5 Reasons Why I love Second Shooting

I am sitting trying to figure out where to start with this one. I Second shot for a couple of weddings before I really got serious about it. That came when I decided I wanted to take my photography from hobby to professional, the camera the lenses, the lighting , the whole shbang. I was always most attracted to wedding photography so in my last semester in college I reached out and landed myself an internship with a local wedding photographer. This decision was one that I will always look back at as my true starting point. 

Fast forward and I have now done over 25+ weddings second shooting alone. Here are a couple of things that I really have come to truly enjoy about second shooting.

1) The Preview : second shooting with Justin helped me see the good, the bad, and the hard work a wedding photographer goes through on the wedding day. Lugging around 7-10 pounds of equipment for 8-10 hours can be pretty tiring. I was able to see for first hand the hustle; it helped me realize I loved shooting weddings. It was a preview for me of how a wedding photographer worked to be successful on the wedding day itself. After my internship I knew this was one party in life I wanted to be apart of.

2)The Schedule : shadowing a professional really helped me to understand how a flow of the wedding day can look like. For the most part it looked the same : I am now able ask my MW brides for more time for bride and groom portraits and have a heavy influence in look of the schedule. It feels good to be prepared as much as humanly possible.

3)The Opportunity : I am given the opportunity to grow my portfolio,  grow venue experience, grow my network. The opportunity to meet so many great people in my area is something that would take years on my own. As I am still in the growing areas of my business, I can still able to expand my experiences !

4)The Angles : I did not start trying new things until I had a solid feel for what my lead photographer wanted/needed with every wedding. I have to admit this did not happen until our second wedding season working together. Not having the pressure the first shooter to get certain shots, I have been able to play around with angles and vantage points to see if I love it or just find it doesn't work at all. This also helps me in future if I ever am able to shoot at that location again!

5)  The Photos: I have to explain something first. My lead shooter is gracious and does things A LOT different from other photographers (I soon found out from the other photography groups i follow that my situation was an anomaly in a first and second Shooter relationship ) I get all the raw photos I shoot. I am able to edit them and use them with no restrictions . Reading about other business relationships, there are so many restrictions that as a second I don't know if it would be worth it anymore. Being able to use my photos is a huge point in my marketing. It also is a great way of growing my talents as a photographer. 

I am very grateful for the friendship and mentorship I was able to receive with Justin. Having reached out to several other photographers in my area,  I have found he is a true gem in the industry and genuine to boot. If you in your carrier have the opportunity or the desire to second shoot for another photographer, do it! I hope your experience is as good as mine! 

Downtown St. Paul Engagement Photography | Megan & Stefan

                                                                   The Proposal 

Meg and Stefan started a day trip to Red Wing. They both had the day off and wanted to take advantage of their limited freedom from their daily lives. As they weaved in and out for store fronts and lunch they eventually  came to the pier to steal away some calming moments together looking at the water. As Megan started to break away from Stefan's  embrace he simply started her name, and as she turned she was greeted by Stefan on one knee asking her for forever. Well as you can see from the photos she obviously said yes. According to stefan , megan just grabbed the ring and put it on herself with no answer. Even though she states she doesn't really remember that part. 

Their wedding will be this summer. So much love; I can't wait.

Scouting Locations for Photography

Just this past weekend I had an engagement session that in all honestly I was super stoked about! The couple was sweeter than the banana cream pie I made the previous week. When it came time to decided where to shoot, they left it up to me. As I have stated in previous blog post, I LOVE downtown St. Paul; it is my go to location. 

For those who go to photo sessions with anxiety of the unknown, here are a couple of things that help me scout out for sesssions.

Go head of time: I'm by nature someone who needs a plan. For a lot of my shoots if possible I always walk around at the same time of day that I will be shooting at. It is normally within the same week or a week away from the session but this helps me understand the kind of lighting I will be working with. Where I want my couple and it helps me visualize my shoot even before it takes place. If this is not an option, try getting there before 15 - 30 minutes before the session.

Plan a head of time: going into a session with a plan and taking control of the session with confidence really does help your client trust you. It will reassure them that you have control so all they need to do is relax and enjoy the session together. I try to take advantage by creating a map in my mind of where to go and established how long it takes to get to each spot.

Choose spots for everyone's style: One of favorite wedding photographer's rule I try to follow is 10% for me 90% for my couple. Sounds like something out of the Hitch movie, right? Shooting any session,  I want to have photos that will stretch my photography for the better, but I also have to remember I am shooting for my couples and need to represent who they are as a couple. If you try shooting just 100% for your couple you will start to burn out and not love your work. If you don't love your work, who would you expect you couple to? One thing I that really works for me is finding at least one spot in the location that I am really excited about.

Check the Weather: you need to think is it has a chance of rain, do I have my umbrella,  do I have a cloth to have them sit on, if the weather is particularly horrible what's plan B.
In case of really hot weather, do I have water so everyone stays hydrated. All that good stuff.

Choose a variety: depending on the location  you may be limited where you can shoot, but having a good variety of area backgrounds will give your couples more to choose from. I know this sounds basic , but having a variety will also boost your portfolio.

Leave the floor open to suggestions: remember that 90% thing I was talking about? When I am shooting location with my couples, always I try to let them have the option of giving their ideas. I have heard from a photographer friend of mine that his favorite photo he took in 2015 was one where the groom just asked "can I pick her up and spin her around? " The photo turned out golden , so give the floor to your couples you might love the results!! And it also makes them feel like they are being heard and involved in the session.

Admit when something doesn't work: lastly, it is OK to let your couple know when something is not working. When I try something new (because in my mind it looks amazing) , I communicate that to my couple. I let them know my vision and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't . It helps me grow with my knowledge of what works and what doesn't and i feel it helps my couples know I am willing to try different things to get the photo.

I know this is a little bit of a longer post , so thank you for staying with me! I hope these are some things that you can takeaway for your own sessions!