Second-Shooters: Where to stand when the bride walks down the aisle

Hey guys!

This is my first post for photographers, and it feels weird to be preaching to my own choir, but this is important enough to be said!

Part of the honor, but also complete terror of being a wedding photographer is knowing that you are capturing someone’s FOREVER photos. Wedding photos can’t be redone, so if you miss a moment, a second, it’s gone forever.

One of those can’t miss, oh so important moments is the groom’s reaction when the bride walks down the aisle, which I usually have my second-shooter focus on since I am focused on the bride. You think you’ve got it locked down, you prepare, you’re standing in the perfect spot to photograph his face, and then, EVERYONE STANDS UP.

Yeah, you forgot, didn’t you? I know you did because I have too! It’s every photographers worst nightmare, the crowd stands up to honor the bride as she walks down the aisle, and all of a sudden our perfectly-framed shot is completely blocked! So what can you do?!

My solution: With a zoom lens (I use a 70-200mm) get to the highest ground possible so that when people stand, it won’t block your shot. I shamelessly pull a chair to the back corner of the ceremony area and stand on that just for this shot, or use a ledge if the environment provides one.

Literally, that’s all this blog post has to offer, but if it saves just one photographer from the dreaded reality of missing the grooms face, then my job here is done!

xo-
Kelsey