I met Tessa Woolworth, the dynamo owner of Folk + Wayfarer Photography one year ago (almost exactly) when I attended a bridal photography workshop that she hosted in Columbus, and immediately knew that I wanted to work with her in a real setting. By real, I mean not a workshop, rather an actual wedding.
She and I stayed in touch after the work shop while our lives went on, and I mentioned in passing that if she ever had need for a second shooter that I’d love to be considered, and went back to the general crazy of life. Tessa reached out to me early this spring to ask if I would second shoot for her, for a wedding up in Canton. YES. Absolutely.
Then I did the happy dance around my office.
Second shooting, for those not familiar with the photography world, is when a photographer has been hired to photograph a wedding, or an event, or a (fill in the blank), and the client has either requested, or the primary photographer has chosen to bring in a second camera to assist in documenting the day. While large studios and larger companies have a roster of shooters that they can assign, us smaller shops that don’t have that same roster at our disposal, (which is often 100% by choice), so we hire other photographers who’s work we love, who’s business practices we respect, and who we just generally enjoy to come and work with us for the day.
For me, seconding shooting is an absolute ball. I love it. Don’t get me wrong, I love being the primary as well, the two rolls are very different, and awesome for very different reasons.
When you shoot wth someone else the opportunity to learn and grow is HUGE.
While seconding for someone else, there is this amazing opportunity to watch what they do, how they do it, and why they do it the way that they do.
I FREAKING LOVE IT.
Tessa picked me up that morning, quick stop and Starbucks, then we were on the road.
I have never met a couple more organized when it came to timeline and organization, and oh man, it made shooting a dream. They scheduled in plenty of time for photography and had scouted out gorgeous locations for photos. Plus, they were so crazy in love with each other that it made shooting a dream.
