I was not paid as the second shooter on the wedding, and that was what I wanted. This way, I am able to use my own images.
I recently read something that made me really think about that. Sal Cincotta has an on line magazine called “Behind the Shutter.” In it, his wife has an article about second shooters. She says they always pay their second shooter. They learned a hard lesson about that early when they had a second shooter who was not paid. That person shot over their shoulder. Thus, they go the same image as the principal photographer. They then used the image on their own web site, claiming credit for it. So, now, they pay their second shooters and the second shooter uses their memory cards and must surrender them at the end of the shoot. They are not allowed any use of the images at all.
In some respects, I think that is as immoral as what the second shooter did. I understand that the principal photographer is the one with the job, and has the right to sell and market the images. That’s fine. However, for that person to take credit for producing the image isn’t right. If I shot as a second shooter, and made a really great image, I would not have a problem with not selling the image to the client, but I would have a problem with never being able to use or display that image as mine. And, I would have a great deal of problems with someone else taking credit for the creation of that image. They are no more entitled to that credit than the second shooter who shot over their shoulder.