Working as a second shooter has infinite upsides. Whether you’re looking to polish your photography skills, build a portfolio, work towards starting your own business, or simply keep shooting for a love of the craft, second shooting is a golden ticket. Additionally, assisting a main photographer lets you flex your creative muscles without the headache of running your own business.
While it's a great gig, getting started requires a good bit of networking, courage, skill, and a hearty dose of industry savvy. In order to assemble a foolproof guide to getting the job, we hacked the creative minds of world-renowned wedding photographers Jasmine Star and JD Delatorre. Jasmine has been voted one of the Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World, and her work graces the pages of best-selling wedding and industry magazines. JD is Jasmine's other half, in both life and business. Together, they are a revered creative duo, and here’s what they had to say.
Know What Kind of Second Shooter You Are
JD believes there are three different kinds of shooters, and integral to succeeding is embracing your individual strengths and understanding what you bring to the role. Perhaps you are looking to establish yourself as a serious, full-time photographer, and second shooting is a stepping stone to that end. Maybe you are a casual hobbyist who enjoys the opportunity to engage with your love of shooting every once in awhile without needing to leave your day job. Or maybe you enjoy second shooting for exactly what it is-helping someone else while pursuing an artistic endeavor without the stress of running your own business. Knowing who you are and where you want to go will expedite your progress as a photographer, and help you land the jobs you want.
Polish Your Image
Before you step into the networking arena or hand out that first business card, make sure the links attached to your name are polished and appropriately branded. The photography industry is bought and sold upon aesthetics, and if your website looks like a failed coding project, it will hold you back. You want your identity and your style to shine through on your website. Make it clean, attractive, and unique. Equally important is the state of your portfolio. Second shooting provides a chance to build your portfolio, but you should have something solid in hand when you are reaching out to potential shooting partners. Before you get out there, make sure you have the materials to prove you’ve got the skills it takes.
Network Thoughtfully
While primary photographers network with clients, second shooters court other photographers. Make yourself known in the community of photographers in your area. Navigate the landscape. Find out who they are, where they roam, and gracefully integrate yourself into the herd. Do your research first. Making yourself marketable to other photographers necessitates a basic knowledge of their style and what they need. Once you’ve identified the need, provide evidence that you can fill it. Personal emails go a long way towards beginning a working relationship, as do follow-up phone calls. Once your portfolio is polished (and succinct-no one will sit through all 10,000 of your favorite photos), send it off with a personalized email to a photographer with whom you are interested in working. And remember, although getting hired is helpful to you, this job is about you helping them. Make sure that’s how it sounds.
Be Unique
When you contact a photographer, either in person or over email, they will want to know what makes you different from other second shooters. Naturally, you’ve got to know the answer to this question first. What makes you special? The purpose of a second shooter is to fill in the gaps, to pounce on different angles, to be where the main photographer is not, to round out the shoot with lovely photos. Maybe you have an uncanny sense for finding these angles, for capturing a bride and groom’s candid moments between poses, for getting glimpses of a mood the photographer doesn’t. Get in touch with your strengths, and practice the language that emphasizes them. Be bold about what you can offer, but don’t get ahead of yourself. An impressive skill set mixed with humility is an excellent and attractive recipe.
Get Out There
Most of the time, fruitful networking means leaving your house. Emails are a good start, and can turn up some worthwhile gigs, but when it comes down to it photographers want to work with someone they like being around. Your skills should be honed enough to produce the shots a photographer needs, but learning how to augment someone else’s style of working in the smoothest, most helpful, and least disruptive way is critical. Key to this is learning how to communicate on and off shoots. The more people you meet, the easier this gets. Wedding expos and sponsored industry events are a great start, and typically teeming with photographers. If you don’t know where else to go, ask around. Every photographer was at one point where you are now, and most will be keen to help you get started. Chances are, someone did it for them. Even if you’re shy, try to remember where you want to be, and develop the confidence that you have what it takes to get there. Even if that’s not quite true yet, there’s a good chance you will click with someone who will help illuminate the path.
Remember, the only way you’ll get where you’re going is to take the first step.
Jasmine Star and her husband JD are international wedding photographers, educators, and entrepreneurs based in Southern California. The husband and wife duo started their business in 2007 with little more than a bag of simple photo gear, but a lot of heart. Jasmine was voted Top 10 Wedding Photographer in the World, Top 5 Most Influential Photographers, and her work has graced the pages of the world's leading wedding publications (Town&County, Inside Weddings, The Knot, Ceremony, Cosmopolitan Bride, Wedding Magazine, Destination I Do, Bride&Bloom, Exquisite Weddings) and featured in industry publications (American Photo, Photo Professional, Rangefinder, Professional Photographer, Resource) alike. They are teaching a free course on The Art of Being a Second Shooter August 6-7 on creativeLIVE.
All images by Jasmine Star and JD Delatorre
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