how do you know a wedding requires 2nd and 3rd shooter?

how do you know a wedding requires 2nd and 3rd shooter?

if it's a wedding, you need a 2nd shooter..if it's a big wedding, you need more.

Sometimes by the amount of people and the specific client requests.

If you arent able to take getting ready shots of the groom then you will need a 2nd shooter.

Do you need to take lighting out on location and need help? If so having a 2nd shooter will surely help.

Does the client need lots and lots of candid shots of the guests? Then you will need a 2nd shooter.

etc etc etc etc....

each wedding is different, so only you will know the answer.

If you need to be in 2 different places at once, then you might need a second shooter.

nicksan wrote in post #13443656
If you need to be in 2 different places at once, then you might need a second shooter.

ok thank you for your advice

Shadow on the Door wrote in post #13443461
if it's a wedding, you need a 2nd shooter..if it's a big wedding, you need more.

I disagree. Out of the over 60 weddings I have shot to date, only three of them required a second shooter.....and that was at the brides request. I am perfectly capable of shooting a wedding solo.

I've never required a second shooter. My assistant shoots, but if she didn't that'd be fine. If two things are happening at once, like the bride and the groom getting ready at the same time, reschedule one by making it earlier - the guys usually.

If it can't be rescheduled, and it's critical to capture, then you need another photographer.

More than one photographer is a luxury, not a requirement. Sometimes it's nothing more than a pitch line for a wedding photographer who has nothing else to offer.

The answer to your question exactly as you asked it . . . you know the wedding requires a 2nd or 3rd photographer when the client is willing to pay for it.

I'm purely a la carte. If they really want the guy's prep photographed, that's going to require a second photographer and they will need to add $x to the cost of their package. If they still think it's worth it, then I know a second photographer is required.

Beyond that, I've had couples come in and see me assuming the need a second photographer because they have a lot of guests; 250+. That just doesn't matter to me. I'm more inclined to want a second because of a large wedding party. It's hard to corral a wedding party of 16+ people. It's also nice to have someone working with the guys while I'm shooting the ladies. And I'll express that value/benefit to the client, but it's still up to them to pay for it or not.

Never needed, nor wanted a second shooter. I'm in the same boat as jcoleman, similar number of weddings and it has never even entered my mind to get a second.

Fact is I can't be in two places at once which is exactly the reason why I will never hire a second... because they aren't me.

IMO all weddings need to have 2nd shooter who is capable covering the whole wedding by him/her self. What if you got in to a car accident at the last minute? Could happen.

Second Shooter..Different perspective

SchwettyLens wrote in post #13445114
What if you got in to a car accident at the last minute?

Simple... I get in a car accident. Having a second shooter doesn't replace "me" it ensures a photographer is present which is a whole different matter. I get hired for how "I" shoot and "my" style.

scorpio_e wrote in post #13445164
Second Shooter..Different perspective

But not "my" perspective which in my case is what I am selling.

I'm not trying to be egotistical but a second shooter doesn't capture what I see as they aren't me. Likewise I don't sell what other people see I sell what I see, I tell the story the way I tell it. Which is why I'll never hire a second.

SchwettyLens wrote in post #13445114
IMO all weddings need to have 2nd shooter who is capable covering the whole wedding by him/her self. What if you got in to a car accident at the last minute? Could happen.

That would be a back-up shooter, not a second shooter. Because if only one photographer shows up, they can't be a second shooter, could they?

The answer to this one is simple. If they pay for it, they'll get a second shooter. Same with the third shooter. I don't waste my second shooters time if they're not going to get paid for their work.

Well... I always use one. Of course they get paid. Build it into the budget.