Second shooter tips: how to brief a second photographer so the day goes smoothly

Send the brief a week before

Include the basics in writing so nothing depends on memory or a phone call:

• Date, call time, addresses for each location, parking
• Couple names and the names of parents and wedding party
• The timeline, with which blocks they cover alone
• Dress code and whether they eat with vendors
• Your contact on the day and the planner's contact

Give them their own job

The most useful brief divides work, not just time. Examples:

• Getting ready: second shooter covers the partner you are not with, including details and the parent moment.
• Ceremony: one of you shoots wide and from the back, the other tight from the side. Agree who has the aisle and who stays out of it.
• Family formals: the second shooter can call the next group, or shoot candids of guests waiting.
• Cocktail hour: second shooter takes guest candids and room details while you shoot portraits.
• Reception: different angles for the first dance and toasts, especially the reactions of the people being toasted.

Positions that keep you out of each other's frame

Walk the ceremony space together, or send a sketch. Agree on three positions: processional, vows, kiss and recessional. When in doubt the second shooter goes low and still rather than moving across the aisle.

Agree on the rules in writing

• Camera settings: RAW, time synced to your camera to the second, consistent file naming.
• Files: how cards are handed over, and that nothing is deleted in camera.
• Portfolio use: whether they can post images, when, and with what credit.
• Branding: they represent your studio; no business cards or self-promotion to guests.
• Payment: rate, overtime, and when they are paid.

On the day

Do a five minute check-in at the start: changes to the timeline, who the key people are, any family sensitivities (divorced parents, someone who should not be in a photo with someone else). Text when a block starts and ends. At the end, collect the cards yourself.

If you are the second shooter

Ask for the brief if you do not get one. Arrive early, be quiet, cover what the lead cannot see, and hand in clean, complete cards. The second shooters who get rebooked are the ones who make the lead's day easier.