Hanssie Trainor | Southern California Wedding Photographer » Second Shooting

The Weddings: Ayesha & Norvil (& Second Shooting Etiquette)

htrainor — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:36:51 +0000

Months and months ago I second shot a wedding with Michelle of Mila Photography and am just now getting around to looking at the photos.

Months and months before that, Michelle wrote a great blog post on second shooting etiquette. It was all the things I wish I knew when I first started and had to learn the hard way. I think it’s worth a repost. (She doesn’t use capital letters a la e.e.cummings)

second shooting for someone is fun! i get to experiment and shoot great events with less pressure. but it’s also a lot of responsibility.

when a photographer asks me to second shoot with them i consider that an honor. to me that means they love my work, they get along with me well enough to stand spending a whole stress day with me and they believe in me enough to count on me in case there is a problem. and i take that seriously. i pack a full gear and i shoot responsibly. three things that i always do as a second:

stay out of the primary’s shot

shoot from an angle that is different than the primary (i’m there to add to the portfolio not create duplicates)

try to shoot with a lens that is different than the primary

it HAS happened. the main photog’s battery died, the card was full, the flash stopped working, the camera wasn’t cooperating. it was my job as second to be right there, ready to take the necessary shots. i’m always fully aware of where the main photographer is and what’s going on with that person. so when disaster strikes, there’s no stress, no shock, things run smoothly and the bride didn’t even feel a thing.

taking pictures is exhausting. sometimes i’m just the fire that lights that main’s ass and pushes in a second wind. (that sounds bad huh?) i’m the critical second eye that notices out of place details and steps in for the correction. i’m also the stylist, poser, water runner, light finder and whatever. when i’m the second, it’s my job to be the primary’s entourage and support. when i’m the primary i expect no less from my second. luckily, in this world, we’re all friends coz that’s a whole lotta responsibility.

other things to note when i play second photographer:

they are NOT my client, this is NOT my job and i am NOT operating as milaPhotography on that event. so the photos are NOT mine. if the main photographer allows me to blog or post on fb any of the pictures then i am very very grateful. if the main photographer uses my shots for their port, slideshow, album, etc. then i am flattered. in no way are they obligated to credit me for a shot taken at their event.

should i be allowed to blog about the even i always credit the main photographer. ALWAYS.

to call a shot “my own” means that i found the light, the background, the pose and the composition. so if the main photographer sets up the shot then i can’t call it mine now can i? subsequently, this is also the reason why we put into our contracts that other pro photographers (or people with pro-like cameras) are not allowed to shoot at our weddings. it’s too easy for a shot to get setup by someone else and then 10 people stand right behind the photographer and take the picture.

things i DON’T do as a second:

contact the client via fb, twitter or email.

any kind of social media in this industry is a marketing tool. contacting the client would be all kinds of wrong.

tagging the client’s pictures on fb. see above.

blogging images BEFORE the primary (and without permission).

blogging is also a marketing tool. to post photos before the primary posts photos would be stealing thunder. bad idea.

give out my business cards at the event.

on the day of the event, the second (and third) photographer is working under the primary’s company. giving out business cards that are unrelated to the primary is a conflict of interest.

i will NOT use any of the photos for my online portfolio.

despite how harsh some of that stuff sounds trust me, 2nding really is fun and a great opportunity to stretch myself as a wedding photographer.

I had the privilege of shooting Ayesha and Norvil’s wedding with Michelle in Crescent Bay Point Park, Laguna and we had a blast…and looked awesome doing it too!

It was an all white wedding and we of course obliged the bride’s wishes. (Photo by Mila Photography)

This bride had two different pairs of shoes. A girl can’t have enough shoes…

A cake reception overlooking gorgeous Laguna Beach

Adventures From Another Studio…

htrainor — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 14:00:33 +0000

Last week, my wedding photographer and friend, Cean needed me to fill in for one of his associates at a wedding at the beautiful Mission Inn. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you’ll know that Cean really helped me when I was starting out, teaching me the basics, letting me second shoot with him at weddings and he still answers my random business questions.

Reverting back into the second shooter role from time to time is a must for wedding photographers, in my opinion. It helps me see things more creatively without the pressures of being the main photographer and allows me to relax and play with my camera again!

Here are two shots from that wedding that I really liked. The first one I just loved the lighting in that hallway and the second one was something I probably would not have gotten as a main shooter, but I was challenged to shoot while (literally) backed into a corner.

Because I was shooting for Cean One Photography, they own the images, hence his watermark.

the weddings: dana & ian ~ huntington beach, ca

htrainor — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:31:39 +0000

The thrill of victory. The smell of success and the feeling of euphoria when after overthrowing the competition. I’ll admit it. I’m addicted to it. I LIKE winning. I like being in first place (I know, I know, the Bible talks about that).

But, there is one circumstance in my life where I really enjoy being in second. It’s a place where I am free to roam in my creativity, doing what I love with little or no pressure. The only time when I am in second place and don’t want to stomp my feet and throw a fit.

The only time I don’t mind being in second is when I am second shooting for another photographer. In my first year of business I jumped at every second shooting opportunity I could get. I saw them as my on the job training – a crash course if you will. It gave me confidence, portfolio prints and an understanding to how to run a wedding day. Now, I still jump on those opportunities if I have time. It’s a great way for me to try new things with my angles, camera, and look for creative outlets without the full weight of someone’s wedding day on my shoulders. It keeps me fresh and it let’s me see how other photographers work.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine saw someone needed a second shooter and called me up. I had the pleasure of meeting and shooting with Adrienne Fox Photography. Thanks Adrienne for a fun experience!

Dana and Ian were married at the Meadowlark Golf Club in Huntington Beach. As everyone else I knew were melting in the sweltering triple digit heat, we were enjoying the 75 degree goodness on the golf course, ducking from flying golf balls and surrounded by Laker’s purple and gold.

I channeled my friend, Matthew Saville and his love of landscapes for these next two…