I recently posted about being open to answering photography questions and I’ve had some really great ones come in so far! I thought I’d start this week’s FAQ post off with a topic that’s been asked about alot: breaking into the photography industry and getting 2nd shooter gigs. This post will specifically deal with getting started in the wedding photography industry (since we’re talking about 2nd shooters), but much of this would also apply to other areas of photography as well.

Q: With so many great photographers in my area, what is the best way to break into the industry? Do I need to register for mentoring sessions with a photographer?

The first question should be answered within the questions below. :-) As far as mentoring sessions go, they can definitely be helpful and give you a chance to ask questions in person (or over Skype). I never did one when I first started, but I have several friends that did and most of them found them quite helpful.

I would recommend doing your research on the photographer that you’re wanting to do a mentor session with first (How long have they been shooting? Do you like their work? What specific topics will they cover with you?). Also, restrictions differ depending on the photographer, but some won’t offer mentor sessions or workshops to other photographers within a certain distance from them, so be sure to check on that first.

Q: Most photographers want to see a portfolio before hiring an assistant or 2nd shooter; how do I build a portfolio if I don’t have clients?

A: I discovered early on that the whole getting-a-2nd-shooter-job thing is kind of a catch 22. Most photographers want to see your work before they hire you to work with them, but you don’t have any work because you’re just starting out! Besides reading your camera manual front to back and really practicing with your camera (pets and inanimate objects are great things to start with), the next step is to practice shooting with people that you already know.

My suggestion is to specifically ask 10 sets of friends or family members if you can practice your skills by doing a free session for them. Offer them the digital images in exchange for their time and patience with you! If you’re wanting to shoot weddings, practice photographing couples (versus families). You could even ask a couple of those friends to model for you in their wedding dresses. Once you have those 10 sessions done you’ll have a good amount of work to show the photographer you’re hoping to work with. :-)

Q: Do you recommend creating a website or a blog first?

Until you’ve really begun to build up a portfolio, Facebook is the best place to post your photos, in my opinion. It’s free and super easy to share with others. Plus, anyone you’re shooting will want their photos on there anyway, so simply upload and tag them!

A website can be a good next step to show your work and who you are, but don’t get too excited and build a site before you have any content to fill it! You’ll want to first get several shoots under your belt (as talked about in the previous question) before even thinking about putting a site out there. I can easily tell when someone has photos from just one or two sessions on their site, and that’s a sure sign that they have very little experience.

Once you really get going with your shooting and have regular photography content to post, a Facebook business page and/or a blog can be a great place to show your work. My thought on this though is that if you don’t have regular content to post, don’t get one of these just yet. When your last post is a month or two old, it looks like you aren’t regularly shooting (paid or not), and that can be a turn-off to potential clients.

Q: How do I become an assistant or 2nd shooter?

There’s many ways to get 2nd shooting gigs, but the way I did it (which you can read about here) was by simply emailing a handful of photographers in my area to see if they needed a 2nd shooter. Now this doesn’t always work, but I happened to get lucky and found one that was in need and was willing to train me. At that time I had done several sessions on my own and was able to show my potential to him through those. I had put myself out there and not only photographed friends and friends of friends, but people I didn’t know as well.

Beyond that, I’d highly recommend getting involved in the photography community in your area. In many major cities there are PUG groups, SMUG groups, and organized shoot-outs by local camera stores. You could also search on Facebook for photography groups in your area. Getting to know other photographers is perhaps the best way I’ve seen to find 2nd shooting opportunities.

Personally, when I need to hire a 2nd shooter (if James is not available to shoot with me) I want to hire someone that I know and have built a relationship with. All of the people that are on my “call” list I met at a local photography group meeting or workshop. Check out this post to learn more about being a 2nd shooter and then get out there and start networking!

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It can definitely be somewhat daunting to put yourself out there and get started in the photography industry! There are many ways to go about doing it, so keep in mind that I’m not saying the way I’ve done everything is the only way or the right way. The one thing I can say that I think most professionals would agree with me on is to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!

Just like a college baseball player can’t make it into the major leagues without putting in a TON of practice, or med-student cant’t do surgery on their own without a TON of practice, you have to put in the time to learn your camera, learn your settings, learn about light, learn about posing, etc. Beyond that, one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that being successful in the photography industry involves knowing just as much (if not more) about running a business, as being able to take good photos. If you don’t have the time or motivation to get the business part down (i.e. paying taxes, figuring out how much to charge to actually make money, etc.), you’ll just be participating in a very expensive hobby. :-)

I hope this post was helpful in some way! I’m going to try to keep these going on a semi-regular basis, so either leave your question on this post or shoot it to me in an email ( jenna@jenna-davis.com ). Peace out!!

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