The benefit of having second photographer and what it means.

Second shooter/photographer. You may have seen this word floating around as you begin your wedding plans and thought “What are they?”, “Do I need one?”or “What does it mean to have one?” The first things obvious of course; there will be two of us kicking around so instead of having just one person third wheeling alongside you, there’ll be a fourth. As photographers we love telling your story, so the great thing about another person being involved is you get to see your day from a different perspective, which leads to more variety in your gallery and the overall creativity of the shots.

Here are a few reasons and benefits of why it’s good for you to have them there and what they actually do to give your big day that final little touch.

• The main reason I would consider another photographer is the size of your wedding, especially if there are multiple locations. With a guest list of 100+ a second shooter helps capture all those candid moments over all the different locations. 

• Second shooters are here to give you a balance in coverage for example in the second prep suite. Unfortunately as much as we want to be in all places at once, you often have to compromise on one or the other. I personally love seeing both sides as its a day for you both, and its always great to see that in your gallery.

• Guest arrivals aren’t always widely covered by the main photographer as they are usually arriving only a few minutes before the wedding party. A second shooter is great for this as there are usually some really great moments happening at this time whilst all the excitement and nerves are building.

• During the ceremony one thing to consider is the movability your main photographer might have, especially in churches as these tend to be the tightest of spaces to get around. Every venue has their own set of rules and may restrict this to the point where we’re only allowed to stay in one place, therefore having another person means twice the detail. The main photographer will be capturing you walking down the aisle, the vows and rings and getting all those beautiful details, whereas the second is capturing your partners reaction and those wider shots.

• Group photos. These are the most hectic part of the whole day as they usually happen at the time when everyone just wants to be enjoying the celebrations. As photographers we love this part to have a bit of a plan. A group shot list and a second shooter goes a long way towards this, keeping everything flowing and ready so that everyone can get back to the fun as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

• Couple portraits are my favourite part as it's where you get to have a moment with just the two of you and get a little more intimate. Whilst I may be capturing the more personal side, the great thing about the second photographer is they can be getting some unique angles, documenting it all and capturing more of the surroundings; especially as a Cumbrian wedding photographer and your background is as beautiful as it is. 

You may be thinking “Surely if I have two photographers at my wedding, how will my pictures look in the end all together? After all, won’t these two people have a completely different style?” Whilst this may be the case, the editing will all be done by the main photographer and so that consistency will still be there.

Second shooting for Esther Shea photography