Should You Hire a Second Shooter or an Editor First?

When everything feels behind, it's tempting to hire whoever comes available first. But a second shooter and an editor solve completely different bottlenecks, and hiring the wrong one first just moves the backlog somewhere else.

Signs you need a second shooter

• You're turning down bookings because dates clash
• You physically cannot cover two events on the same day

Signs you need an editor

• Shoots are getting done, but delivery is consistently late
• You're spending evenings and weekends editing instead of shooting

The honest test: track where shoots actually pile up for a month — turned-down enquiries, or a growing backlog in editing. Whichever pile is bigger tells you which hire to make first.