WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Wedding Photography by Andrew King – Why have a second photographer?
One or two wedding photographers? What’s the point of having a second wedding photographer?
Many brides (or grooms) never even consider having a second photographer at their wedding. And that is absolutely fine. I have photographed many weddings on my own, all with completely satisfactory results and very happy clients.
But there are advantages in having a second wedding photographer. The cost is not huge, and certainly doesn’t double as you might expect. Remember, you are paying for the edit as much as for the work done on the day, so the increase in cost is only a third or less of what you would be looking at with only one. Why could it be worth paying the extra?
Two wedding photographers can be in two places at once
Two places at once…
- The most basic advantage of having a second wedding photographer is so that photographers can cover two events at the same time.
- Most obviously, that means that both bride and groom preparations can be covered
- Sometimes there is a benefit in having one photographer staying on at the ceremony venue while the other goes ahead to the wedding reception venue.
- In a large and rambling reception venue it can be good for roving photographers to be in two places at the same time
A scene in the groom’s house …
… and a scene in the bride’s house
North London wedding
Shooting with Tim Harman
As Sarah leaves her Camberwell home for her wedding…
… Luke is going through the legalities with the registrar
Camberwell wedding
Shooting with Sarah
Same wedding… while Tim and I did the Bride and Groom portraits…
Camberwell, South London, Wedding
my wife, Sarah, was photographing food and decorations in the hall for the wedding breakfast
Ashtead, Surrey, wedding, and while the bride was still getting ready …
the groom and his men were on their way to church
Two photographers – Andrew and Tim Harman
Two wedding photographers can shoot two things in the same place at the same time
Two “moments” at once…
- Two photographers working in the same space can see more things happening.
- Very often, the first/main photographer will be getting the “classic” shots which make up the skeleton of a wedding photographer’s coverage, while the “second” photographer puts the flesh on the bones.
- Working with an experienced second, like Tim Harman or Ula Soltys, is great because they know what they are looking for and you quickly get into a rhythm of trusting each other to find great shots.
Ula spotted the rapt attention and wonderful light on this little flower girl…
… exactly as I took this “signing of the register” photo
Eltham/Blackheath wedding
The same wedding… A moment in the reception at the Royal Blackheath Golf Club… Ula’s shot.
… and you can see her at that exact moment in the background of this image of the groom and bride.
Two wedding photographers can shoot the same moment from totally different angles
Totally different angles…
- When one photographer is shooting face on to the couple, or a group, the other photographer can be working from the side
- Very often different lenses will give the simultaneous photos a very different look, quite apart from the difference in angle
- Shown here are a few pairs of images which were taken within a second or so of each other.
Classic group shot from in front …
… simultaneous side view
Bedfordshire wedding
Shooting with Tom King
Exchanging rings…
Ashtead, Surrey, Wedding
… with Tim Harman at the back of the church, yours truly close in with a macro lens
The line up waiting for the guests to pour out of the Hall at William Booth College, Camberwell…
… two angles – the first by Andrew, the second from Tim Harman (it was actually a THREE photographer wedding!)
Bridesmaids’ arrival…
Eltham and Blackheath wedding
… from both ends of the church
Working with Ula Soltys
Back to that Ashtead/Denby’s Vineyard wedding with Tim Harman…
… two takes on the same moment as we shot couple’s portraits at Denby’s
Two wedding photographers can shoot the same thing in very different ways
Two very different techniques
- If now two people are identical, then no two photographers are either.
- Each photographer will bring their own expertise, experience and preferred techniques to bear as they work through a wedding.
- Less important, but still significant, different wedding photographers will have different equipment which will tend to steer them towards different methods.
Two almost simultaneous takes on the first dance for Alan and Tricia at the Royal Blackheath Golf Club. You can see the photographers working from different sides of the room! My shot uses slow-rear flash – giving a mix of sharpness and blur from movement…
… while Ula’s goes with the available light in the room – no flash – using her exceptionally bright f1.2 lens to get enough light into her camera.
Two sets of eyes can spot more things worth taking
Two sets of eyes
- Whether in the same place or wortking separately, two people will notice more “stuff” going on
- In my experience, the main photographer is very often focussed on the job of wortking through that main list of photos that must be taken – the skeleton of the wedding as I put it.
- The second photographer has space, and less pressure, and can go out of their way to find the fun, or touching, or downright bizarre moments.
- Here are a few favourites from two photographer weddings – some are mine, but most are from my second photographer – and the wedding coverage was all the richer for having them!
Games on the lawn
Brockham, near Dorking, Surrey Wedding
Andrew King
The bride’s grandparents dancing
Brockham, Surrey, wedding
Tim Harman
Page boy with crisps – keep his energy up!
Ditchling East Sussex wedding
Tim Harman
A close friend feels the joy of the day at our recent Eltham wedding
Ula Soltys
A guest watching the cows beside the marquee…
Andrew King
And Tim Harman’s masterpiece – the pig and the champagne – Knepp Castle Estate, West Sussex Wedding
One or two wedding photographers? What’s the point of having a second wedding photographer?
Many brides (or grooms) never even consider having a second photographer at their wedding. And that is absolutely fine. I have photographed many weddings on my own, all with completely satisfactory results and very happy clients.
But there are advantages in having a second wedding photographer. The cost is not huge, and certainly doesn’t double as you might expect. Remember, you are paying for the edit as much as for the work done on the day, so the increase in cost is only a third or less of what you would be looking at with only one. I hope this article has given you some great reasons for spending that bit more to get two wedding photographers.