Benefits of Having a Second Photographer at Your Wedding
Ah, a question that has been asked over a bazillion times, "Is having two photographers better than having one?" "Is having a second photographer worth the investment?"
Obviously, you will know my stance on this because I offer second shooter in my wedding packages, but let's take a different approach and hear why someone wouldn't want a second photographer. Shall we?
Let's begin!
1. Having two photographers is all about quantity and not quality.
"You'll end up with a lot of duplicates that are just slightly different angles."
FALSE! While you do receive a higher image count, naturally because there are two cameras, that absolutely does not lessen the quality you will receive one bit!
Yes, you will get different camera angles, but who wouldn't want that? Seeing a different perspective from your wedding is not a bad thing at all.
Also, the main photographer and the second photographer typically use two completely different lenses so even though your photos are from just "slightly different angles," the photos will have a completely different feel to them because of lens choices.
2. Having one good photographer is better than having two not so good ones.
TRUE! Only because if you hire two not so good photographers, then there is nothing that I can help you with, lol!
However, if you hire two great and professional photographers then that definitely makes that statement FALSE.
My second shooter, Melissa, has been doing photography for over forty years! Her experience and knowledge is crazy extensive. She is an added value to have as a second photographer.
So, yes, please do your research in who you hire for your wedding, we definitely don't want you hiring two mediocre people!
3. The only reason to have two photographers is so you can have coverage of both bride and groom prep.
FALSE! While, yes, that is a very good reason to have a second photographer, it goes way beyond just killing two birds with one stone with the bride and groom prep.
Being able to photograph the bride and groom prep separately and at the same time is a humongous time saver and makes your timeline run more smoothly. That is a big reason why brides hire two photographers.
During your ceremony and reception, the lead photographer will be mainly focused on you as a couple, while the second photographer will be paying more attention to your guests and finding all those little moments behind the scenes.
You’d be surprised how many sweet moments would otherwise go unnoticed if there wasn’t a second photographer there to capture them.
Like this dude who put his tie around his head like a headband! 😂😂😂
Melissa grabbed this shot, and I gotta be honest, I never once noticed this dude's headband! LOL
But I'm so glad Melissa was there to capture this hilarious photo cause this is just GOLD!
As a couple, you'll be so excited to have received your wedding gallery and see your ceremony, but wouldn't it be so much fun to see what your guests were doing behind the scenes?! 😂
4. Having two photographers will cost a lot more.
FALSE and TRUE!
Okay, so this really isn't a myth, more like a general rule. But it doesn't cost as much as you may think. While yes, two photographer need to be compensated, the load is less on the second photographer and therefore does not require a full commission.
However, in Melissa and I's case, I do pay Melissa mostly for her experience and knowledge in photography. I've come to realize what a great asset she is to have on my team!
But let's take a look at what you are exactly paying for with a second photographer:
More images of high quality content. Two highly rated professional photographers who are cool, calm, and collected on your wedding day. A stress free experience. A team who works well under pressure to ensure you have a stress free day of photos. More cherish-able moments captured. In case of emergencies.
So paying just a little bit extra for a second photographer doesn't seem all that bad when you see what you will be getting in return.
5. A second photographer just gets in the way and complicates things. You spend more time worrying about what they’re doing and managing them.
Absolutely FALSE!
At least with me and Melissa.
The scenario above could be true if you are working with people who haven't worked together for years.
We are always communicating and there has never been a point in time where I didn't know where she was or what she was doing.
If anything, having a second photographer will be less stressful for you because you can be confident in knowing what you want is being photographed.
We know one another and the way we work; it's like having two lead photographers!
There's five myths that we'