have some different properties but unless you're a stickler for complete consistency, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[LarissaPhotography]

I know a few photographers who have only one main second shooter that they look to every time they have a wedding. It works out well for them because they start to develop a routine - basically the assistant knows exactly what to do for that photographer.