Definition
A second shooter is an additional photographer who works alongside your lead photographer on the wedding day. While I photograph the main moment, the second shooter covers the other angle, the other room, or the guests reacting.
$100/hr
Per hour the second shooter works
15 to 30
Extra finished images per hour
On request
Never added to a package by default
1
Photographer included in every package
How a Second Shooter Works on a Wedding Day
Most wedding days happen in two places at once. One of you gets ready in a hotel suite while the other is down the hall or across town. During the ceremony I face you as you walk the aisle, and your partner's reaction happens behind my back, which is exactly where a second shooter stands.
There's no fixed script for where a second shooter goes. Before the wedding we talk through your day together and decide where a second angle helps most. One common setup looks like this:
- Getting ready: I stay with one of you and the second shooter stays with the other.
- Ceremony: I shoot from the front of the aisle. The second shooter covers the back, the side angles, and guest reactions.
- Cocktail hour: While I run family formals and portraits, the second shooter photographs guests, the room, and the reception details before anyone sits down.
- Reception: Two angles on toasts, first dances, and the dance floor.
Short answer: If your guest list sits under 100 and everyone gets ready at one address, one photographer covers the day. Getting ready at two addresses is the clearest reason to add a second shooter.
When a Second Shooter Makes Sense
- You're getting ready at two different addresses
- Your guest list is over 100
- The ceremony and reception are at different venues
- Your ceremony venue limits where photographers stand, which some churches do by keeping us in the balcony or the back row
- You want your walk down the aisle and your partner's face in the same moment
Smaller days at one address rarely need one. Plenty of Kansas City venues host the ceremony on a lawn and the reception 40 feet away. On those days, a second shooter adds cost without adding much to your gallery.
What a Second Shooter Costs in Kansas City
Second photographers are almost never standard in Kansas City packages, and industry-wide the add-on runs from a few hundred dollars to $1,500 depending on hours. Ask any photographer whether the price is per hour or flat, because the two produce different bills.
I price mine by the hour so the math stays simple. Eight hours of second shooter coverage on Package B adds $800, bringing the total to $3,300. Four hours from getting ready through the ceremony adds $400. Still choosing your hours? My guide on how many hours of wedding photography you need walks through the math.
How I Book Second Shooters
Every package includes one photographer, and I'm the one behind the camera. A second shooter is available on request with any wedding or elopement package at $100 per hour worked. You pay only for the hours the second shooter is on site, so you're never buying a full day you don't need.
I photograph weddings solo by default and add a second shooter only when you ask for one, so the decision stays with you. Once you do, we plan their hours and their angles around your timeline before the wedding, the same way we plan mine.
A second shooter adds 15 to 30 finished images for every hour on site, on top of the 35 to 55 per hour I deliver. Photos from both photographers arrive together in one edited gallery within the standard 4 to 6 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Second Shooters
No. Every package includes one photographer by default. A second shooter is available on request at $100 per hour worked.
At $100 per hour, a second shooter for an 8-hour wedding costs $800. Added to my 8-hour Package B, the total comes to $3,300.
No. You pay per hour worked, so the second shooter covers only the hours you choose. Getting ready through the ceremony is the stretch where a second angle matters most.
Rarely. Elopements are small and usually happen at one or two locations, so one photographer sees everything. A second shooter is still available on every elopement package at the same $100 per hour.
A second shooter adds 15 to 30 finished images for every hour on site, on top of the 35 to 55 per hour I deliver. Four hours of second shooter coverage adds roughly 60 to 120 photos.
Thinking About a Second Shooter? Send me your guest count and where you’re each getting ready. I’ll tell you whether one photographer covers your day. Start the conversation →
