Old North Photography captures timeless wedding photography with an emphasis on storytelling. Since 2014, we have been capturing weddings across Chicago and the surrounding areas. As an award-winning videography company, we shoot over 300 weddings annually in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. We've just added photography to our services! We are excited to expand our team of creative, friendly, and eager photographers as we head into the 2026/2027 wedding season! This contracting position offers an opportunity to be part of our creatively driven team while also developing and honing your photography skills behind the camera. Check out our work! www.oldnorthfilmcompany.com
The Job:
Old North typically sends out two photographers on wedding days: a Lead Photographer (or 1st Photographer) and a Second Photographer. We have openings in both positions and would love to hear about your interests. Lead Photographers take on leadership responsibilities for planning and executing the photography session, as well as fostering relationships with clients and other vendors such as the wedding planner, videographer, and venue coordinator. Our Lead Photographers have mastered our visual style and have demonstrated leadership, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills that align with our quality standards. Lead Photographers… MUST have great communication skills and are required to have at least one phone call with our wedding clients per wedding, as well as emails with wedding planners, second photographers, and Old North. We try to keep these emails to a minimum, but we expect our contractors to stay updated and be punctual in responses. Are expected to coordinate and plan as needed with Second Photographers to ensure everything is aligned for the upcoming wedding day. Must prepare thoroughly for the wedding day, making sure all equipment is necessary, checked, and double-checked. Are expected to carefully import photos soon after the wedding day and upload them to Dropbox by the following Monday after the wedding weekend, ensuring everything is backed up and accounted for. Second Photographers assist the Lead Photographer by capturing cinematic, candid moments of the bride, groom, bridal party, guests, and details that help tell the story of the wedding day.
Other responsibilities include:
Communicating well with the Lead Photographer, Old North, and, occasionally, the clients, wedding planners, and videographers. Preparing thoroughly for the wedding day with all equipment necessary, checked, and double-checked. Carefully importing memory cards after the wedding and uploading all photos to Dropbox by the following Monday after the wedding weekend, ensuring everything is backed up and correctly imported.
Who We Are Looking For:
We love weddings! Weddings are one of the most important days of our clients' lives. You don't need to be a romantic, but you do need to respect this and treat every job with that understanding. Often, our clients feel like you've become a friend over the course of the day, and they treat you more like a guest than their photographer. We think this is an honor, and we hope our photographers feel the same. We (and our clients) know that when you're at a wedding, you're at work—but if you truly feel like this is "just another job" or are begrudgingly working weddings to pay the bills, we and our clients will notice.
Qualities We Value:
Student Mentality:
You may be a top-notch professional, but we value those eager to learn our style, who accept constructive feedback, and ask great questions.
Balance of Professionalism & Friendliness:
Weddings require this delicate balance—not everyone can master it.
Attentive and Present:
Stay off your phone during the in-between moments in the day. Relating Well with
Vendors:
Maintain a professional attitude and build relationships with videographers, planners, venue managers, and other vendors. Hold your tongue in difficult situations—no gossiping or back-biting.
Adaptable:
Be flexible and willing to adjust to shooting style updates, gear changes, Dropbox, and other adjustments. Eager to
Improve:
Always looking to enhance your technical skills and asking for input from Old North.
Professional Appearance:
Dress according to our suggestions and maintain good hygiene.
Team-Oriented:
Represent Old North and consider yourself part of our team. Willing to
Share Insights:
Provide feedback on photography techniques, gear suggestions, and editing ideas.
Requirements:
Access to a Vehicle. Experience with professional photography. Understanding of photography principles (shutter speed, aperture, ISO, framing, etc.) Only Required for
Lead Photographers:
Experience with advanced camera techniques and gear. Understanding of lighting and various photography tools.
Equipment:
We never want the lack of equipment to prevent a great candidate from joining us! However, we expect all our photographers to eventually have a full set of their own equipment.
Compensation:
Lead Photographers:
$125/hour based on our wedding packages, which average 9-10 hours per wedding ($1,125-1,250 per wedding).
Second Photographers:
$60/hour based on our wedding packages, which average 9-10 hours per wedding ($540-$600 per wedding). Please note that you may work additional hours outside of the package hours, including client communication, preparation, driving, arriving early, staying late, or importing/uploading photos. These additional hours are not compensated, but we strive to keep them to a minimum.
Additional Considerations:
Parking and mileage during the wedding day are reimbursed. Travel from home to the wedding location is not reimbursed within 60 miles. You may be provided with dinner and sometimes lunch. However, there may be times when this is not provided, so please be prepared with snacks and water. Tipping is common, with weddings often tipping between $50-$250. Opportunity for
Growth:
After shooting 2-7 weddings with Old North and demonstrating both technical proficiency and the right personality, you may be eligible to become a Lead Photographer.
The Hiring and Training Process:
If your portfolio and application seem like a good match, we will reach out for a short video interview. If this goes well, we'll invite you to a training workshop, which also serves as a second interview. These workshops are free and highly beneficial for improving your skills. We will then schedule your first Second Photographer wedding. How to
Apply:
When applying, PLEASE
SEND A LINK TO YOUR PHOTO WORK.
Do not send just a resume. Portfolio links (such as to a personal website) are preferred.
Required Content:
Wedding Photography Portrait Photography (preferably with couples) Other Professional Photography (portraits, events, etc.) Miscellaneous photography content shot by you If you've worked on team-based projects, please clearly note your exact role in the production, specific shots you captured, and the responsibilities you held. Optionally, write a brief note to us about your interest in working with our team. Only applicants who submit a portfolio will be considered. We look forward to your application!
