Second Shooter — Kristen and Nick, peaks Island, ME

Fact: Sometimes I like stepping out of the Alpha Photographer spot to be the Second Shooter. (Whatever, yo, I can hear you laughing.) There are real benefits to being a Second Shooter at a wedding. Seconds aren’t expected to get the money shots, so there’s more room (and time) to think creatively and try to get unusual shots. The pressure is off, so if you’re in the bathroom and you hear the DJ start playing Daddy’s Little Girl, you don’t have to run out trailing toilet paper with your pants half-buttoned to make sure you don’t miss the father/daughter dance. You can steal cheese cubes from the appetizer buffet without most people knowing that you’re not really a guest. And, when the wedding is over, you hand over your files to the head photographer and go home and soak your feet. Job over. The drawback to being a Second is that when you show up for the day, the bride and groom are likely strangers. The main photographer has spent months, even years, getting to know the couple; their likes and dislikes, their special quirks and the way they interact with each other. When the wedding day arrives, the main photographer is greeted like an old friend. The Second, however, has to go find the groom in his underwear and stick a camera in his face, which: Awesome. Really. Hello, I’m Lisa. Carry on, I’m just going to crouch here behind the toilet while you shave.

This time it was different. I hadn’t met Nick and Kristen when I accompanied my totally shazaam friend Molly Bergeron to Peaks Island in Maine to shoot their wedding. Molly told me how great this couple was, but that was SUCH an understatement. From the moment we arrived by ferry at this amazing little island, until the second we pulled away, I felt like I was in the presence of old friends. Kristen and Nick are not only in love with each other, they’re in love with anything and everything around them. Happiness and kindness just radiates from their pores; making for one of the prettiest weddings of the year. I don’t typically post this many images from a wedding when I was the Second, but it was hard to choose! Go see Molly’s blog for the photos with all of the mojo (this was Molly’s last wedding gig prior to her own nuptials, and, as always, she knocked it out of the park); here are some of the shots I was blessed enough to get.

Gorgeous details:

Nick was extremely gracious while I crammed in the bathroom with him.

Hello awesomely attractive groomsmen.

Nick was accommodating and funny despite the crazy hot day.

One of the sweet moments that being a Second got me: Nick’s mom gifted Nick with the wedding ring from his grandparent’s wedding, and had it engraved. I love that Nick teared up.

Kristen and Nick did a First Look (yay!), and it was like something out of a movie. Check out Molly being a rock star photographer. And how fabulous is Kristen arriving in a golf cart? SO fabulous.

Can’t tell you how much I adore this person.

My favorite shot of the day.

Married!

Kristen was spot-on with all of her details. Seriously, how fantastic are those parasols? One of the most gorgeous wedding parties I have ever seen.

Molly poses her brides with so much grace.

I’m including this photo to call attention to the CRAZY paparazzi factor that we have to deal with at weddings. We only have a small window to get shots of the wedding party and their families; so often it looks like this, and when we get back home to edit the photos, the bride is looking at one lens, the groom at another, and the parents at yet another. It’s infuriating! PSA: If you go to a wedding, and you see the professional photographer (who the bride and groom have likely paid BIG money to get good photos) trying to corral family for photos, PLEASE don’t stick your camera up as well. Your flash interferes with our shots, when you call out to the bride you take her attention away from the shots SHE paid for…better to wait until the photographer is finished and then get your shots. Thank you. Rant over.

Last shots of the night. Thank you, Kristen and Nick, for being so great. And thank you, MOLLY, my most wonderful friend, for taking me along and showing me how it’s done. I am forever in awe of your talent and eternally in love with your smile. xo!