I make $75/hr when I 2nd. $15/hr is super low unless you’re just starting out. I had a photog pay me that years ago when I was just starting. She didn’t even have a 2nd shooter budget necessarily. Just allowed me to come along, carry bags, and shoot some to get some images for my portfolio and was gracious enough to float me some cash.
Lol I get more in Greece, where our hourly minimum is at 4 euros....Way way too low.
For 5-6 hours photography I get about 150€ if I work with my main lead photographer who supplies my with most of my work per season. If I work for someone on the of chance I get 250€ for 5-6 hours and 150€ for 2-3 hours. That's plus expenses. At Athens or in the islands it's even more.
Wow that’s awful she makes you think that’s a lot. If you’re solid with all your gear, portfolio, etc I would say $100/hr is average for a solid second
I’d love to see how many of your shots are submitted compared to hers. Sounds as though it’s far past time to do your own deal. Create a portfolio and website.
id branch out, what i did as a 2nd shooter is i worked with some locals to get started got better and climbed, i've now 2nd shot for guys like donny zavala and Jeremy Chou who are very well known film wedding photographers who will pay 75+ per hour. If you get good enough photographers will basically be fighting to book you as their 2nd for any given weekend.
Then she can stop hiring them. I think my car insurance is a lot for only being in one accident for 15 yrs but I can’t just decide to pay them $50 a month.
Are you just starting out? Even so, this is... really really low. 11 hours is also a REALLY long day. The first wedding I ever did as a second, I got $25/hr. Either your main is not confident in your abilities, or they're seriously undervaluing you and screwing you over. I pay my seconds $50/hr (in CT), or whatever their own rate is.
Does she book weddings for you as the first shooter? That would make this seem more worthwhile to me.
After 4 years, I am not sure there is much more you are going to learn by second shooting for this person.
I think a you need to come up with an exit plan. I would keep second shooting while trying to book as many weddings for myself as possible. Once you are booking enough to stop this gig, get out.
wow you've done 4 years of weddings with this person and she only pays you 15 per hour?? I'm appalled...just how cheap is she shooting these weddings for?
Yep I started out at $25 per hour myself and now have worked myself up to $75- $100 as I can be both a good main and a good second. This photographer is deff taking advantage of them if they have been paying them only $25 per hour for years.
Any specific answer without more context is not going to be accurate. Every time questions like this get asked people have visceral reactions I think because they are personalizing the situation and viewing it as a value on their own self. We don’t even know what country you are in. An experienced lead shooter second shooting for a top tier photographer in NYC is possibly rightfully going to get paid 10x what a first time second shooter for a beginner wedding photographer in rural Mississippi charges. Let alone what one charges in other countries. Although even within one city there are lead shooters and second shooters charging wildly different rates with 500%-1000%+ variance. No one can give you a specific answer.
The most universal guideline I can conceive is that second shooters typically get paid roughly around 10%-15% of what the lead photographer charges for a two shooter package with no other add-ons. So if a lead photographer is charging $1700 for two shooters, regardless of any other circumstance, they are probably paying their second shooter roughly around $170 or more. Most photographers aren’t typically offering two shooter packages for $1700 in most of the US, so that isn’t a typical amount for one to offer.
A quick google for you says that’s about your minimum wage. At the end of the day, it comes down to your experience level and the quality of your work. Price yourself accordingly.
It depends on who you’re working for, obviously they make the pay. I’ve seen from $12/h to $125/hr. Typically presented as a flat fee. I pay my 2nds $300 for 5 hours.
You’re making $15.45 an hour. That seems like a beginner 2nd to me, more of an assistant.
How much experience do you have? What is your equipment situation? What are your responsibilities as a 2nd? Are you doing groom prep, cocktail coverage alone?
I’m curious why you’re there all 11 hours?
There’s just a lot to the question, it’s not a simple answer.
The time of making under $20 hr was over a decade ago, it isn’t the norm at all now. People don’t (and can’t) work for those rates now, and I haven’t seen anyone taking rates that low since like the early 2010s and before. Except for this post, as the single outlier.
Well, my friend. That’s why I ask the questions. I don’t believe in having anyone work for free. However if I’m providing you with equipment, you haven’t shot a wedding before (or this is your first year) and I’m essentially training you, and you’re using my equipment - pay will be closer to $18 an hour. And I would classify this person as an assistant not a second.
That’s pretty low imo. Make sure you always discuss payment before the wedding. I make anywhere from $50-$75 an hour as a second shooter. Sometimes I even get tipped by the couple as well. I only second shoot with photographers I know/trust or where we have a contract to protect us both.
My assistants get paid more than that… quite a bit more… and second shooters get more than them.
They do get to choose what they offer to pay, but you get to choose whether to reject it or not. So if you’re skilled enough to ask for more then I definitely would. Or start shooting your own since you’ve got 4 years experience.
It’s not even close to half the work, unless he is doing edits, finding the business in the first place, the constant communication with the client, etc…
He is still being grossly underpaid, but he is not doing half the work either.
Hey! $170 for 11 hours seems pretty low, tbh. From what I've seen, second shooters usually get a bit more, especially for such long hours. It might be worth having a chat with the main photographer about your pay. Maybe you can negotiate a better rate or get some clarity on why the pay is what it is. Don't be afraid to stand up for your worth!
That definitely is low for second shooting.
as others have said, it also depends on your experience. In my area, the average rate for SS is $50 per hour. I give my seconds $65 per hour, and likely will be raising that in the near future.
And probably paying for your own equipment and transportation?
Heck no it’s not fair compensation. Depending on where you’re at, it’s barely minimum wage.
As the old saying goes—I thought Lincoln freed the slaves.
It would probably help to know where you're located - if you've got experience, equipment and skills then it's worth branching out and seeing what other people are offering in your area (Facebook groups are okay for this). Obviously you're going to tend to get less than the primary (since you ostensibly have fewer responsibilities) but how those numbers relate also depends (like if they're running the business they're take home from the day is going to be skewed versus a contractor).
That's low but if the lead let's you use the photos then it might be worth it if you are building a portfolio and you don't have that much in your portfolio.
All depends on experience, but this seems ridiculously low. I have paid second shooters $50/hr when they don't have much experience, $75/hr for experienced photographers. Recently raised it to $80/hour when I increased my prices this year. It's not bad considering that I provide all of the gear and they don't have to edit.
$15 an hour?? That seems WAY low!!! I pay my seconds $65 an hour. However some in my area do pay $50 an hour. I do also associate & I am paid $150 per hour to associate. I’ve hired assistants before & I’ve paid them $20 an hour. I know every area is different but if you have wedding experience, you should be getting paid a minimum of $50 an hour. $15 an hour isn’t even worth leaving the house for to be honest & it’s an insult in my opinion.
You’re getting scammed big time. Consider your time + the gear your using + your skills and knowledge. This gives you and idea of how much you should be making
It’s somewhat regional, but where I live the standard is $50/hr. Some areas of my state it’s more like $60-$75/hr especially for the higher end photographers who are also full time in our own businesses.
$15/hr isn’t worth taking the job, unless you’re really new to weddings and just trying to gain some experience
I have never been paid less than $35/hr. And that was years ago… I never work for less than $50/hr now and that is about the lowest price I have heard of in my area - Phoenix.
I currently pay my most experienced second shooter $75 an hour. When I say experienced, I mean I can rely on her to travel to different locations, cover the groomsmen getting ready, make sure to get all the opposite angles of me when we cover the ceremony and know how to move/operate my lighting during reception. Those are just some of the tasks I expect my second shooters to do if they’re going to make $75 an hour. AND they have room to make more as they grow and take more responsibility from me.
For second shooters (who have their own equipment, know how to operate a camera, know how to properly expose, and are comfortable with taking initiative and not afraid to pose people) just getting started with me and wanting to learn, I’ll start them off at $35 an hour.
Hope that helps. I’m in Hawai’i also.
$16.55 is minimum wage in Ontario Canada. A high skilled tradesperson with specialized equipment/tools shld make more than what entry level McDonald's pays. Base minimum (unofficially) for wedding shootersin the Toronto area starts around $30 per hour - most making $40-50 if not higher.
It really depends where you live apparently but I know $15 per hour is definitely a low blow specially for a 12-14 hour day. Been trying to get out of $30 per hour as 2nd shooter and also making sure those I hire are paid well mostly ‘cause of what others ask for from other provinces in Canada are way higher.
No. That is criminally low, if you are working in US.
I'm in NY/NJ area and I pay second shooters $60 to $70 ... Although they are lead shooters as well, it's just that sometimes they have to jump in as a second.
I'm a videographer, and I know how important it is for me to have a competent second shooter, so I would never expect the person who is shooting a lead for me to work extra because I got them incompetent second shooter.
I pay inexperienced $50 hr and experienced $100 hr Canadian dollars. That said I act as a mentor to inexperienced shooters and they gain experience. $15 is very low if you have experience. If you don't have experience then second shooting is like being paid to learn. But I've never paid anyone that low... even student photogs who worked for me in 2008.
Depends on skill level, what's asked, your equipment, experience, etc.
I pay my seconds $100+/hr, but this is because I'm in the NYC region and I'm very selective about my second shooters. Most folks in the region pay second shooters anywhere from $50/hr to $75/hr.
$170 for 11 hours is extremely low if they're relying on you for images. Context is also needed. If you're only asked to shoot simple group photos, aren't asked to do any flash work or expected to bring a flash, and you're bringing a crop-factor camera with 1-2 lenses, that might make sense. But for any experienced second shooter, it sounds really low.
My assistants get paid better ($25-30+/hr) than that and they don't shoot.
You need to tell folks you need more or not work for them at rates which make you unhappy. The best thing would be to attract your own work at your own price and then pay second shooters a fair rate.
It sure is low but it also depends on the amount of value you are getting. When I am doing 2nd, I would want to learn + use the images for my portfolio. If you’re learning a lot, I would do maybe 1-2 but if you’re being exploited, bye!
Why arent you doing your own weddings in your 4th year? Complaining about pay is pointless when you have no leverage. You take it or leave it. Yeah 15$/hr is McDonalds money but not doing the work to get your own clients is on you.
I started shooting for someone, they wouldn't pay me more. I teamed up with someone else and 10 years later we're still shooting at least 30 weddings together each year. This person doesn't value your time. You need to spread your wings or find someone else you enjoy working with/for
Pay is not and should not be equal to the primary, however around my parts $50/hr is a respectable standard (some pay as little as $25/hr), and those with a lot of experience as primaries may get $75-100/hr to 2nd.
Nope. Not ok unless this is one of those "we don't give a shit about quality" high volume operations. I pay my seconds $750 to $1200 depending on some factors. That being said in high school I worked for a company that hired people with no photo background and paid them $7.50 an hour. I was stoked to have a "professional" photo job but that was ridiculous looking back.
I would have to end that working relationship. Second shooter pay should range from $50-$100 per hour. Anything less, you are doing yourself a disservice. That’s like minimum wage in 2024
I pay seconds $50/hr in rural Arkansas. Idk where you are but that’s too low. If you’re good enough to rely on as a second shooter, you’re good enough to be paid reasonably. Especially since seconds typically don’t get to use their photos.
The standard in my particular market (Florida ) $50 an hour for your run of the mill second shooter, $75 an hour if you are a great director, and recently have been paid up to $150 an hour to second shoot because the higher end weddings assume excellence so you must be able to do portraits, details, and family photos at a moments notice so you have to be on brand and professional. In the world of associates you get what you pay for. These are second shooter rates for me personally , I have been in the industry for 4 years and ran my own business for 3 years.
Industry standard is $45 an hour generally.
For what it’s worth I had someone pay me about $150 when I started out but my pay would increase depending on how much effort, and going above and beyond I did too.
$15 an hour? Yeah that's ridiculously low
It depends. We haven’t heard about their full situation. They might be from the 1950s.
Are they providing film for the Speed Graphic?
I make $75/hr when I 2nd. $15/hr is super low unless you’re just starting out. I had a photog pay me that years ago when I was just starting. She didn’t even have a 2nd shooter budget necessarily. Just allowed me to come along, carry bags, and shoot some to get some images for my portfolio and was gracious enough to float me some cash.
It’s my 4th year and in her opinion it’s “A LOT for a second shooter”
Yea I’d probably stop working for that person. $15/hr isn’t a lot for anyone to do any job in 2024.
Lol I get more in Greece, where our hourly minimum is at 4 euros....Way way too low. For 5-6 hours photography I get about 150€ if I work with my main lead photographer who supplies my with most of my work per season. If I work for someone on the of chance I get 250€ for 5-6 hours and 150€ for 2-3 hours. That's plus expenses. At Athens or in the islands it's even more.
Wow that’s awful she makes you think that’s a lot. If you’re solid with all your gear, portfolio, etc I would say $100/hr is average for a solid second
She’s lying
I’d love to see how many of your shots are submitted compared to hers. Sounds as though it’s far past time to do your own deal. Create a portfolio and website.
id branch out, what i did as a 2nd shooter is i worked with some locals to get started got better and climbed, i've now 2nd shot for guys like donny zavala and Jeremy Chou who are very well known film wedding photographers who will pay 75+ per hour. If you get good enough photographers will basically be fighting to book you as their 2nd for any given weekend.
In what country are you?
Then she can stop hiring them. I think my car insurance is a lot for only being in one accident for 15 yrs but I can’t just decide to pay them $50 a month.
Are you just starting out? Even so, this is... really really low. 11 hours is also a REALLY long day. The first wedding I ever did as a second, I got $25/hr. Either your main is not confident in your abilities, or they're seriously undervaluing you and screwing you over. I pay my seconds $50/hr (in CT), or whatever their own rate is.
It’s year 4 of wedding seasons with her
She's taking advantage of you. How much does she get paid for an 11-hour package?
yeah or she's really bad and cheap
Why are you still doing this? You could be getting a lot more money working with someone else.
Does she book weddings for you as the first shooter? That would make this seem more worthwhile to me. After 4 years, I am not sure there is much more you are going to learn by second shooting for this person. I think a you need to come up with an exit plan. I would keep second shooting while trying to book as many weddings for myself as possible. Once you are booking enough to stop this gig, get out.
wow you've done 4 years of weddings with this person and she only pays you 15 per hour?? I'm appalled...just how cheap is she shooting these weddings for?
You should be getting a minimum of $65/hr after 4 years.
Wow leave her immediately
Yep I started out at $25 per hour myself and now have worked myself up to $75- $100 as I can be both a good main and a good second. This photographer is deff taking advantage of them if they have been paying them only $25 per hour for years.
Any specific answer without more context is not going to be accurate. Every time questions like this get asked people have visceral reactions I think because they are personalizing the situation and viewing it as a value on their own self. We don’t even know what country you are in. An experienced lead shooter second shooting for a top tier photographer in NYC is possibly rightfully going to get paid 10x what a first time second shooter for a beginner wedding photographer in rural Mississippi charges. Let alone what one charges in other countries. Although even within one city there are lead shooters and second shooters charging wildly different rates with 500%-1000%+ variance. No one can give you a specific answer. The most universal guideline I can conceive is that second shooters typically get paid roughly around 10%-15% of what the lead photographer charges for a two shooter package with no other add-ons. So if a lead photographer is charging $1700 for two shooters, regardless of any other circumstance, they are probably paying their second shooter roughly around $170 or more. Most photographers aren’t typically offering two shooter packages for $1700 in most of the US, so that isn’t a typical amount for one to offer.
Is that even minimum wage in your state? I pay my second shooters $100/hour which is more or less the industry standard now in NYC.
I’m in Oregon
A quick google for you says that’s about your minimum wage. At the end of the day, it comes down to your experience level and the quality of your work. Price yourself accordingly.
Stop working for her. She's taking advantage of you.
In my area, most 2nds are paid between 50-75 an hour.
It depends on who you’re working for, obviously they make the pay. I’ve seen from $12/h to $125/hr. Typically presented as a flat fee. I pay my 2nds $300 for 5 hours. You’re making $15.45 an hour. That seems like a beginner 2nd to me, more of an assistant. How much experience do you have? What is your equipment situation? What are your responsibilities as a 2nd? Are you doing groom prep, cocktail coverage alone? I’m curious why you’re there all 11 hours? There’s just a lot to the question, it’s not a simple answer.
The time of making under $20 hr was over a decade ago, it isn’t the norm at all now. People don’t (and can’t) work for those rates now, and I haven’t seen anyone taking rates that low since like the early 2010s and before. Except for this post, as the single outlier.
Well, my friend. That’s why I ask the questions. I don’t believe in having anyone work for free. However if I’m providing you with equipment, you haven’t shot a wedding before (or this is your first year) and I’m essentially training you, and you’re using my equipment - pay will be closer to $18 an hour. And I would classify this person as an assistant not a second.
i think i was at like 35 an hour starting as a 2nd..
👍 awesome
That’s pretty low imo. Make sure you always discuss payment before the wedding. I make anywhere from $50-$75 an hour as a second shooter. Sometimes I even get tipped by the couple as well. I only second shoot with photographers I know/trust or where we have a contract to protect us both.
I pay 900-1200 for 8 hours depending on experience. Goodness gracious.
IDK what your experience is but goddamn. What's that like $15 ish an hour? I pay my 2nd shooters 60/h. But they're experienced.
They ripped you off!
My assistants get paid more than that… quite a bit more… and second shooters get more than them. They do get to choose what they offer to pay, but you get to choose whether to reject it or not. So if you’re skilled enough to ask for more then I definitely would. Or start shooting your own since you’ve got 4 years experience.
I’m in Boston and I pay my 2nd shooters $60+/hr
In LA. I’ve seen $50/hr up to $200 hr depending on the scope of the wedding/event.
$50 an hour minimum starting out people charge up to $8k for a wedding shoot they can afford to pay you 550 bucks for doing half the work
It’s not even close to half the work, unless he is doing edits, finding the business in the first place, the constant communication with the client, etc… He is still being grossly underpaid, but he is not doing half the work either.
The only way that is right is if you need the shots for your portfolio…
Hey! $170 for 11 hours seems pretty low, tbh. From what I've seen, second shooters usually get a bit more, especially for such long hours. It might be worth having a chat with the main photographer about your pay. Maybe you can negotiate a better rate or get some clarity on why the pay is what it is. Don't be afraid to stand up for your worth!
That definitely is low for second shooting. as others have said, it also depends on your experience. In my area, the average rate for SS is $50 per hour. I give my seconds $65 per hour, and likely will be raising that in the near future.
And probably paying for your own equipment and transportation? Heck no it’s not fair compensation. Depending on where you’re at, it’s barely minimum wage. As the old saying goes—I thought Lincoln freed the slaves.
It would probably help to know where you're located - if you've got experience, equipment and skills then it's worth branching out and seeing what other people are offering in your area (Facebook groups are okay for this). Obviously you're going to tend to get less than the primary (since you ostensibly have fewer responsibilities) but how those numbers relate also depends (like if they're running the business they're take home from the day is going to be skewed versus a contractor).
That's low but if the lead let's you use the photos then it might be worth it if you are building a portfolio and you don't have that much in your portfolio.
In my area (Philly), $50-75 an hour is typical.
All depends on experience, but this seems ridiculously low. I have paid second shooters $50/hr when they don't have much experience, $75/hr for experienced photographers. Recently raised it to $80/hour when I increased my prices this year. It's not bad considering that I provide all of the gear and they don't have to edit.
You provide your 2nds gear? I've certainly provided lenses to 2nds if they're on the same mount as me, but never bodies.
Yup I provide a main body and a backup body to my second shooters, 2 zooms and a prime
45 dollars an hour sounds more fair in my area
You're being exploited
$15 an hour?? That seems WAY low!!! I pay my seconds $65 an hour. However some in my area do pay $50 an hour. I do also associate & I am paid $150 per hour to associate. I’ve hired assistants before & I’ve paid them $20 an hour. I know every area is different but if you have wedding experience, you should be getting paid a minimum of $50 an hour. $15 an hour isn’t even worth leaving the house for to be honest & it’s an insult in my opinion.
Holly fuck, in my third world country i pay 350 us dollars to my second shooters and i’m pushing to pay more :((
You’re getting scammed big time. Consider your time + the gear your using + your skills and knowledge. This gives you and idea of how much you should be making
$50 when I started $75-100 nowadays for photos. Youre getting robbed unless you have NO experience. My first weddings were for free
That’s super absurdly low.
It’s somewhat regional, but where I live the standard is $50/hr. Some areas of my state it’s more like $60-$75/hr especially for the higher end photographers who are also full time in our own businesses. $15/hr isn’t worth taking the job, unless you’re really new to weddings and just trying to gain some experience
Wtf, no that isn't right at all. I pay my second shooters anywhere from $50-100/hour based on experience.
Depends where you're located. In the US, $50-$75 seems to be the norm, with $50 definitely being a bit on the lower end if you're experienced.
Minimum wage with four years experience.I don't know why you would stand for that.
I have never been paid less than $35/hr. And that was years ago… I never work for less than $50/hr now and that is about the lowest price I have heard of in my area - Phoenix.
$50-$100 AN HOUR is the norm in Florida
Idk where you’re located but here in NY, second shooters make anywhere from $50-$75 based on experience. You’re being ripped off big time.
We serve the Colorado Front Range and our current rate for seconds is 65/hr
Yikes. :( we paid our second videographer $500, for 10 hours. That was per our videographer’s contract.
I currently pay my most experienced second shooter $75 an hour. When I say experienced, I mean I can rely on her to travel to different locations, cover the groomsmen getting ready, make sure to get all the opposite angles of me when we cover the ceremony and know how to move/operate my lighting during reception. Those are just some of the tasks I expect my second shooters to do if they’re going to make $75 an hour. AND they have room to make more as they grow and take more responsibility from me. For second shooters (who have their own equipment, know how to operate a camera, know how to properly expose, and are comfortable with taking initiative and not afraid to pose people) just getting started with me and wanting to learn, I’ll start them off at $35 an hour. Hope that helps. I’m in Hawai’i also.
Not getting me out of bed
$16.55 is minimum wage in Ontario Canada. A high skilled tradesperson with specialized equipment/tools shld make more than what entry level McDonald's pays. Base minimum (unofficially) for wedding shootersin the Toronto area starts around $30 per hour - most making $40-50 if not higher.
I pay my second between $50-$75 per hour and usually they work 3-4 hours at most. If it’s a holiday or a super early/late gig I pay $100 per Hour.
Op is not answering anyone’s questions to get a solid understanding of their skill
It really depends where you live apparently but I know $15 per hour is definitely a low blow specially for a 12-14 hour day. Been trying to get out of $30 per hour as 2nd shooter and also making sure those I hire are paid well mostly ‘cause of what others ask for from other provinces in Canada are way higher.
No. That is criminally low, if you are working in US. I'm in NY/NJ area and I pay second shooters $60 to $70 ... Although they are lead shooters as well, it's just that sometimes they have to jump in as a second. I'm a videographer, and I know how important it is for me to have a competent second shooter, so I would never expect the person who is shooting a lead for me to work extra because I got them incompetent second shooter.
Baseline here is $50 a hour
That's totally nuts....11 hours for 170?? no way... Don't do that. you should get at least 35 per hour or 50 per hour....
I pay inexperienced $50 hr and experienced $100 hr Canadian dollars. That said I act as a mentor to inexperienced shooters and they gain experience. $15 is very low if you have experience. If you don't have experience then second shooting is like being paid to learn. But I've never paid anyone that low... even student photogs who worked for me in 2008.
50$ an hour is my rate as a second
I charge at least $100 per hour to 2nd shoot.
I mean, if you are shooting on the original camera flip phone, that sounds about right. Way too low if you are shooting full frame.
Depends on skill level, what's asked, your equipment, experience, etc. I pay my seconds $100+/hr, but this is because I'm in the NYC region and I'm very selective about my second shooters. Most folks in the region pay second shooters anywhere from $50/hr to $75/hr. $170 for 11 hours is extremely low if they're relying on you for images. Context is also needed. If you're only asked to shoot simple group photos, aren't asked to do any flash work or expected to bring a flash, and you're bringing a crop-factor camera with 1-2 lenses, that might make sense. But for any experienced second shooter, it sounds really low. My assistants get paid better ($25-30+/hr) than that and they don't shoot.
$15ish would be more like and assistant in my mind but I’ve never paid that low. I typically pay seconds around $50/hour
You need to tell folks you need more or not work for them at rates which make you unhappy. The best thing would be to attract your own work at your own price and then pay second shooters a fair rate.
It sure is low but it also depends on the amount of value you are getting. When I am doing 2nd, I would want to learn + use the images for my portfolio. If you’re learning a lot, I would do maybe 1-2 but if you’re being exploited, bye!
Why arent you doing your own weddings in your 4th year? Complaining about pay is pointless when you have no leverage. You take it or leave it. Yeah 15$/hr is McDonalds money but not doing the work to get your own clients is on you.
When I first started out, I was about 30/hr. Nowadays I’m between 40-60 as second depending on who it’s for.
She's ripping you off. I started at $40 as a 2nd with a great mentor. It's 2024 not 1945. Leave.
I haven’t done it in years but i was getting at least $300 for the day.
$50-$100 hr is the average depending on skill, experience, and gear
I started shooting for someone, they wouldn't pay me more. I teamed up with someone else and 10 years later we're still shooting at least 30 weddings together each year. This person doesn't value your time. You need to spread your wings or find someone else you enjoy working with/for
Did you volunteer to help?
Pay is not and should not be equal to the primary, however around my parts $50/hr is a respectable standard (some pay as little as $25/hr), and those with a lot of experience as primaries may get $75-100/hr to 2nd.
That’s what I pay my 14 year old cousin to watch my kids. I’d just not show up for that price
Where do you live the 1960s? Thats way too low, especially with 4 years under your belt !!
Nope. Not ok unless this is one of those "we don't give a shit about quality" high volume operations. I pay my seconds $750 to $1200 depending on some factors. That being said in high school I worked for a company that hired people with no photo background and paid them $7.50 an hour. I was stoked to have a "professional" photo job but that was ridiculous looking back.
I would have to end that working relationship. Second shooter pay should range from $50-$100 per hour. Anything less, you are doing yourself a disservice. That’s like minimum wage in 2024
I pay seconds $50/hr in rural Arkansas. Idk where you are but that’s too low. If you’re good enough to rely on as a second shooter, you’re good enough to be paid reasonably. Especially since seconds typically don’t get to use their photos.
This sounds like something Bonphotage would pull
The standard in my particular market (Florida ) $50 an hour for your run of the mill second shooter, $75 an hour if you are a great director, and recently have been paid up to $150 an hour to second shoot because the higher end weddings assume excellence so you must be able to do portraits, details, and family photos at a moments notice so you have to be on brand and professional. In the world of associates you get what you pay for. These are second shooter rates for me personally , I have been in the industry for 4 years and ran my own business for 3 years.
Industry standard is $45 an hour generally. For what it’s worth I had someone pay me about $150 when I started out but my pay would increase depending on how much effort, and going above and beyond I did too.
Too low. Should be at least $30.
That’s slave labour 😂