Dv8ed wrote:
This is something thats been on my mind lately. I mainly do music photography live shows. I have shut a handful of bigger metal bands. So now what. I really dont think i could do much with the photos. Dont get me roung my walls look great. And I love takin the pics. But how could I make a little money off them. I was thinkin about selling prints. But im sure there will be some kind of copyright thing telling me I cant. So what is a starving artest to do.

It all depends. In order to get permission to shoot in some venues (the big ones) you typically have to sign a horrible document that limits what you can do with the images dramatically. In smaller venues, you may not be required to sign anything.

In that case, you are free to sell the images. You definitely can sell them for editorial usage -- for example, to accompany a review in a newspaper, or a story about the band in a magazine. You might also be able to sell them as art in a gallery situation, although some will say you can't. If you can get a release from the people who appear in the picture, than you can do whatever the release says you can.

Unfortunately, there isn't as much money in rock and roll photography as you might imagine. The best approach I have found to work is to get an assignment BEFORE shooting the band -- either working for a newspaper or magazine, or shooting for the band with a pre-arranged agreement. What I do is keep tabs on who is coming to my town, and then contact them a couple of weeks before the show.

Like so many other areas of photography, this turns out to be not so easy a business. If was easy, everybody would be doing it, right? You need to be good at identifying a need, and then selling your ability to meet that need. Marketing and schmoozing -- that's the answer!

Knock em dead. . . .
Paul

Like so many other areas of photography, this turns out to be not so easy a business.

When I finally land my next apartment, I'm going to have that printed banner size.

First things first: maintain your archive.  If what you've been covering becomes hot, you may get to mine your collection ("Double-O Metal: the First Breakthrough Bands of the Century" ) .

Next: Get together your best and hit the magazines, Rolling Stone on down.  The two worst things that can happen are you'll hear "No" a lot and, provided you're getting some great shots, a lot of editors will get to know you, and you may pick up some opportunities to string.  That rah rah made, I agree with Bang Bang: low-end editorial rates are in the tank.  That may not matter so much.  From living long on the Englishy side of life, one comes to understand the starving artist lifestyle. Sustained into middle age, it's really awful, but it nonetheless has its lasting charms.  If you get a back stage pass, some party time with the party animals, some publication credits, you might encounter a sort of Bruce Weber deja vu (and let whatever follows become history).  Real or not, the notion's romantic.

Dv8ed wrote:
This is something thats been on my mind lately. I mainly do music photography live shows. I have shut a handful of bigger metal bands. So now what. I really dont think i could do much with the photos. Dont get me roung my walls look great. And I love takin the pics. But how could I make a little money off them. I was thinkin about selling prints. But im sure there will be some kind of copyright thing telling me I cant. So what is a starving artest to do.

I knew a photographer that went into the major bookstores where they serve coffee and let you read all the magazines.....copied down the addresses of any publications he thought his shots were relevant to and sent proof sheets to all of them....that was before literally everyone owned a computer.....he didn't make a million bucks but he did do nicely......

FKVPhotoGraphics wrote:
I knew a photographer that went into the major bookstores where they serve coffee and let you read all the magazines.....copied down the addresses of any publications he thought his shots were relevant to and sent proof sheets to all of them....that was before literally everyone owned a computer.....he didn't make a million bucks but he did do nicely......

its pretty hard to maintain your own stock library with this stuff now-a-days.

if you have a bunch of national touring acts.  and access to get more.  look into syndicating your work through an agency like RETNA or wireimage or something.  let them handle the sales.

but the best thing you can do...take the images you have.  and use them to promote your services to magazines you like/want to shoot for.  drop them a line.  hey, im in (where ever you are) and i shoot musicians.  keep me in mind if youre ever looking for someone.  assignments are the only way you will make money shooting live shows. 

good luck!

Mandy McKeating wrote:
as for copywright, make sure to get photo passes for shows from the labels. if they give you permission to shoot, you have permission to sell. i would assume that if cameras were alowed into the concert, there's not a whole lot they can say when you want to sell images you've taken.

*edited for typo

That's very true for bands playing smaller venues -- but once you start getting up into the theatres and arenas, you'll find that very often, they won't hand over the photo pass until you sign a document that restricts the usage you can make of the images severely. Typically, they will allow one specific use -- a review in a magazine, for example, and all other uses are specifically forbidden, with a long list of horrible things they will do to you if you break the rules. And at most larger events and venues, photography with professional cameras, without a pass, is forbidden.

Dv8ed wrote:
I have shut a handful of bigger metal bands. So now what. I really dont think i could do much with the photos. .

How did you get in to shoot the band with pro gear?

To receive media credentials you need either the band, record company, promoters or venues permission and a reason i.e. working for a newspaper or magazine.

Can't the publicist that sent you to the show archive them with a future fee schedule.
I know Spin, Metal, Kerrang and Vibe have dozens of artists on archive with my name on the images, even though they own the images.