Assistant/2nd shooter (question)

ShepsMom · September 19, 2008

I have a question, if this is not the right forum, mods, please move where appropriate.

I've been considering getting into wedding photography and i am looking for a mentor, teacher, a pro who would be willing to teach me the business. I want to learn and build a portfolio, i'm willing to travel within 50 ml of my town to learn, observe and do what it takes. I have my own gear, lenses, etc...

I have never thought of becoming a wedding photog, but i've been asked numerous times if i do weddings, i have to politely decline, because i don't feel ready or knowledgeable in that area.
I am thinking about contacting local wedding businesses, but just don't know how to go about it. Do you just knock on the door, send email, call? :scratch
How do some of you started? Did any of you mentor with someone, how easy was it to actually find a willing photog?

I did a search in my area from Tampa/St. Pete to down South, and there are hundreds and hundreds of wedding photographers. Wow, my head was spinning :huh

I've been lurking here for a long while, i read, look at the pictures, observe, read again, but that's not how i learn, i have to actually do it.

If anyone has any advise, or know anyone who might be willing to give me a chance, it would be very much appreciated. :bow

sweet caroline · September 19, 2008

My first wedding was about 8 years ago. It was a close friend who trusted me ALOT, and I was too foolish to know how unprepared I was. That being said, the photos turned out well, even with the wrong equipment, because the couple was happy and beautiful and relaxed.

Try asking some friends to pose for "bridal" portraits to begin with. Then you'll have something to show when you're looking for gigs. Sometimes photographers post on craigslist looking for a second shooter.

Caroline

Richard · September 20, 2008

Marina,

Getting some gigs as a second shooter is a great way to learn. These recent threads might be of interest:

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=103732
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=104629

You could also do a Google search on Wedding Second Shooter.

Good luck.

ShepsMom · September 20, 2008

Thank you Caroline and Richard for your reply, i've read all i could find around here more.
No friends/families are getting married, unfortunately, so my only choice is to find a photog around here. Wish me luck.

ChatKat · September 20, 2008

Try this...
www.digitalweddingforum.com

All wedding - all the time and for Start members you can often find a tagalong. Also they post 2nd shooters and assistants wanted in the pro section. There are a few Dgrinners over there.

kyeezie · September 20, 2008

I can't really help you however I did notice that we live in the same location. I shot one wedding for a friend of mine. That's really all the experience I have but messing around on my own time. I've been meaning to post a couple of the pictures in this forum but just haven't had time. Anyway, I thought it might be fun if maybe we got together and learned from each other. Even though it might be you teaching me more than me teaching you. Anyway, I have some ideas how weddings work and maybe we can try something together sometime. Let me know!

ShepsMom · September 20, 2008

ChatKat wrote:

www.digitalweddingforum.com

All wedding - all the time and for Start members you can often find a tagalong. Also they post 2nd shooters and assistants wanted in the pro section. There are a few Dgrinners over there.

Thank you ChatKat, i did sing up with them few month back, i'm contemplating to upgrade to a pro, may be i should.

ShepsMom · September 20, 2008

kyeezie wrote:

I can't really help you however I did notice that we live in the same location. I shot one wedding for a friend of mine. That's really all the experience I have but messing around on my own time. I've been meaning to post a couple of the pictures in this forum but just haven't had time. Anyway, I thought it might be fun if maybe we got together and learned from each other. Even though it might be you teaching me more than me teaching you. Anyway, I have some ideas how weddings work and maybe we can try something together sometime. Let me know!

keyyzie, sounds like a fun idea. I would prefer to attend a real wedding and learn all the bells and whistles, ya know. But of course, we can meet and chat and shoot, i think there are few of us on this forum located close to each other.

mmroden · September 21, 2008

I have had the good luck to have a mentor in wedding photography; she's been doing weddings for some 8 to 10 years, and that's pretty much how she makes her living in the LA area.

This is how I see the progression of becoming a professional photog for weddings:
1) Technical prowess. This stage is making sure that you know how to use your camera under stressful situations. There are about ten minutes when you absolutely must get the shot (ring exchange, first kiss, first dance), and the rest are either posed (family shots, formals) or extraneous (any candids you might get). It's also keeping track of your equipment through the night, making sure you have enough cards for everything you shoot and how you manage your batteries. For instance, I tend to shoot with 2 gb cards (about 10 of them), so that if any card gets scrambled, then the others are still available.
2) Artistic prowess. This is adding your own personal flare, studying other photographers and mimicking or exceeding their artistic visions. I found I could focus more on this when I wasn't hurdling all of those technical issues. Having an artistic vision helps before starting, but being able to do it within a stressful situation (or just knowing what to expect enough not to be stressed) is the next level.
3) Marketing and sales. Once you have a portfolio and a set of clients who will write letters of recs, then you need to branch out and figure out how to pull people in. This includes finding clients, and then figuring out which clients to handle and which to ignore ("Oh, sorry, I already have another wedding that day.") Since I know a few LA photogs, I've told them I'll shoot second for them. It's not the same amount of money, but then again, I don't have to do processing and the like. Also, important questions: should you go to conferences? Should you advertise in various magazines, or at theKnot.com? How much should you spend on marketing, vs how much your earning from just the wedding side? Tricky questions, and if I were focused entirely on photography as a way to earn a living, ones I'd have a much better ability to answer.

ShepsMom · September 22, 2008

mmroden wrote:

I have had the good luck to have a mentor in wedding photography; she's been doing weddings for some 8 to 10 years, and that's pretty much how she makes her living in the LA area.

This is how I see the progression of becoming a professional photog for weddings:
1) Technical prowess. This stage is making sure that you know how to use your camera under stressful situations. There are about ten minutes when you absolutely must get the shot (ring exchange, first kiss, first dance), and the rest are either posed (family shots, formals) or extraneous (any candids you might get). It's also keeping track of your equipment through the night, making sure you have enough cards for everything you shoot and how you manage your batteries. For instance, I tend to shoot with 2 gb cards (about 10 of them), so that if any card gets scrambled, then the others are still available.
2) Artistic prowess. This is adding your own personal flare, studying other photographers and mimicking or exceeding their artistic visions. I found I could focus more on this when I wasn't hurdling all of those technical issues. Having an artistic vision helps before starting, but being able to do it within a stressful situation (or just knowing what to expect enough not to be stressed) is the next level.
3) Marketing and sales. Once you have a portfolio and a set of clients who will write letters of recs, then you need to branch out and figure out how to pull people in. This includes finding clients, and then figuring out which clients to handle and which to ignore ("Oh, sorry, I already have another wedding that day.") Since I know a few LA photogs, I've told them I'll shoot second for them. It's not the same amount of money, but then again, I don't have to do processing and the like. Also, important questions: should you go to conferences? Should you advertise in various magazines, or at theKnot.com? How much should you spend on marketing, vs how much your earning from just the wedding side? Tricky questions, and if I were focused entirely on photography as a way to earn a living, ones I'd have a much better ability to answer.

All good points, and all are well known and understood.
Finding someone to assist is a challenge. I've been thinking on how to word myself in the email/visit to a pro and go from there. I'm not looking to make a living out of it, not anytime soon, right now it's just a little extra income if anything else. I still do my portraits when opportunity comes alone, so that keeps things moving somewhat.
Thanks again for reply.

Assistant/2nd shooter (question)

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