Should you hire two photographers?

“Should I hire a second shooter?” is a question that seems to be popping up more and more in my consultations lately.

As a growing number of couples are joining forces in the wedding industry and photographers offering what appear to be “two shooters for the price of one,” I can see how it may make any bride feel the anxiety of missing out; as if all the perfect photo moments on their day are not captured.

The benefits

  1.  It may take longer to see your photos as your photogrHere I am, in an attempt to try and answer such a question with some simple pro’s and con’s:The good…
  2. You may often receive twice as many photos compared to hiring a single photographer. If you want to have every single moment of your day documented, shots of your guests interacting whist having shots of you and your groom at the same time, then this would seem a no brainer. (however this has its down sides, see cons!).
  3. You may have a female photographer shooting the brides party getting ready whist a male photographer can shoot the groom getting ready.
  4. It’s a back up! Perhaps one photographers equipment goes bust (highly unlikely as if there anything like me, they carry a back up). Or maybe if one photographer becomes ill you know the other one will still turn up.
  5. If you don’t have much time for photos between ceremony and reception then two photographers can get stuff done much quicker.

The down side (strictly in my opinion)

  1. Twice as many photo’s isn’t a good thing! Your photographers have twice as many images to cull and edit, which takes longer.
  2.  Each photographer has their own unique style, what if your two photographers have different techniques and your album looks all mish-mash? Make sure you do your research first and ask to see both photographers folios.
  3. Your paying more. It may seem like your not but you are essentially paying for another photographer. If the price is still low I would question their skills. Is this just a hobbie? Do they have full training?
  4. You have two photographers to feed 😉

Generally as tradition goes, wedding photographers worked on their own or with an assistant who carried their kit and helped with lighting. On my own I manage to get all the necessary shots needed and to this day do not believe I have missed any shots. If however, your groom is getting ready at a far location from yourself and you also want a lot of reportage shots of your wedding day, or you don’t have much time in the day to squeeze all your traditional shots in, then yes, I would advise you book two. I myself come as a 1 and I make sure my price reflects that. At your consultation we can discuss all of your needs and if I believe you need one I will then recommend that you upgrade to a second shooter. Generally the price is around £200-£300 extra depending on the time they stay and what experience they have. I do have some very trusted second shooters who I work with and would be more than happy to arrange this for you.

All in all I hope this helps. If you have any more questions or another opinion, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below 🙂