So today’s topic is a bit of a fun one! I spent my first year in the wedding industry as an apprentice- I lost count of how many weddings I second shot before taking on my own clients. I learned a lot while shooting for my mentor, and I also made a LOT of goofs. Today, you get the benefit of not only avoiding these mistakes in the future, but of also potentially laughing at me and my naïveté! Some of the most common second shooter mistakes, courtesy of moi:

1) Shooting for your own portfolio– I did this one quite a bit before I really understood that the role of a second shooter is to furnish the main shooter’s work, not compete with it. It’s not a game of “who can get the better shot of the bride and groom,” it’s more like “how can I get a different or complementary angle to the main shooter’s shot that will best help them serve their client well?”

When the main shooter uploads your cards and finds a bunch of portraits from a similar angle as theirs, but shot in your own photographic style, that’s not typically helpful for them! Instead, try to find ways to serve them by getting something DIFFERENT than what they’re shooting. Keep their client in mind!

2) Getting a little too buddy-buddy with someone else’s client– my mentor was a guy, which makes being chatty with the bride + bridesmaids a little more understandable, but I still cringe when I think about this. As the second shooter, my job was to come and assist with whatever the photographer needs- a professional, friendly relationship with the couple is perfectly fine on the day of the wedding! But becoming friends on Facebook with someone else’s couple could make the primary shooter uncomfortable.

Some people are perfectly fine with it, but it’s best to make sure you’re not crossing any boundaries between “how can I serve you well on behalf of the main shooter” and “how can I get your business in the future?” If there’s ever a gray area, just ask the primary shooter for their preference!

3) Using images improperly- this can be a really big area of contention that leads to estranged relationships if you’re not careful! The BEST thing you can do is ask for as much clarity up front as possible. Will I shoot on the main photographer’s memory cards, or my own? Will I be allowed to use any of these in my portfolio? If so, what are the parameters? Everyone has different preferences, so if you’re not sure, ASK the main photographer!

4) Giving out your business card/name, instead of the main shooter’s– As a second shooter, you’re a contracted worker for someone else’s photography business. You may even want to ask the primary shooter if they have any business cards they’d like you to carry in your bag during the day, in case someone asks for one!

5) Failing to check your ego at the door- I’ve talked about this one a lot in the past, but I can’t stress how important humility is when it comes to second shooting. If the main photographer needs you to shoot the guys getting ready, no matter how much you’d rather be with the bride, you go and photograph the guys getting ready. Second shooting is a humble position- you’re not there for you, you’re there to serve the primary photographer.

There you have it! If you guys have any others to add, I’d love to hear it!