I don’t know if this is Canon specific because I have only ever shot with canon— I’m sorry if this is canon specific.

But they have an option for RAW or cRAW. I have been shooting on RAW but my friend told me her and a lot of her wedding photog friends shoot cRAW. (Smaller files I guess?)

which I would prefer only bc it would save SO much room.
and with this economy and the crazy prices for storage now I could really use any space I can save lol.

But I want to get a second opinion and maybe further explanation of why you shoot with RAW or cRAW!

Thank you for your help!

I'm curious what everyone is paying (or charging) for second shooting these days, and what factors go into determining that rate.

I know the cost of living has gone up so much across the US, and I absolutely believe photographers should be compensated fairly for their time, experience, and skill.

But I'm also curious how everyone is navigating the differences in experience levels.

For example, I have no problem paying a higher rate for someone who can walk into a wedding day, confidently handle different lighting situations, use off-camera flash when needed, anticipate moments, and work independently.

Where I struggle a little is when someone is asking $75/hour but is still learning some of those fundamentals, like using off camera flash / working in challenging lighting. Or someone who only has one lens kinda thing... no back up gear

And I don't mean that unkindly! We all started somewhere, and I love seeing newer photographers grow. I just think there's a difference between hiring someone who's still developing their skills and someone who can confidently handle just about anything a wedding day throws at them.

So I'm genuinely curious to hear from both lead photographers AND second shooters on this. I'm not looking to debate anyone's worth, just trying to understand how everyone is approaching fair compensation while also accounting for different levels of experience.

Hey everyone!
For U.S.-based wedding photographers who have traveled to Italy or Spain to photograph a wedding and then returned to the United States, I have a question about the legal requirements.
What visa, work permit, or other authorization did you need to legally photograph a wedding in Italy or Spain?
I’m specifically talking about flying in for a wedding you’ve been hired to photograph, working for one or two days, and then flying back to the U.S. — not relocating, opening a business in Europe, or staying long-term.
Did you enter as a tourist, apply for a specific work authorization, or use another legal arrangement?
I’d especially appreciate hearing from photographers who have actually done this and can share their experience, including how they handled the paperwork and how long the process took.
Thanks in advance!

Is she even a wedding coordinator?

Wedding coordinators, please understand when to step in and when to disappear.
Your job during a first look, entrance or any other emotional moment is not to adjust every strand of hair and every fold of the veil every few seconds.
Fix everything before the moment starts.
Once the bride is walking in, once the groom turns around and once they begin talking to each other: please step away.
At a wedding I recently filmed, the coordinator kept lingering around the bride during her first look and entrance, constantly adjusting her veil and dress. And I mean CONSTANTLY.
She even interrupted the first look while the couple was talking by loudly saying, “one moment, let me fix this.”
I still don’t know what she was fixing.
That audio is now part of their first look.
Then when she wasn’t fixing something, she came into the shot with her tripod. I had set up a beautiful wide shot while working around the photographer. The photographer wasn’t in my frame. The coordinator somehow was.
And then: “We’re running late.”
Please 😭
We are running late because I have had to redo shots and moments after you interrupted them.
Please don’t interrupt photographers and videographers in the middle of posing to tell us what pose we should do next either. We have a train of thought. We are watching the light, composition, movement, timeline and what we still need to capture. Having another person directing the couple at the same time doesn’t help us work faster. It slows everything down.
You also don’t need to step in and pose family groups unless the photographer actually asks for help. Helping gather the correct people? Amazing. Calling out names? Amazing. Keeping everyone nearby and organized? AMAZING.
Standing beside the photographer and directing the group yourself? Please don’t.
At one point I genuinely thought she was going to cut the cake with them too. But to my surprise she only stepped in one final time to move the plates closer to the couple because obviously they could not have possibly managed that themselves 😭
We can’t always stop everything during someone’s wedding and say, “please get out of my shot.” We’re trying not to create tension on somebody else’s wedding day.
So please have enough awareness to know when your job has been done.
Brides hire coordinators to make their lives easier. To keep things moving. To protect their timeline. To solve problems quietly behind the scenes.
Not to become part of every important moment.
Fix the veil. Fluff the dress. Gather the family. Prepare the entrance.
And then please, respectfully, GET OUT OF THE SHOT.

Ok, so I know this gets asked all the time. I have been a pretty loyal Sandisk user my entire career but before I drop $3k on newer SD cards (was shooting UHS-I V30's but quickly realizing this shit is too slow for my new cameras) is there really any difference in quality between Sandisk or Lexar. I think the savings is like $300 but always open to thoughts!