Who else loves second shooting? Having been a second shooter for a huge part of my wedding photography career, I cannot stress enough the importance of having a stellar second photographer on your team. I am so blessed to have the experience shooting with the best photographers in the Bay Area.  And as long my schedule permits, I will always welcome the chance to shoot with other photographers. First of all, the pressure is off. While the second photographer plays a vital role in completing the photography coverage (I’m often assigned to the groom and his groomsmen, pre-wedding), once the must-have shots are taken — I’m often given creative freedom to shoot whatever I want. It’s AWESOME. And secondly, you learn so much by observing other photographers in action. Often, when I find myself in a creative rut, I can take bits and pieces of what I’ve learned during my second shooting stints. There’s no better on-the-job training.

Last month, I received a Facebook message from uber-talented Nelwin Uy, who is now a much sought after destination wedding photographer, based in Manila. I had met him at WPPI in Las Vegas two years ago and he had actually photographed my friend wedding. Since we met, he’s asked me a couple of times to shoot back-up for him but the timing never worked out. (I was soo bummed out about missing the Costa Rica wedding!) When he asked me again if I was able to shoot with him, I jumped at the chance.  At the wedding, I met his lovely wife and little girl and we just had a blast.

Thank you, Nelwin for letting me use these images on my blog. As of press time, he’s gallavanting the world (is it Seatte now) on a much-needed vacation.

Photography: Auey Santos for Nelwin Uy Photography

Venue: Flood Mansion

Hair and Makeup: Taylor Pham of Mimi & Taylor

Florist: Miguel Torres of McCalls

Caterer: Global Gourmet Catering

Event Coordinator: Jessica Goldblatt of Dreams on a Dime

DJ: Cris Ratkovic of BKR Productions