A question I’m asked from time to time is ‘Do you have a second Wedding Photographer on the day?’ or ‘Are you the only person who will be taking photos on the day?’…. I always think it’s a strange question.
The reality is that most people make contact with me because they’ve seen my work somewhere and like my style. Every photographer has a unique style….our way of working, our way of seeing and recording what we see is as unique as the way we sign our names. No two styles are the same.
Perhaps some people feel that if there are two people shooting their wedding they are somehow getting better value for their money but my personal feeling on it is that if you hire a well experienced pro who knows what they’re doing you’re wedding will be well covered and covered in a style that’s consistent and hopefully distinctive.
Another thing to consider is that a style (a way of seeing and recording things) is developed over years… you will find that when a Wedding Photographer advertises a ‘second shooter’ on the day of your wedding they are more often than not using their assistant or at best a much less experienced photographer than themselves to fill this role. What you tend to end up with are photographs that are not only different in style but are often differing in quality standards too.
So yea my feeling is that offering a ‘two Photographers for the price of one’ is a bit of a sales gimmick…it sounds great but in reality if you hire a good, well experienced Pro Wedding Photographer whose style you like you can expect to have your wedding well covered in both a consistent style and to a consistent standard!
Peter Rowen is a Multi Award Winning Wedding Photographer based in Dublin, Ireland.
