Less is more
You may be a bride or a photography student asking the question "should there be one or two photographers at a wedding?" It is a good question to ask, but to answer it simply, I would say that "it depends."
I believe that having a photography team or shooting a wedding independently both have an equal amount of advantages/disadvantages. Ultimately it depends on what you prefer, but please continue reading to learn more.
The second shooter myth
It is great having another photographer capture your wedding or special event because "one photographer can't be in two places at once" or "another photographer can provide more diversity in perspectives". However, those statements may not be true for most situations or photography teams.
The advantages of having a second shooter
Here are some known disadvantages to having two photographers at your wedding. These statements aren't true for all photography teams, but they are likely to be the case for the majority.
REASON #1
Investment is less (packages are more expensive with multiple photographers).
REASON #2
The focus can usually be on quality rather than on quantity (no pun intended).
REASON #3
A good photographer doesn't need to be in two places at once to capture the story of important and meaningful images at your event or wedding.
REASON #4
You don't need two photographers to captures a variety of different perspectives (this can be done just fine with one).
REASON #5
Another photographer can sometimes cause confusions with the client and guests.
REASON #6
Artistic and style inconsistencies can occur between photographers.
REASON #7
The lead photographer has to sacrifice some of their time at your event or wedding to manage and communicate with the second shooter.
REASON #8
Receive more images (usually repetitive) that can be overwhelming for you to go through (clients like you usually don't want over a thousand images).
REASON #9
Liability with the trust of dependency with a second shooter to perform (sometimes they don't).
The advantages of having a photography team
For most situations, I conclude that it is better for just one photographer, but there are exceptions! Assuming the photography team works well with each other that has a consistent style (e.g. husband & wife team), here are some known reasons why having two photographers can be fantastic!
REASON #1
Multiple perspectives can be captured during important moments!
REASON #2
More backups! Another photographer can provide extra support just in case the other photographer misses a moment.
REASON #3
Collaboration with two really good photographers can create some fantastic images!
REASON #4
More images can be overwhelming, but if that's your thing, than multiple photographers is the right choice.
REASON #5
Fresh eyes are added to see things in different ways to capture a different angle of your story!
REASON #6
One photographer sometimes can't capture many of the moments as the groomsmen get ready. A second shooter can help with that!
REASON #7
You get another person to connect with if you have questions or would like to build a new friendship.
REASON #8
For large weddings, things are always happening and there is no way that one photographer will be able to capture all of those moments.
REASON #9
During family formals and couple portraits, there is also the cocktail hour happening at the same time! An additional photographer can capture those candid moments as the main photographer captures all the traditional portraits.
Conclusion
There you have it! The advantages and disadvantages of having either one or multiple photographers at your wedding. Personally, I believe that weddings can be captured just fine with one photographer, but having two photographers is also a great option.
At the end of the day, it is just up to you what you prefer.
Hope you liked this article and I hope it provided you with better insight into the difference between independent photographers and photography teams!
