Grace Layne Photography - 3 reasons why a Second Shooter is a MUST

I get it, weddings are crazy stressful and sometimes all you see are $$price tags everywhere! So when it comes to the photographer, you may be trying to decide what is a necessity and what is expendable. There's the coverage time, the added on album, or prints, then there's a second shooter. You may find yourself thinking about what you can live without to stay under budget. Many times the second shooter (photographer) is the thing that gets cut, but I am here to tell you why the second shooter may save the day!

I have done weddings as both the lead photographer and as the second shooter to another lead photographer, so I know the experience from both sides. As a lead photographer, my second shooter can be my back up. When a card fills up at a crucial moment and you need to pause and get another one, but you can't stop the wedding! The second shooter will be there to capture what moments you missed. Or you may be in one spot photographing a family formal and your second shooter spots an intimate moment between the brides grandparents that they capture and ends up being one of the brides favorites. The second shooter is a back up plan, to make sure nothing gets missed.

As a lead photographer it is also nice to have a second shooter that can get things done at the same time as I am. Some weddings are very rushed and don't leave much time for the photographer to get everything we need/want to for our couples, this is where the second shooter can swoop in and save the day again! When I am with the bride getting her detail shots or getting ready pictures done, my second shooter can be with the groom and his groomsmen getting all of the guy shots and saving us time so we can get more photos for YOU, the client! Second shooters are ultimately giving you MORE photos, because there are two photographers capturing every moment of your day, vs one photographer trying to be everywhere all at once.

As a second shooter, I have noticed that I have a different perspective and creative eye than the lead, and can get a different angle or view of the subject we are photographing. I notice this a lot during the couple portraits. The lead photographer may have one lens, looking straight on at the couple, so I have the freedom to use a different lens and maybe get lower or at a different angle, creating two looks for the same pose. Giving you, once again, MORE PICTURES on your day!

A second photographer may seem like an added and expendable expense at the beginning of planning your wedding. But, when you count all of the bonuses a second shooter can bring to your special day, you are going to see that they may actually be a crucial part of your day!

I will add a few photos from some weddings I have shot as a lead photographer, then as a second photographer as well! I am guessing you won't know the difference, and that is the magic of the second shooter!