How to Learn While Second Shooting (H&S’s Guide to Second Shooting Pt. 5)
November 30, 2023
Hey photographer friends! Welcome back to our Photography Blog, Mastering the Wedding Photography Biz with Hunter and Sarah! Today, we’re continuing our blog series all about second shooting and how it can help photographers grow their wedding photography businesses. Even if they’re brand new to weddings! Last week, we helped set expectations for what not to expect when second shooting.
This week, we’re going to talk about how to learn while second shooting. Specifically, what does it look like to learn directly from your lead photographer while on real wedding days?
Step 1: Find the Right Moment
If you want to learn while second shooting, finding the right moment to ask questions of your lead is key! Shooting a wedding day involves seamlessly alternating between two scenarios. There are high-pressure, quick-paced moments where the lead photographer is taking control of a crowd, couple or moment. And there are slower, more relaxed moments, sometimes punctuated with the occasional sitting-around-and-waiting.
Here’s an example. If you ask your lead photographer a question about their shooting in the middle of golden hour, while they’re interacting with the couple, they’ll (at best) give you a short, curt response. But more likely, they’ll glare at you with eyes that say “NOT NOW!” However, if you asked them that same question while they were shooting a few details before the ceremony, you may get a much more thorough explanation. You’ll also likely have time to ask a few follow-up questions, and have a real conversation.
Some wedding days are more hectic than others. We’ve certainly had days where 8 or even 10 hours go by without a single moment of down-time. If you find yourself assisting or second-shooting on a wedding like that, take mental (or actual) notes of all your questions. Then, find a time after the wedding or maybe on the drive home where you can ask your questions! That way, your lead photographer will be in a more relaxed headspace, and you’re more likely to actually learn while second shooting!
Step 2: Ask the Right Questions
If you want to learn while second shooting, there’s something even more important than when you ask questions. It’s what you actually ask! “Hey, what settings are you using?” Will get you an answer like “Uhm… f/2.0 at 1/250th and ISO 250.” Maybe now you can copy their settings and get a photo that’s similarly exposed, but did you actually learn anything? A much better question would be, “Hey, how did you decide where to set your aperture for this?” Now that is a question that you’ll learn from!
If you do any post-production (like culling or editing) for your lead photographer, this is also great opportunities to ask questions! The same goes if you’re able to see the final image gallery that they send to their clients. We know that culling was especially helpful for our Apprentices. That’s because they got to see what they shot right next to what we shot in the same moment! Not only did they learn by comparison, but it led to some great questions they would text us after the wedding.
If you only ask one question of your lead photographer, it should be: “How you I improve serving you and your photography?” A mentor of Hunter’s once said that the old saying, “Practice Makes Perfect” isn’t quite right. Practice certainly reinforces whatever you’re doing. But if you’re practicing wrong, you’ll just keep doing wrong things! Practice that’s assessed and analyzed makes for much better improvement! If you go out and shoot for your lead photographer, give them the photos, and never look at them again or ask them questions, you’ll grow much more slowly than the photographer who considers their work and how they can improve each time they shoot.
Step 3: Learning from the Right Photographer
Of course, all of this is contingent on having a lead photographer who has a teacher’s heart. It’s going to be very hard to learn while second shooting if your lead photographer’s mentality is: “Do what I say and don’t talk to me otherwise.”
Especially if you aren’t being paid, almost every lead will feel obliged to at least give you a few tips along the way. But that’s a far cry from one who will pull you aside at the right moment to give you some pointed advice, or who will take time to email you after a wedding day with tips on how you can improve.
If you’re finding that you’ve second shot or assisted for a lot of weddings, but don’t feel like you’re learning, first ask yourself if you’re making enough of an effort to learn. Even great teachers won’t necessarily initiate the teaching. But if you’re trying to ask questions, glean knowledge, get feedback, and are being stonewalled by a lead photographer who wants you to show up, shut up, shoot, then get out of their hair, then it may be time to consider searching for a new lead!
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