**Wedding Thread** Got offered a second shooter opp...

[68lbs]

Keen wedding thread readers might remember I was asking earlier in the year about what a second shooter does, etc. Well, I've just heard back from someone and had an opportunity present itself. I will leap on this, as I'm keen to just 'give it a go' and see it as an opportunity to give a wedding ago, without having the pressure of me doing it all.

I don't know what 'duties' or role I may have yet, but am starting to think about what I should hope to gain from this experience as it could be the only chance I get and I don't want to waste it.

Obviously I hope to get some decent shots that I'll stick on here and get some crit on. But what else? What would you be looking to get out of it, if it was you? And if you have been a second shooter and progressed to shooting weddings on your own, how did the experience help prepare you and what did you get from it?

Hope I am not asking too much here. And apologies for starting yet another wedding thread, but if you don't ask, you don't get... so slap me people!

 

[AliB]

Won't slap you for asking a perfectly sensible question

I did just that, shot as a second last year before doing both my own and still shooting second this year and now I have my very own second this month too

OK so what did I get out of shooting second? Lots.

Oh you want specifics? OK. Firstly learning the routine of the day, the "must have" shots and how to be in the right place at the right time with the right kit in my hand.

The other thing to watch very carefully is how your tog works with the couple, how they are posed quickly and with the minimum fuss. How to make the most of a location is another one that I have learned a lot from shooting 2nd. While my primary is ticking along like a metronome I've got my head up and looking round corners for good spots. It's one of the major ways I can actually contribute as a 2nd. Finding "Killer" spots now I know what I am looking for.

It helps a lot shooting second because the more you immerse yourself in the day, the more familiar you become with what is going on around you and how to work with that in terms of moving people around. Cattle prods are not allowed unfortunately.

Take any time you can during the day to just take a deep breath and take it all in. Even a 12 hour day can disappear at an alarming rate.

 

[Matt]

you'll get slapped for posting in the wrong place though. moved the thread for you.

 

[dseered]

Don't hand your details to the B&G and promise them a disc !

 

[68lbs]

Firstly learning the routine of the day... how your tog works with the couple... how to make the most of a location

Thanks for that Ali.

I'm wondering what my 'numbers technique' should be too, as I haven't done a lot of people shooting. At the minute, if I was taking candids I would probably use the 70-200 and fire off a few frames in succession, to allow for facial changes and give me the opportunity to choose the best expression afterwards. However, in another thread Del mentioned supplying Dave with something like 200-300 'best' shots. If I took say 3 shots each time, to use just 1 with the best expression, and say I binned 50% of the compositions, I could end up shooting 1,800 shots.

This seems an awful lot?

Should I be approaching it different? Or would 'my selection' include the same basic compositions but with different facial expressions so the main tog or B/G would decide?

you'll get slapped for posting in the wrong place though. moved the thread for you.

Sorry boss, I didn't even realise wedding threads had been demoted to their own section.

Don't hand your details to the B&G and promise them a disc!

Any discussion like that is between the main tog and the B/G as far as I am concerned.

 

[whittyp]

If I can add something here as I have acted as Second Camera for 3 weddings (before moving to shooting one in November). The key is to work with the main TOG and find out what they want, and also what the B&G want.

In the church you can sometimes cover different angles from the main TOG, or alternatively prevent having to move around a lot.

In each wedding I have also gone off and shot other things that were happening while the official TOG was taking shots. This adds to the coverage of the day.