Second Shooter Wedding Photography Pathway

Goal: Build your skills to confidently fill the second shooter role at weddings.

Because weddings typically include packed timelines that require more coverage than a single photographer can handle, wedding photographers often hire a second shooter to help cover the wedding day. Working as a second shooter is a great way to build your photography skills as you work toward taking on a lead photographer role. In addition to general wedding coverage, second shooters are generally in charge of capturing two key subjects: the groom (and his groomsmen) and ceremony & reception site details. To help prepare you for working as a second shooter, we've put together a learning pathway using a collection of videos from our Wedding Workshop Training System. 

Let's get started!

Overview of 2nd Shooter Duties

• Groom Coverage
  • Groom's Details
  • Groom's Portraits
  • Groom's Photojournalism/Storytelling
  • Groom and Groomsmen Portraits
  • Groom and Groomsmen Photojournalism/Storytelling
  • Groom and Groom's Family Portraits
  • Groom and Groom's FamilyPhotojournalism/Storytelling
• Ceremony and Reception Details
• Photojournalism and secondary angles throughout the day, including the following:
  • First Look
  • Ceremony
  • Reception

Photographing Groom

Here is a list of the most important videos to watch in regards to photographing the groom, his details, portraits, groomsmen, and photojournalistic moments.

• Wedding Workshop 2, Ch. 2.2 Standing Pose Demo
• Wedding Workshop 2, Ch. 2.3 Sitting Pose Demo
• Wedding Workshop 2, Ch. 3.2 Standing Portraits Flagging via Curtains
• Wedding Workshop 2, Ch. 4.1 Details Pt 1
• Wedding Workshop 2, Ch. 4.2 Details Pt 2
• Wedding Workshop 2, Ch. 5.2 Groom Getting Ready
• Wedding Workshop 2, Ch. 5.4 Groomsmen Getting Ready
• Wedding Workshop 2, Ch. 6.1 Scouting and Scene Analysis
• Wedding Workshop 2, Ch. 6.2 Dramatic Indoor Groomsmen Portraits
• Wedding Workshop 2, Ch. 7.1 Scouting and Scene Analysis-Outside the Hotel

Photographing the Ceremony and Reception Details

These are the main videos to watch in regards to ceremony and reception details.

• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 2.1: Working with Timeline Constraints
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 2.2: Before You Take a Single Shot
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 2.3: Start by Minding the Details
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 2.4: Anatomy of the Details Story
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 2.5: With Each Image Select a Single Subject
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 3.1: Wide - Setting the Ceremony Scene
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 3.2: Medium - Showing the Ceremony Heroes
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 3.3: Tight - Revealing the Ceremony Details
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 3.5: Wide - Setting the Reception Scene
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 3.6: Medium - Showing the Reception Heroes
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 3.7: Tight - Revealing the Reception Details
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 4.2: Outdoor Ceremony - Daylight - No Modification
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 4.8: Indoor Reception - Dark Ambient Light - Flash for Bright Editorial/Commercial
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 4.9: Indoor Reception - Bright Daylight
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 4.10: Indoor Reception - Dramatic High Color Ambient - Correcting Pinning with Constants
• Wedding Workshop 6, Ch. 5.3: Create Unique Compositions with Foreground Elements

Other Important Moments

You'll also need to work directly with the lead shooter to cover certain moments like the first look and other special highlights. Check out the videos below for additional insight.

• First Look: Wedding Workshop 4, Ch. 6.1 First Look Positioning
• Wedding Ceremony Procession: Wedding Workshop 5, Ch. 3.3, Bride's Entrance
• Wedding Ceremony - "Kiss the Bride": Wedding Workshop 5, Ch. 3.8, The Kiss

We hope this second shooter pathway helps build your skills and give you the confidence to reach out to other photographers and offer your services as a second shooter. You can also check out the Wedding Photography Pathway for additional information on photographing weddings. When you have the time, it will be worth your while to watch all of the workshops that make up the Wedding Photography Training System, as well as our Flash Photography Training System, The Complete Posing Workshop, and more.