WHATS THE POINT OF A SECOND SHOOTER?
Whats the point in having two people shooting at the same time? The answer is in the question – shooting at the same time is the point. We shoot at exactly the same moments but shoot different things. Having a second shooter definitely helps me tell the story of the entire day more thoroughly. If I shoot on my own I can capture a lot, but lets be honest, I can’t be in two places at the same time!
STEALTH MODE IS NOT OPTIONAL
That said, people do air their concerns about having 2 people with cameras hanging around on their wedding day. Thats where being as discreet as possible and generally being a bit of a Ninja comes in. We’re as inconspicuous as possible while at the same time being completely on the ball. We’re basically ready to capture any angle possible. If you see me lying in the corner of a field with my camera poking out of a ditch don’t be surprised! This is the way of the photography ninja.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
All of the photo examples on this page were captured at exactly the same time. Laura and myself sync our cameras at the start of every wedding so they are matched precisely to the second. That way when I start the editing process I can sort all of the photos by the time captured and I get a concise timeline of the day. I’ve got to say its kind of funny looking back to what we’re both up to at the same time, especially with the morning preparation shots. Mars & Venus.
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY SECOND SHOOTER
My wife Laura shoots at weddings with me. It just works, she supports me and knows what I need and when I need it. We don’t point our cameras at each other often but this was actually a guest ‘egging’ us on to do it. She also said she could tell we were married before she asked – we think it helps with shooting weddings as theres a sort of an unspoken dialogue going on between us constantly. Laura is actually a really talented photographer and blogger and I’m very proud of what she brings to our photography table. She is a great wedding photography second shooter!
THE UNSUNG HERO
So in a nutshell thats why I bring Laura along with me. Of course she also helps organise things throughout the day, like the formal shots and attending to smaller details that I can’t whilst I’m shooting. I’m also convinced that she helps brings a more feminine element to what we shoot. She’s a very feminine woman and being a bride once herself has helped her to understand what it means to be a female getting married. Basically I’m a very lucky man to have her as my assistant and I think any couple that has her involved with their wedding day is pretty fortunate too.
