I'm sure this question has been asked before but I have searched several different ways and can't find anything.

My boyfriend has assisted me the past 3 years but he's back in school, out-of-town, and I will probably be needing to hire someone else at some point for several weddings over the next year and a half.

What are my options for paying them? Can I get some examples of what everyone here does? What's the norm?

Thanks!

Ooooh, good question!

FYI, STL rates (or what I've been paying) are at the low end of the spectrum. We have a pretty saturated market.

$75 per day for assistant (downloading cards, setting up lights, holding reflector)

$200-300 per day for a second shooter (second lead camera)

$0 per day for a 'tagalong' - I get requests from some who would like wedding day practice/my workflow/etc. I open this position up for weddings of couples who have an extremely stretched budget and have not purchased a second shooter with their package. The Photagalong gets to learn and practice and I get to gift the couple with extra images. Win-win!

If the photaglong downloads cards, sets up lights and/or holds reflectors, do they get the $75?

Occasionally I assist a friend of mine in Philly. For 2nd shooting is $300 and to assist* is $150.

*When I assist, I normally meet her and her 2nd shooter at the church, shoot the ceremony and portraits with them and lug equipment, hold reflectors and lighting and help with the photo list during formals. When we get to the reception I download all the cards and start the slideshow. Sometimes shoot the first dance but mainly do the slideshow. Once the slideshow is done I head home. So I'm *technically* a 3rd shooter for part of the day and assistant as well, but also a much shorter period of the day - not the whole wedding.


For me....I give my 2nd shooters $300 for a full day, less if they're not staying the whole day. To assist (REALLY assist and not shoot much at all) I pay $100. If they can do the slideshow for me, great and shoot great, than wonderful! More money commensurate with experience.

Assistants: $10 an hour (get a well mannered highschooler/college student who likes photography. Let them roam occasionally with your backup gear, works out well)

Second: $30 an hour. For an 8hr wedding thats $230 and $300 for a 10. I'm a little generous but you get what you pay for usually. In my area $20 is acceptable as well.

Why yes they would! But then I would call them an assistant and there wouldn't be any shooting involved. I guess I didn't explain that very well!

Photagalongs get unrestricted creative freedom (within reason) to shoot during the wedding day.

Thanks everyone, helps a lot!

I pay mine $20/hr, including meal time, travel time, and anything. From when we meet up to when we part ways. Assisting only. No shooting.


Eric

Although it varies - In NYC the standard for a 2nd shooter for someone with experience is $400-500ish for 8 hours than $75 to $100 for every hour after. One of my assistants just quit - mid season - with another photographer who refused to pay her more than $300 wedding.

this is in Aussie money, but with exchange rate its not much diference anymore....

I started out on assistant rate, mainly photoshopping and office work at only $10/hr. I did minor shoot assiting work, but never second shot. I worked my way up to $20/hr after 3 years and ALOT of harrasing the boss. He paid his 2nd shooter $250/wedding but was considered one of the highest payers.

Ive 'filled in shoot' for a few photographers being 1st (and only) shooter at $300-$400 a wedding

When i need to start paying an assitant for ME (currently use my ultra cheep Hubby...he works for kisses) will be looking at $100/$120 a day im thinking.

Ooooh, don't send this thread to my assistant/second!! She does everything for me, except the post. And I pay her $100/ wedding. Last year I paid her $85/ wedding... at least she received a raise!

She's only 16 (mature tho) and wanted to learn at first, so I wasn't "depending" on her for anything, just hoped for a few usable shots. Now, she knows what I want and I can really trust her, but she is still new in the photography world.... so she is happy to get her $100.

I pay with beer.

Hmmm...mine gets $300 per 8 hour wedding and $50 per hour overtime.

geez-- I am moving to NY to second shoot! ha ha. St. Louis is behind the times on the payscale! I am still new at this, have only shot 4 or 5 weddings (as you can see on my website that the people in all of the shots look surprisingly similar!) and am working mostly with good people whose work I admire, so I am taking what I get for now, but maybe with a little more experience under my belt, when I am providing more and more good/usable/sellable images to the photographers, I will try to make a little more per wedding. Interesting how wide the range is across the country!

Kate

But then you'd have to pay $2,500 a month to rent in an average 350 sq foot studio apt. ;-). It's all relative to cost of living.

Before, or after the wedding?

I'm sure he means during of course!

I make mine pay me.

My second shooters (who also assist with carrying stuff and what not) and I have worked out a deal where they get get 7.5% of my take-in. Scales nicely. I do a quick wedding/short day, they might only make 150 bucks... Full day affair, they'll make much more.

I was paid $350 on saturday to watch gear and download cards. It depends on the market and the photographer you are assisting.