How To Be a Phenomenal Second Shooter

If photographers had academy awards, there's no doubt winning the best second shooter would be equivalent to winning best supporting actor. Second photographers play a vital role on a wedding day, and being someone the main photographer knows they can trust wholeheartedly is invaluable. We put together our best advice so you can provide the best second shooter experience anyone has ever had!

Be a team player. Remember that it's about serving the couple well while capturing beautiful photos. Take photos you can be proud of and love, and don't worry that your name isn't directly attached to them. When your goal is to serve to the best of your ability, you won't inwardly complain if you don't get to photograph the gorgeous reception details. Your role is to help the main photographer tell the wedding day's story.

Take the initiative. Don't stand around waiting to be told what to do. Clear the getting ready area to prepare for photos without being asked. If there's a lull, grab detail photos of the venue. Know the star shots you should capture and provide direction if you're in charge of certain portions on your own. Help the main photographer keep track of their equipment and phone.

Anticipate needs. Bring water to the main photographer, carry the bride's train from place to place, or assist with boutonnières. Always be aware of everything happening and ways you can help, even if they aren't directly photography related.

Arrive early. Showing up before your start time will be appreciated and infinitely better than being late! An early window of 15 min. is perfect.

Familiarize yourself with the timeline. Having an idea of the flow of the day beforehand will help you prepare and not have to wonder what moment is next. 

Pro tip: Set the timeline as your phone lock screen for quick access. You never know when the lead photographer may need to reference it too!

Study the main photographer's style. It's important to capture images how they would so the whole gallery is cohesive. Do they shoot wide or tight crops? What are their preferred lenses? What poses do they use often?

Capture different angles. Never capture the same thing from the same direction or focal length as the lead. Add variety to the overall gallery by getting artistic with crops or shooting horizontal if they're shooting vertical.

Pro tip: Try to utilize balconies or staircases for an overhead view!

Bring styling supplies and other equipment. Share your styling kit or anything else that could be useful for the day. It's especially beneficial to bring your entire arsenal if the photographer you're assisting is from out of town and unable to pack everything they commonly would for a local wedding.

We hope this article provided some insight on how to be an extraordinary second shooter and asset to a photographer's team!

Building a Social Media Presence

Love it or hate it, social media is an essential part of a business in this digital day and age. Having an active presence reinforces your brand and encourages engagement with your audience. Think about your ideal clients when creating content, and remember the goal behind every post: converting followers to clients. A high number of followers doesn't mean anything if you're not reaching potential clients.

When someone scrolls through your feed, they're trying to get a sense of who you are while determining if they like your work and can imagine working with you. Put yourself in a potential follower's shoes and see what you can discern about your profile in a minute or less. Can they clearly see what your photography niche is? Would they find your captions valuable and engaging? Are they compelled to watch your story because you left them wanting more?

We know social media plays a vital role in a business, though it's an area where many photographers struggle, so here's our best advice for building your social media presence!

Post often. You don't necessarily have to post every day, but if you haven't posted in months, someone who comes across your account is likely to wonder if you're still in business. Even if you posted on your story yesterday, it could've expired by the time someone checks out your profile.

Pro tip: Your stories are for your faithful followers, and posts are for growing your audience.

Choose what you want to be associated with your account. In addition to photography, what else do you want to be known for sharing? Travel, food, fashion, personal life, etc.? Let your followers know the type of content to expect by selecting a few primary themes.

Study your favorite accounts. Ask yourself what you love about them and what makes you a faithful follower. Even if it has nothing to do with photography, examine what aspects you can incorporate into your account model and content calendar.

Remember quality over quantity. Avoid posting for the sake of posting. Sharing work that isn't your best or off-brand could end up hurting you in the long run. Always ask yourself these questions before clicking "Post."

• Does this photo attract my ideal client?

• Does this post create a connection or encourage engagement?

• Does this post serve my audience?

Share your heart and who you are. You may find it difficult to share personal things, but your followers want to connect with you. Determine how much or little you're comfortable with sharing and decide how you can go from there. Your audience wants to know the person behind the business. Share beyond what you do to establish the know, like, trust factor.

We hope this advice helps you create a new social media strategy and builds your online presence!

Maintaining & Monitoring Growth

Growth is essential in every area of life but especially crucial in a business. A thriving business tracks its growth regularly and knows which steps to take to maintain progress. Your business should be growing to some extent every year, but remember that success doesn't happen overnight. Growth, however small, is still progress. 

Maintaining steady growth will establish your business and expand your brand. No matter your level of business, there's always room for growth. Approach everything with a mindset to learn, and you'll go further faster.

To measure growth, compare where you are this year to the same time last year. You'll probably be pleasantly surprised to see your business has grown more than you thought.

Look back over your years of business and pinpoint the areas of growth that led to where you are now. Was there a breakthrough year or a dream job that opened doors? Did you have a revelation that completely changed how you approach business? Can you remake the recipe that resulted in those strides of growth? 

If you feel stuck and don't see growth, focus on one area at a time to develop. Devote your time and attention to it and consider investing in education or mentorship. Avoid the comparison game, and don't get discouraged. Growth can be slow but stay the course, and you're hard work and dedication will be rewarded eventually.

Once you've started growing, it's time to maintain it! Surround yourself with people who inspire you to challenge yourself and push for excellence. Look for ways to expand your business's market and increase your passive income. Make it a goal to learn something new in photography or business management every year. 

Submit your work to top publications and raise your prices to reach a new clientele. Become an educator and teach topics you're passionate about and have a wealth of knowledge to share. Niche down your brand or pivot to specialize in a new industry. 

The incredible thing about being a creative business owner is there are no limits to the direction you can take! Grow at your own pace and on the right path for you. Know that you're capable of reaching the moon and having the business of your dreams. 

Comparing C1ick profiles

You asked, we listened. Here’s a quick comparison chart of different C1ick profiles – C1ick Fuji 400 Frontier, C1ick Fuji 400 Noritsu, C1ick Portra 400 Frontier and C1ick Portra 400 Noritsu.

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