Second Shooter Guide for Event Photography: Hire, Coordinate, and Deliver

Large events — weddings with 500+ guests, multi-stage conferences, sports tournaments — need more than one photographer. A well-coordinated second shooter doubles your coverage without doubling your stress. Here's how to make it work.

When You Need a Second Shooter

• Weddings over 200 guests: One photographer can't cover the couple, the guests, and the details simultaneously.
• Multi-venue events: Ceremony in one location, reception in another — you need coverage at both.
• Corporate conferences: Multiple breakout sessions happening simultaneously.
• Sports tournaments: Multiple matches on different fields at the same time.

Hiring the Right Second Shooter

• Skill level: They don't need to match your skill, but they need to be competent with manual settings and event pace.
• Gear: They should bring their own camera body and at least 2 lenses. Matching camera brands helps with consistent color.
• Reliability: Show up on time, dressed appropriately, with charged batteries. This matters more than talent.
• Communication: They need to be comfortable taking direction and asking questions.

The Pre-Event Briefing

• Share the event timeline and shot list.
• Assign zones: "You cover the left side and guest reactions. I'll cover the stage and couple."
• Agree on camera settings: matching white balance and color profile ensures consistent editing.
• Set communication protocol: WhatsApp group for real-time coordination during the event.

Coordinating with Kam-Sync

Kam-Sync supports up to 10 photographers uploading to the same event gallery simultaneously:

• Each photographer gets their own Kam-Sync FTP credentials.
• All photos feed into one unified gallery automatically.
• Duplicate detection prevents the same photo from appearing twice.
• Remote album switching lets you organize photos by function or location without touching cameras.
• Guests see a seamless gallery — they don't know (or care) which photographer took which photo.

Payment and Contracts

• Flat rate: Pay a fixed amount for the day. Simple and predictable.
• Hourly rate: ₹1,000-₹3,000/hour depending on experience and city.
• Image rights: Clarify in writing — typically, the lead photographer owns all images. The second shooter cannot use them in their portfolio without permission.
• Credit: Decide upfront whether the second shooter gets credit on social media posts.

Delivering a Unified Gallery

• Collect all photos from the second shooter immediately after the event.
• Cull and edit together for consistent look and feel.
• Apply the same preset to all photos regardless of which photographer took them.
• Upload the complete, unified gallery to Kamero for delivery.