i2iSTUDIOS
13th of February 2006 (Mon), 13:28
Well this weekend I shoot 2 weddings as a 2nd photographer. My first day shooting a wedding and I had 2 to do. These were with 2 different photographers with their own individual styles. One was in a beautiful old Catholic church with high ceilings, the other was in a Hotel with very low ceilings.
Pay attention. Listen to what the primary is saying to people, how he/she is posing them, and how they carry themselves.
Buy a battery pack. Fresh 2500mAH batteries cannot charge fast enough when people are flying down the isle as it occurred in the 2nd wedding.
As a 2nd shooter be prepared to shoot family portraits of other families that are there while the primary is doing shots. I was asked by many people to shoot portraits for them.
Get tight. Use a long zoom if you can and take tight shots people while the primary is doing their thing. I didn't use a long zoom for the first wedding and now wish I did, in the 2nd wedding I was using my own gear with the 18-200mm attached so I could go from wide to telephoto quite easily.
Know the shots you should take. Read books on wedding poses and posing people, I found myself shooting shots that I have seen in other places and it helped me a lot.
Keep your eye up to the shutter and pointed at the isle, at the pace that the 2nd wedding was going I turned to take pictures of the Justice of the Peace and the maid of honor was nearly up at the alter.
Spend some bucks on a nice tripod. The primary may crack on you all night long if you bring your travel tripod. :( In the first wedding I needed my tripod, the 2nd wedding I did not because we were allowed to use flash during the ceremony.
You get to eat the food at the reception. :)
Don't be afraid to interrupt groups people during the reception to smile for shots.
Kids will dance. And make for good shots.
There will be down time. When the reception starts there really isn't much to do but capture lots of candid pictures. Remember to get the cutting the wedding cake, toast, first dance.
That's it for now, I'll edit this later if I remember other thoughts. I'll post pictures later, I haven't processed any. I only have pictures from the 2nd wedding, the photos from the 1st wedding are at the primary's place, he'll burn me a cd and send them to me later.
Pay attention. Listen to what the primary is saying to people, how he/she is posing them, and how they carry themselves.
Buy a battery pack. Fresh 2500mAH batteries cannot charge fast enough when people are flying down the isle as it occurred in the 2nd wedding.
As a 2nd shooter be prepared to shoot family portraits of other families that are there while the primary is doing shots. I was asked by many people to shoot portraits for them.
Get tight. Use a long zoom if you can and take tight shots people while the primary is doing their thing. I didn't use a long zoom for the first wedding and now wish I did, in the 2nd wedding I was using my own gear with the 18-200mm attached so I could go from wide to telephoto quite easily.
Know the shots you should take. Read books on wedding poses and posing people, I found myself shooting shots that I have seen in other places and it helped me a lot.
Keep your eye up to the shutter and pointed at the isle, at the pace that the 2nd wedding was going I turned to take pictures of the Justice of the Peace and the maid of honor was nearly up at the alter.
Spend some bucks on a nice tripod. The primary may crack on you all night long if you bring your travel tripod. :( In the first wedding I needed my tripod, the 2nd wedding I did not because we were allowed to use flash during the ceremony.
You get to eat the food at the reception. :)
Don't be afraid to interrupt groups people during the reception to smile for shots.
Kids will dance. And make for good shots.
There will be down time. When the reception starts there really isn't much to do but capture lots of candid pictures. Remember to get the cutting the wedding cake, toast, first dance.
That's it for now, I'll edit this later if I remember other thoughts. I'll post pictures later, I haven't processed any. I only have pictures from the 2nd wedding, the photos from the 1st wedding are at the primary's place, he'll burn me a cd and send them to me later.