So you want to get second shooting experience? Well today I am breaking down the best 2 ways to get second shooting gigs! Getting into the wedding photography business can be scary and it can be time consuming. I’m sure we’ve all been there where we reach out to a wedding photographer who inspires us, just to get ghosted. I’m sharing the 2 best ways to get started!

What is a Second Shooter?

Typically one a wedding day a second shooter is someone that the couple hires to help capture their day. There is usually a lead photographer and the the second shooter would be second in line and reporting to the lead photographer. The second shooter is usually getting different angles or covering things that the lead photographer cannot.

Two Main Avenues for Second Shooting Gigs

Looking for Posts

Something that is very beneficial is finding and joining local facebook groups. These facebook groups are a popular place for other photographers to go looking for second shooters! Set alerts for these facebook groups and be regularly checking for second shooting gigs. These gigs can be competitive so think of ways to STAND OUT! This can be making a connection with the person searching or post a photo with your comment to stop the scroll.

Make a webpage dedicated to getting second shooting gigs. This is going above and beyond but will make you stand out like CRAZY! Make a webpage listing your experience shooting, what gear you use, showcase your portfolio and maybe your requested second shooting rate!

Reaching Out to Photographers

Start by creating a spreadsheet of ALL the different photographers that you want to second shoot for. The draft up individual emails to these photographers and keep track on your spreadsheet who is responding and who isn’t. When you send them the email make sure you provide them with ALL the information they need! Let know something personalized that you like about their work, lay out what gear you own, and a link to that pre-made webpage. Make sure you answer ALL their questions before they have to ask! The biggest thing, DO NOT just DM then on instagram. If this photographer doesn’t follow you, your dm is going to be sent to the back where dm requests are.

Keep in mind that you are going to get rejected, a couple times. Some people may not even respond. That is the reality of it. Start where you can so you can get where you want to go! Thank you for watching this weeks video make sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more videos like this one! See you next Thursday with a new video!