Wedding Photography Buzz - Digital Wedding Secrets

There are two types of wedding photography assistants who you can hire: ones who have great potential to branch out on their own as a wedding photographer – and ones who have their hearts set on being a good one but have not acquired the necessary skills yet.

I tend to look for that delicate balance between the two. So essentially, what I personally need in a wedding photography assistant or a second shooter is someone who can almost read my mind. When covering weddings, it is my camera as the main photographer who the couple and their families will look at – so the second photographer should be willing to take a backseat in this department. One who likes to hog the limelight, I would not be able to work with harmoniously.

More importantly, a wedding photography assistant and a second shooter should like be an extension of my own arm. He or she should anticipate which items I would need and where we need to be next. Not getting to distracted by the events, being able to control a crowd during group pictures and being the ultimate professional – these are the qualities that you also need to look for in a second shooter if you want to succeed in the business.

As a photographer, nothing frustrates the heck out of me than dealing with the task of gathering the family members, friends and guests all in one group shot together. If the wedding ceremony site is different than the reception site, it could be that some guests have already left for the reception so you can’t get a picture of all of them together in one place.

This is where the help of a family photo coordinator comes in. Basically, the role of the family photo coordinator would be to call the attention of the guests, family members and friends of the couple when they are needed to pose for pictures.

Even if the couple agreed to have a photojournalistic wedding photo album, there will always be one member of the family who would want formal group shots to be taken. So prior to covering a wedding, have a long talk with the soon-to-be-married couple first.

Have them create a checklist of the shots that they want to be taken. Usually, there’s a favorite uncle, a niece who’s the darling of the family that the newlywed couple may want to have a formal picture with. These small details are important if you want to create a wedding album that the newlywed couple and their families will laugh and smile over, or even tease each other with.

While you’re at it, have the bride and groom assign a family photo coordinator for the wedding. On their big day, all that the newlywed couple needs to do is relax and enjoy the events of the day, so they should not be bothered with the task of gathering all their family members around.

As a photographer, it may be the first time that you are meeting all the members of the family so you would not necessarily know who the favorite uncle of the bride is. This is where the family photo coordinator will come in. Since the family photo coordinator is the one who knows everyone in the family, he or she can gather those who are needed in the group shots all in one place. This way, the group photos will be less of a stress, a bit more organized, quick and a lot more fun for the bride and groom.