Bauman Resources » Information, News, and Education for Wedding Photographers

One of the most important things I did when I was first getting started as a photographer was assisting and second shooting.  I began assisting a photographer during a summer of my college years, and it was there that I began to pick up the “pace” of weddings.  I learned what happened when, and where I needed to be to capture it.  I learned how to balance both the taking of images and the managing of the client.  I then was able to move on to second shooting.  This allowed me to put everything I learned to practice, and develop my photo skills at the same time.  I didn’t have any of the pressure of delivering on every single shot, because the main shooter was responsible for all of that  I could explore different angles, different settings, and get used to the camera being an extension of my mind.

So, for starters, I HIGHLY recommend assisting and second shooting.  To give you an idea of how important I think it is, I still second shoot for other photographers several times per year, and I’ve been shooting professionally 9 years.  If you’re just starting out, there is nothing better.  If you’re in your first 3-5 years of business, find some photographers to assist and second shoot for.

Unfortunately, a lot of the time, photographers don’t think through the business and branding end of what it means to be an assistant or second shooter for another company.  While you might be still forming your company, your style, and your brand, the established company you’re assisting or second shooting for isn’t.  That is a photography studio that, more than likely, has established all of these things already.  They have a very concentrated vision that they take to each wedding, and a very specific brand to uphold.  They need to bring along a second shooter that fits their style, can carry their brand, and uphold their reputation.  They need to be sure that you are punctual, courteous, tactful, respectful, well-dressed, and personable – beyond being a good photographer!

I get several of these emails each week from photographers wanting to assist or second shoot.  For the most part, they are all the same.  They all start the same, say the same things, and end the same way.  And you know what I do with them?  Put them straight into the trash can.  I don’t even click on the links they provide, usually don’t even get past the first line.

Here are my DON’TS when it comes to the business side of becoming a Second Shooter:

1. Almost every email starts with “Hello,”  Thats nice, I like Hello.  However, the email always moves on without anything else.
Folks, you need to personalize it.  I’m not dumb – I can tell you just emailed that to 45 photographers!  When you don’t use my name, you’re telling me you don’t care enough to work for MY company.  You just want a job.  And, while that might be true, you’ve got to personalize the email.  You’ve got to send the signal that you’ve looked at MY website, that you like MY work, and you think you’d be a good fit for MY photography studio.  Start your email with “Hello Jared,”

2. The email continues to tell me about how photography is a passion of yours and you provide a link to your work.  None of that is bad, I want to hear that you’re passionate about it.  And I want to see your work.  Typically, though, I’ll go to the person’s website, and won’t have anything to do with weddings or portraits.  Its flowers, or deer in Yosemite.  Its still life’s of a birthday cake.
Now I understand that you might not have a ton of experience with weddings – thats why you’re emailing me  But I’ve got to see that you at least know how to take a picture of a person, before I’m going to want to bring you along on a shoot.  And, when the next person emails over and they have some portrait session pictures on their site, they look a lot better to me!
If you’re going to apply to shoot weddings or portraits, just make sure you have SOME images up from those situations.  Go shoot your family, your sister, your teacher, your friend’s baby – you can find something!

3. And then the email ends.  Usually with a courteous goodbye, or something like that.  It doesn’t end in a mean way or anything.  But it ends.  And the person never told me why they would be good for my company.  They told me about how much THEY wanted to learn.  They told me how much THEY wanted to get into the photography industry.  They told me about how THEY had passion.  But how are you going to contributed to MY company?  Why do you think you’re a good fit for MY company?  How will your work compliment MY work?
I don’t want to paint the picture that its all about ME, because it isn’t.  Seriously.  But, you’ve got to understand that a full time professional photographer sees A LOT of emails from aspiring photographers.   How are you standing out?  Are you making it all about you, or are you doing your homework and seeing how you can make it mutually beneficial?  Are you taking shortcuts, and not personalizing it?  Remember – it is essential for you to advance your craft by assisting and second shooting.  And, just as important, you’ve got to be smart and professional about how go about looking for that position.  When you’re a second shooter , you’re not shooting for you – you’re shooting for someone else!

So what separates you? What is it that makes you stand out? Why should that bride or groom want to book you?

Have you answered those questions yet for yourself?

Because if you don’t know the answer for yourself, there’s no way any bride or groom will figure it out. And they need to know those answers to feel confident in booking you. For them, the decision of who to hire to document their wedding is a big one, and one that isn’t easy. They’re not experienced at hiring a wedding photography, they don’t know what they really want, and they certainly don’t have a whole lot time to figure it out!
The internet makes searching for a wedding photographer easy …. It also makes finding the right photographer hard. Couples are inundated with websites showcasing similar images, emails advertising the same packages, and consultations pitching the same story. What separates you for everyone else? What is it about your, and your photography, that stands out? What is the one reason a couple should book you?
Answer that for yourself, and you gain several things. First, you know exactly how to market yourself and your work. Second, and probably most important, you gain an important amount of confidence, confidence you can use in every area of your business.

Good luck!

I’ve gotten a few requests to post my presentation notes from my WPPI presentation “Your Business: On Auto-Pilot for Six Figure Income. Feel free to view the PDF notes HERE.

As always, let me know if you have any questions!

So I wanted to take a quick moment to address something fundamental …. but yet WPPI proved how many miss it.
Your business card …. it is an extension of your brand.  It should reflect your style and preferences.  But, more importantly, it needs to give all of your contact information.  It needs to have your website, so people can look at your work.  It needs to have your phone number AND email, so they can contact you however they feel.  And, most importantly, it needs to have YOUR NAME.  Remember, you’re selling yourself as a professional photographer.

During my presentation and throughout WPPI, I collected business cards of the photographers I would meet.  And so, we did a little tally down here afterwards.  I wanted to see how photographers were doing.  And I was amazed at what I found!

During WPPI, I collected 42 business cards.  The following are categories that should be on your business card, and the number of cards that actually had it on them:

Business Name: 30 of 42 —> 71%
Phone Number: 33 of 42 —> 78%
Email Address: 25 of 42 —> 59%
Website: 31 of 42 —> 73%
Personal Name: 26 of 42 —> 62%
Info written on a torn off piece of paper and given to me: 9 of 42 —> 21%

In addition, of the 42, 2 business cards had ill-legible print, and 2 had websites that didn’t work anymore.

My advice to each photographer – think about your business card as an extension of you.  At WPPI, I met so many photographers, and I had forgotten many by the time that I got home, only a few days later.  But there were a few cards I pulled out, and immediately remembered who it was that handed me the card.  Thats good branding …. thats what a business card should do to your clients as well!  Brides and Grooms meet so many photographers …. are they going to remember you from your card?

Beyond the branding though, ensure that your card has the pertinent and necessary information to get in touch with you!  If they have 3 photographers business cards, and yours is missing key information, you’ve just made it easy for them to not hire you.