Advantages Of Having A Second Photographer At Your Wedding

I have worked with second shooters, photographers, on weddings in the past, but I have always been the main wedding photographer bearing the burden of pressure of the day. It wasn't until a recent wedding in Riverside, California, at the Indian Hills Country Club Golf Course, where I had the opportunity to work with a buddy of mine, John W Photography, photo at right. We had worked together many years ago, prior to me photographing his own wedding some ten years prior, but even then I was the main photographer.

I have to say that it was refreshing to watch John run around gathering the bride and groom along with family members. It kind of reminded me of how I tend to work, trying to crunch a large wedding party, family, and the bride and grooms photos all in about 30 minutes in-between the end of the ceremony and the start of the reception. This can be quite a stressful situation, especially if you have wedding guests and family members trying to give direction and tell you what you should photograph.

However, on this particular day, I was able to see how the main photographer works from the back seat so to speak. I got to watch John run around while I was able to focus on the details and candid, spontaneous, reactions of the wedding party and guests. It was as though John was traveling at light speed and I was working in slow motion. Then it dawned on me, there is a huge benefit to having a second shooter at the weddings. The second photographer has the benefit of capturing the more creative photos while the main photographer hammers out the meat and potato shots, the main stuff. Just a note here, how a photographer or team work is dependent on their style of photography. In our case, John was shooting the posed shots and I was more focused on shooting candids and different angles as well as reactions from the party goers.

Taking a look at some of the images from the wedding in Riverside, you can see that, as a second shooter, I was able to capture unique shots, the emotional response of the groom as he reacted to seeing his bride for the first time while John focused on the bride walking down the aisle. I also had the opportunity to pull the bridesmaids aside while John worked primarily with the bride herself.

While I was tremendously humbled by being the second shooter, I also realized that working with one is a huge benefit to a bride. I would highly recommend couples hire a second photographer for their wedding day, it not only gives them more photos, but they get a blend of images from two unique perspectives.

List Of Advantages Of Having A Second Photographer At A Wedding

Here's my lsit of advantages on hiring a second shooter for your wedding day:

• More photos from your wedding
• Different, unique angles
• Saves time since the second photographer can be working with one group while the main photographer handles individuals
• You get detailed shots of the wedding, so the main photographer can focus on the essentials
• The second shooter also checks details on the individuals being photographed since they are a trained photographer. Meaning if there's something missing or garment is not properly aligned, etc.
• During the reception, one photographer can be focused on the events while the second one can be taking candids of the family

Wedding Photos from a Second Shooting Photographer at the Indian Hills Country Club Golf Course in Riverside, CA

The sample photos in the gallery below show the shots taken by me, the second shooter. Take note of the candid images where the guests and wedding party individuals where unsuspecting that their photos where being taken. You tend to get a mroe natural shot. I even captured the groom wiping away his tears as the main photographer, John W focuses on the wedding party processional.

Engagement Photography, Orange County, California

It seems most couples prefer the beach for their engagement photography. Being a photographer based out of the Inland Empire, I really can't blame them. I mean, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of nice spots in the I.E., but nothing compared to the romance of the California Coastline. And again, I've brought this up in previous blog posts, you may have to pay a fee depending on the beach you want to photograph at. For example, I know Newport Beach imposes a fee for photographers while Laguna Beach is a little more relaxed about photographers using the beaches for engagement sessions.

In any event, I spent a good part fo the day with this Crystal and Ali shooting both at Laguna Beach and Balboa Pier. I particulalry like it when the couple is willing to take photos. And yes, there are those couples I have worked with who just want to get through the session, especially the guys. So, it's always nice when a couple wants photos, I tend to go beyond the contracted hours when they are in to taking photos as well.

Engagement Photography in Laguna Beach and Balboa, Orange County, California

The session first began at Heisler Park in Laguna Beach (Orange County) and we ended up shooting near the Ferris wheel and arcade near Balboa Pier. We had spent quite a bit of time on teh beach that we where running out of daylight and honestly, I didn't expect to go that long, so I wasn't equipped with my flash units for night photography. So, I photographed what I could and we had to wrap it up, but again, I had already went beyond the contracted time, I'm talking several hours beyond.

In the end, I think we ended up with some nice engagement photos that the couple liked and will use in their wedding guest signature book.

You can view some images from this engagement shoot by clicking any of the images below.

Engagement Photography, Laguna Beach, California

Photographing couples for the engagement photos is perhaps one of my favorite assignments. It's because they can be themselves without all of the stress and pressure they would encounter on a more regimented scheduled day like their wedding day. We basically have the time to "play" and experiment with different types of shots without worrying about time constraints.

Working on the beach in Laguna, California also adds to a stress free day, especially when shooting during the off season because we don't have the beach goers to contend with; we basically have the beach to ourselves.

I don't do all of my engagement shoots at the beach, I actually prefer not to; however, I do have plenty of brides and grooms who do want the California beach shoot, especially this couple who flew in for a destination beach engagement shoot.

I particularly enjoyed the shoot because the couple where looking for a more unique approach to their photos rather than a canned, posed park look. What made the shoot even more unique is that the young bride to be wore traditional Indian clothing; a Sari. We mad the most of it, especially working with the colors of her Sari. I also enjoyed the groom's choice of attire. The combination of clothing and the location created a stark contrast for their engagement photos.

However, it's not just the photos and location which made the images really "sing", but the playfulness of the couple and the visual sexual tension created in the photos that brought the entire session into sync.

Engagement Photography in Laguna Beach, Orange County, California

You can view some images from this engagement shoot by clicking any of the images below.

Wedding Photography in Redlands, California

There's no better place to capture a wedding in the Inland Empire then in the city of Redlands, California. Redlands, a historical citrus growers city, still has many of its rustic buildings in the downtown area. These buildings make great back drops for any type of portrait work, especially weddings. This particular wedding was captured at two prominent wedding venues in the city; The Mitten Building for the ceremony, located in downtown Redlands, and Edwards Mansion for the reception.

Aside from the location, the weather was perfect for photographs. Soft light created by an overcast sky not only provided for great lighting conditions, but a dramatic sky as you can see in the photo of the bride and groom to the right. The Mitten building itself provided ample amounts of backdrop character for our exterior shots, however, as many photographers agree, the interior is somewhat dark. This wedding was captured during the day, so I had limited light coming through the southern and northern windows. However, I did have to set up my wireless flash units in strategic locations to ensure I got good shots. My lighting assistant was also mobile with a remote flash on a boom arm if needed.

As for Edwards Mansion, the grounds where stunning for exterior shots, but again, the reception tent was dark with low lights. Dragging my shutter helped a lot when it came to capturing photos and keeping the mood of the event without blasting light into the tent and washing out the crowd or getting that "flash" look. It was also nice to be the only wedding at Edwards Mansion that day. I have worked the venue while five other weddings and receptions where taking place simultaneously and it can get quite confusing when all the brides are wearing white and you're trying to locate your bride for photos. Don't blink, because you can lose her quickly.

Aside from the exceptional personalities of the attendees from this wedding, I think it was refreshing working with a unique bride who dawned a unique colored dress. The red really "made" a lot of the photograph's, especially with the brick background at the Mitten Building. It was truly a photographic treat.

Wedding Photography in the Inland Empire, Redlands, California

To view images from this wedding in Redlands; The Mitten Building and Edwards Mansion, click on a thumbnail below.