When I seconded (how my kid calls it) here's what I've normally done
Photog A - I shoot my own cards, and we either stop by his house on the way home and download the cards, or I stop by his house within the next few days and copy images off the cards. Paid at end of night.
Photog B - I bring a laptop & shoot on his cards. During dinner I'll copy all thats I've shot so far onto my laptop and towards the end of the night when we start packing up I'll download the rest. He leaves with his cards and I have my images on my laptop. Paid at end of night.
Photog C - I shoot on his cards, he mails me DVD of jpgs. Paid at end of night.
Granted I've worked with these 3 a fair amount and I'm not worried about not getting paid or anything. And I can only say good stuff because I know they read this board
TTLKurtis wrote:
Inku, you take people's cards and mail them back? That so would not fly with me. Why don't you just buy CF cards for 2nd to use and then you can take them at end of night and pay.
I wouldn't use you as a second, then.
I'm fine with them using my cards (I have like 25 32GB cards) and paying them the same night. Just don't expect to see any of the images (at least in a timely fashion). I'm ok with that, too.
Inku Yo wrote:
I wouldn't use you as a second, then.
I'm fine with them using my cards (I have like 25 32GB cards) and paying them the same night. Just don't expect to see any of the images (at least in a timely fashion). I'm ok with that, too.
TTLKurtis wrote:
Inku, you take people's cards and mail them back? That so would not fly with me. Why don't you just buy CF cards for 2nd to use and then you can take them at end of night and pay.
Kurtis, it's simple -- Inku is just a stingy bastard.
Inku wrote:
I'm fine with them using my cards (I have like 25 32GB cards) and paying them the same night. Just don't expect to see any of the images (at least in a timely fashion). I'm ok with that, too.
Kurtis wrote:
You send the second the images they shot?
Electronic delivery of the RAW files makes doing this so easy, and most seconds would like to choose a few images from their set for display (or, at least would like to see how their collection looked, if only for self-improvement). Kurtis, does your agreement with your seconds provide them with a license to use the images for self-promotion?
It's not always possible to meet with the primary prior to shooting. I've been in situations where it's geographically impossible to get cards ahead of time so I just shoot with my own cards. After the shoot, if there is a means of dumping the cards I'll do that before taking them home. If not, I give them to the second and get them later...either by mail or in person. Of course, I only shoot with people I know and trust, so I'm not worried about not getting them back.
I only 2nd for people who allow me use the images (unless they pay me a lot more, hasnt happened). But there are a few common sense things I do when I second shoot for people:
1. I don't post teaser shot
2. I wait until a few days after the photographer post/blog about the wedding until I post mine
3. Always credit the main
4. I dont befriend the clients on FB unless they request it (will let the main know).
So usually i just give the main my cards. They mail it back in a few days. No problem so far.
SGallant wrote:
As a second I wouldn't. Who's to say the reverse wouldn't happen and you take forever to get me back $100s in cards. Plus if your second is busy doing multiple weddings in a short time frame how does that play out?
I agree. This did happen to me - ironically at a high end wedding. Was paid on the night, and gave primary 4 Sandisk Extreme Pro 16gb cards (purchased when they were ~$150 apiece) who promised they would be returned within a few days. Weeks went by and no cards, and no response to emails or voice mail. I had plenty of cards, but had to purchase more to cover the frequency of events. ...Show more →
I typically send out the cards on the Monday or Tuesday following the wedding. I use UPS to track. I would never trust the USPS with any kind of valuable mail.
I'm a second shooter and I think its ridiculous to think this day in age you should have to wait that long for your seconds images - or communication!! A week or two if she is on vacation but she should have let you know that at the time of shoot / booking.
To some other comments above.
I currently only second shoot. When I do I go through the images quickly and weed out the out of focus / blinkers and send the rest to the primary using an online drive share almost always the the day after the wedding (obviously personal life permitting). Probably takes an hour or two tops to load them and go through them.
Also - It could be that my pay is abysmally low but for what I make as a second but there is no way in I would give my cards to the primary just to take - if she wanted to download them or meet up that would be one thing but never to take home and mail back at her leisure. No offense primaries but you guys are way to busy and I need my cards!!
dgillyerek wrote:
I'm a second shooter and I think its ridiculous to think this day in age you should have to wait that long for your seconds images - or communication!! A week or two if she is on vacation but she should have let you know that at the time of shoot / booking.
To some other comments above.
I currently only second shoot. When I do I go through the images quickly and weed out the out of focus / blinkers and send the rest to the primary using an online drive share almost always the the day after the wedding (obviously personal life permitting). Probably takes an hour or two tops to load them and go through them.
Also - It could be that my pay is abysmally low but for what I make as a second but there is no way in I would give my cards to the primary just to take - if she wanted to download them or meet up that would be one thing but never to take home and mail back at her leisure. No offense primaries but you guys are way to busy and I need my cards!!...Show more →
Ziffl3 wrote:
your reason 867......sorry but that is dumb. seriously.
instead ...
1) as a primary ...get a card reader and download all images by end of night.
2) bring laptop and down load images to computer and/or portable hard drive.
Why is that dumb? I don't need a second, I don't want a second and I really have innumerable reason WHY I don't want a second. Seriously...
RJKphoto wrote:
Why is that dumb? I don't need a second, I don't want a second and I really have innumerable reason WHY I don't want a second. Seriously...
Kind of figured as much....
never said you or anybody else needs a 2nd shooter. nope.
Just did not agree 867 reasons.
We can find pros and cons to having a 2nd shooter easy enough.
Back on the topic at hand .... at the end of the day it is the primaries responsibility - however he /she want to run there business.
As a 2nd shooter, i like to be prepared and provide a portable hard drive that i down all my images too that the primary can take and then mail back to me. This is one option.
I take a MBA2012 with me to shoots for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th shooters. I rip their photos on-site and transaction is done electronically. Haven't had any problems so far. The reason why I do an on-site backup is because I'm paranoid that information can get lost.
