|
Forums >
General Industry >
Band Photography
So people continue to say the words "Man! You have a good eye!" blah blah. Bands have been contacting me lately questioning as to if I will do their images. I say, "OF COURSE!" Now, I know new bands have 0 dollars. It's the cliche of a struggling artist. BUT would it be reasonable to ask 20 dollars from each member of the band for a shoot? [bands tend to have 5 members, so it'd run around 100 dollars for a days shoot.] For a photoshoot, I understand that this is cheap, but as I said for bands... well you need to be cheap. Any advice? Aug 28 06 01:49 pm Link It's up to you what you charge yourself at, and what your relationship with the band is. I have shot teen bands for free, and given them pictures on CD at a quality that they can only use on myspace etc. With a note that the images are my copyright but that they may use them for promotional purposes on the web only as long as I get a credit. TiM Aug 28 06 02:06 pm Link Charge them the measly $20 per head, but also get them to sign a model release. You never know where they will be in 20 years! Aug 28 06 02:12 pm Link Will work for - (1) Band Shirt, (1) CD of their music, & (1) Bumper Sticker! I had a photographer I knew years ago started out shooting bands downtown Chicago for free + the experience. His work started getting known and now he shoots paid for Sheryl Crow and goes out on the road with her whenever she tours. Aug 28 06 02:18 pm Link Don't fool yourself. bands spend more money on booze and drugs tahn food and tranpsortation. They can go a week without getting drunk or high. Yes they mostly work dead end jobs to pay rent. They can find $20 - $50 each for good quality photos. This is their image and their promotional tool (next to the MP3s on myspace). If they pay nothing they will treat the shoot like nothing. If they pay a good amount then they will take it seriousely. I say charge $200 - $300 for a basic shoot of the whole band. More for portraits and more elaborate looks. Don't sell yourself or other photographers in your market short. If the quality is good then others will follow with the money. My 2 cents... -S Aug 28 06 02:20 pm Link guess it depends how big the band, how experienced you are, and how close you are to the members. a good friend of mine makes much of his living doing bands' promo photos as well as live shots. he's on the payroll for a few major music labels.. but to get to that point he did A LOT of work for free. you gotta start somewhere.. if you're shooting film and giving them prints, then you should charge them.. but if you;re shooting digital and giving them a cd and they are to make prints themselves, then chalk it up to practise, experience and networking. Aug 28 06 02:23 pm Link I am very experienced in shooting local bands, and have developed a relationship with alot of them in my area. I used to do this deal, to gain the portfolio...that if a band convinced each band that played with them that night to have me photograph, each band would pay $20, and usually there are about 4 bands playing. Each band has to sign a copyright release (nobody ever had any qualms with that)..then I would edit between 8-10 shots for each (websized with watermark) and give them to them on cd. Then later when they needed the shots for print etc..they come to me cause I have the originals. It worked very well, and it helped me build great relationships to the point now that some of the bands have more money, they come to me and insist on paying me for promo shots. I am now on my 5th album cover for local bands and have one venue who has asked me to put up a wall of my photography of the bands that played in their venue. And now that I am more experienced, and lowered my prices in the beginning AND built a good relationship; even though my rates are much higher, the bands pay it. Aug 28 06 02:33 pm Link TACrafts wrote: This is pretty much what I'm doing now. I'm trying to build up my portfolio with some [somewhat] recognizable bands, so when a mid-level band comes to town I ask if I can shoot their show and do a quick portrait session in exchange for them being able to use the images on their website/MySpace, with photo credit. If, for whatever reason, they want to use the images for something else (promo, editorial, etc), then we can work something out. From my point of view, it's a good deal, but I don't think I'd do it if that band came to me and asked for a photoshoot. Aug 28 06 03:01 pm Link i shoot my buddy's band a few times a year. as payment i ask that i get free cover, backstage pass, open/discounted bar, and whatever other privileges the band gets. they can usually swing that deal by telling the place i'm with the band. Aug 28 06 03:38 pm Link Photographing bands is what I started doing nearly before shooting anything else! It's like pulling teeth trying to make money from shooting bands, even more so than shooting models! LOL I would ask for the $20 a member in each band and also for benefits such as those mentioned. Quite often the first bands you shoot with will not go far but they do sometimes open up for bigger acts that can open the backstage doors for you. Here are a couple links for you to check out; A yahoo group for music photographers and then this website The Music Press Report because you are basically strapping into the photojournalism ring! I've shot for many music publications, and if they didn't have a website, they are no longer in business. Publications are mostly online now! I am starting one myself! If you are interested, write me a message and I'll tell you more. Best wishes, Patrick Aug 28 06 06:00 pm Link Years ago, when I was a early teenager, I was lucky enough to be able to shoot photos for a production company that put on local concerts. I got back stage passes and was actually able to get on stage and shoot such groups as Styx, Bob Segar, and Jethro Tull. I have trays of slides from these concerts. In recents months I have been working with a local recording studio on shooting some photos for CDs, posters, etc. for local bands. The angle we are approaching is a package deal that includes studio time as well as photography and CD design services. There is also a CD duplication company that offer reduced charges if the artist has bought one of these packages. Aug 28 06 06:54 pm Link do a few for free, but get them to sign releases. one thing with bands is that they often know a lot of other bands. if you can get great shots for one, the other bands will want to use you too. do 4-5 for free. if each band knows say 5 others, get them to spread the word. then start charging. the other bands will know of your quality by word of mouth. if you charge from square one, the band will just find someone else willing to work for free. also keep links with the bands, shoot them at gigs and things like that. Aug 28 06 07:09 pm Link working with unsigned bands can be tough, but they are usually open to do what ever you want. it is a great place to experiment. i will shoot some unsigned bands for free if they are willing to do the concept i want and sign a basic release. be sure to have some terms and conditions in place, so they know that if they do get signed, any further use of your images requires a new contract. working with labels is a different story and usually involves a work-for-hire agreement. if you are not known, they may offer you a shoot for 5K all-inclusive. ..this is NOT a good deal. it will prolly end up costing you more to do the shoot then 5K. they will generally art direct the shot. my typical rental bill for grip and lighting and locations is usually around 5K, not to mention airfare and hotel and food if you need that too. Aug 28 06 07:10 pm Link House of Indulgence wrote: Wow. Aug 28 06 07:27 pm Link Interesting timeing. I just shot a band (for the fun of it) this past weekend. I charged nothing but credit. What I did do was place some limitations on what I gave them. Such as they can only use the shots on the web and for personal prints, but any promotional material, use on CDs or direct sales, must be approved by me at a negotiated rate based on what and how many. I was just having some fun in this case and don't normally shoot bands, but who knows. I shot about 220 shots of which 5 looked half way good to me (two were actually pretty good) and about 45 made my okay to show list. Since this was at a city sponsored event, I have no need for model release for my event pages. But would need model release if putting in my regular portfolio. I may be able to get them up tomorrow, otherwise it will be a couple of weeks at least as I have higher priorities. Given that if they like my work they might hire me to shoot portraits for promotion (as in money and is how I found out where they were playing) I figure it was worth the CD I gave them given I was just out having some fun. I fnothing else it got me out of the house after my model canceled on me. Maybe if they like what I did they may recommend me to other bands. I prefer shooting models, but money is money and I do like taking pictures. Aug 28 06 08:06 pm Link It is fair to charge something, and it makes the band take you seriously. I used to charge $100, cash in hand before the camera came out. Just give them a CD with the best shots on it and let them do what they want. Getting a release is a great idea. Selling prints after the fact is exactly why I started getting the money first. "Uh....Johhny quit to play with the Sphincters, can you shoot us again?" You can easily end up on the permanent guest list, to the point the doorman just waves you in for any show you carry a camera to. Aug 29 06 12:35 am Link Interesting timing indeed. I've shot a couple band performances in the past few weeks (for fun and experience) but was just in the midst of deciding what I would actually give the band and what I would request in return (model release and credit at a minimum, and probably a small amount of money, or band merchandice for my services). I of course did not pre-arrange any of this which leaves me somewhat at a disadvantage, but then I have not given them any photos yet either. In talking to other local photographers I often hear something along the lines of 'if you don't put a cost on your services, they won't value your work'. Something I agree with completely. Aug 29 06 12:50 am Link Photographing bands is most of what I do. It's how I got into photography, before the journalism gig took off, and I still constantly do promo shoots and CD covers for bands. Don't buy the "We're musicians, we're broke story". I charge $200 for an unsigned band. Plenty of them pay it. They'll save up. They NEED decent promo pics. If there's a label behind them, the rate goes up, proportionatly. If you do good work, don't work for free. EVER! This is a market that needs photographs. If they want quality, then they'll pay for it. Aug 29 06 02:09 am Link Asking $20 per head is pretty reasonable I think. What you could do is get them to refer you to more bands and then you can offer 50% their next shoot or something to keep that relationship maintained... Aug 29 06 02:19 am Link Michael L. wrote: ....this is what has happened to me, I pretty much can walk through any door at any venue here........all because I started out reasonable....and built a relationship with not only the bands but the venues Aug 29 06 06:39 am Link Aug 29 06 02:40 pm Link Aug 29 06 02:41 pm Link House of Indulgence wrote: OK...don't stereotype ALL bands as being doped up on booze and drugs. Yes, unfortunately an overwhelming majority of us ARE like that, but I can say this: Aug 29 06 02:41 pm Link |
