Digital Wedding Photographer's Planner

Appendix B. Working with an assistant / 2nd shooter

Weddings are busy, fast-paced, and can be very difficult for one photographer to cover alone. For that reason, I offer my clients the option of having a second or even a third photographer at the event. While having another shooter helps make sure all aspects of the wedding are covered, it's important to remember that an assistant or a second shooter acts as an extension of you. All their actions and behaviors are your responsibility and a direct representation of you. Choose who you want to represent you carefully, and make sure they are as friendly and courteous as you yourself would be.

DEFINING THE ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS

When working with other photographers it is imperative that you discuss roles and expectations before the event. A second shooter should know in detail what they are supposed to do and clearly understand what you expect from them. For example, one thing I always ask of the photographers working with me is to be mindful of where we are positioned so that we do not get in each other's photographs. When there is more than one photographer covering an event, it is nearly impossible to avoid capturing the other photographer in at least a few shots. By letting them know my preferences, we can minimize the number of times this happens.

ASSISTANTS

Some photographers use an assistant whose main role is not to photograph, ...