Hello, everyone! After an extended break we have returned with the latest installment in our ongoing series aimed at informing aspiring music photographers about the realities of life in the industry. If you missed one of the previous columns, you can catch up using this link. If not, welcome back! We’re happy you stuck around.
This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
We don’t instantly become good at photography. There’s no magic wand that you waive to enhance your skills. It’s a growing process and we continue to learn everyday to enhance our craft. I did a podcast with James Shotwell where we talked about the first show I ever shot and I admittedly said how awful I truly was. I still back this, but I want to go in a little further on why I was so bad, and what I wish I could have changed.
My gear was too good for my knowledge. I wish I didn’t shoot that show in program (auto). Shooting at f8 at 1/60 makes no sense when outdoors. I regret not knowing the basic fundamentals of photography before going out and shooting. If so, my shots would have been exposed properly, and maybe I wouldn’t hate myself for ruining photos of my favorite band, Against Me!.
The only photos I looked at prior were a few that were in alt press. My favorite image back then was one Jesse DeFlorio took of Geoff Rickly at Warped Tour at Nassau Coloseum, which was my first warped tour I ever attended. Geoff broke his nose on the third song and started gushing blood down his face, resulting in one of the most dynamic warped tour photos I’ve ever seen. I thought everything had to be cropped tight and to the frame. I didn’t vary in anyway. I feel like I barely shot any wide shots; however still I feel like I understood the rule of thirds naturally.
I should have turned around. there was an entire sea of people screaming their heads off to these bands. Bands aren’t the only subject at concerts. Why didn’t I capture them, especially since the venue I shot it at is gone, and it overlooked the beautiful manhatten skyline?
I should have shot raw. I didn’t know any better. Maybe I could have fixed some of these awful mistakes I made, if I shot RAW. Maybe…. Raw isn’t a magic wand to make your photos instantly better, but it certainly can help fix your mistakes.
Something subtle, my watermark. My text based watermark makes me cringe. It’s almost as bad as Comic Sans. Almost.
Lastly, I take photography very seriously. In fact, I take it way too seriously. I’m shooting four shows this week, and I really need to reflect that I’m doing a job that many people would love to do. I’m going to do something I haven’t done in the photo pit tonight since my first show, smile and appreciate my access of being up close to document world class artists performing, as my job.
Nick Karp is a professional photographer and freelance music writer. He recently relocated to NYC and dyed his hair bright pink because that is the kind of thing people do in the music business.
Hello, everyone! After an extended break we have returned with the latest installment in our ongoing series aimed at informing aspiring music photographers about the realities of life in the industry. If you missed one of the previous columns, you can catch up using this link. If not, welcome back! We’re happy you stuck around.
This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
The best camera you have is the one on you. For years I’ve thought that saying was the biggest cliche in the history of photography. I’ve debated and fought this countless times. My iPhone isn’t nearly as good as the guy with a Canon 5D MKIII. I’d even take a Rebel series camera of my that. I’m here to say that I was wrong.
On December 30th, I was privileged enough to see Patti Smith in concert at Webster Hall. I tried to apply for press countless times for the show, but was met with rejection each time. Patti Smith does not allow photographers; something that I think is very hypocritical as Patti Smith is a photographer herself and even had a relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, an incredible photographer.
The day prior, Patti Smith also performed at Webster Hall, and a had surprise opener in Michael Stipe of R.E.M. It was his first public performance in years. With the idea that he would perform again the next day, I immediately looked up the guidelines for the venue and found out they did not have a camera policy, so I brought in a Fuji mirrorless camera, a camera which most would not even fathom calling optimal gear for a show. I wasn’t shooting for anyone, but just myself because of my love for R.E.M. Don’t get me wrong, I got the ticket for Patti Smith, but I LOVE R.E.M.
I got to the venue early and was about 6 rows back. I snapped less than 150 shots the entire show and thought nothing of it. I had a few shots I liked, but nothing that I would even consider my best work. Just shots to say, “Hey, I saw Michael Stipe and Patti Smith!”
I posted one photo on a message board and got an email later that night from Rolling Stone Magazine asking for images from the show. Why would they want a shot from a little Fuji. I sent them 15 of my best shots of the show and they bought the usage for them. What? Why? … I didn’t even use my gear.
Maybe it’s because I’m thick skulled, but I couldn’t imagine not published anywhere without my pro-gear. Maybe I’m spoiled in that thought, but regardless if a magazine like Rolling Stone took a photo that wasn’t on quality equipment then anyone really would. This was a point and shoot camera after all.
In the past, I’ve been guilty of judging people by equipment. I’m here to say that I was wrong.
Hello everyone! After a brief break to celebrate the holiday we have returned with the latest installment in our ongoing effort to inform aspiring music photographers about the realities of life in the industry. This column is dedicated to photo releases and how they may or may not impact your interest in working with certain artists. There is a lot to read, but professional photographer Nick Karp has done a great job of breaking everything down into easy to understand chunks, each with real world example.
This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
This week, something happened that is not necessarily uncommon in concert photography, but something I neglected to think about. I was asked to sign a photo release to shoot a show. What is a photo release? In music photography, it’s a contract that a band sends the media that indicates some rules and regulations.
What they state:
All photo releases are different and they can vary on how strict they are. Below are a list of different type of contracts I’ve been sent, with my opinion on them.
Editorial Release:
Usually this release indicates that your photos can only be used for the publication you are shooting for. This is the least restrictive of all of the releases, and most of the time is only implicated to prevent a photographer from selling the image for non official merchandise. You still retain copyright of the photos and most of the time management will allow you to use the photos for your portfolio and other publications (magazines, newspapers, etc.)
Example: This letter serves to confirm that you, (Photographer) , may photograph (first five songs, no flash) of Matt and Kim on the condition that any material arising from the photographic session to be held on (Date) at (Venue) ______________________________, is used for editorial use, in the following publication(s): ________________________________________. The license hereby granted to you to photograph the artist is limited to the above grant only and NO right to use the photos for commercial purposes (e.g., for use as posters, calendars, T-shirts, prints, etc.) either to be sold, to be distributed free or to be otherwise exploited in any manner whatsoever unless prior permission has been obtained from Matt and Kim and their management.
Pre Approval Release:
This release usually indicates that the artist must approve all photos prior to them being published. Some bigger artists have this release to rely that their image isn’t tarnished, but weirdly enough a lot of older bands are starting to have this in their release. Maybe they want to hide a double chin or some eye wrinkles. I have not signed a release like this and I’m indifferent about it. My job as a photographer is to make my subject look as good as possible, and I don’t think I need someone telling me that my photo does not meet their imaginary criteria.
Example: Photographer hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Photographs to be used hereunder are subject to the prior approval of Cheap Trick.
Injury Clause:
An artist doesn’t want to take responsibility for you being an idiot in the photo pit. Protect your gear at all time. It shouldn’t be the artist’s responsibility anyway (unless they assault you and then that becomes a whole different issue in of itself.)
Example: You acknowledge that you are performing your services at your own risk and voluntarily assume such risks and accept full responsibility and liability (including indirect liability) for your own safety. You and [Periodical/news crew] hereby forever release and discharge us from any and all claims, demands, damages, or causes of action which you may have against us for all personal injuries, known or unknown, and damage to your property, caused by or arising out of your services.
Artist using photos release:
This isn’t a rights grab release (discussed below.) This release indicates that I still own my photos, however, the band are allowed to do what they please without compensation including but not limited to; Posting on social networking, using photos for merchandise, and basically whatever they want. I will not sign this. You should not sign this. This is exploitation of your intellectual property.
Example: In addition, in consideration for the rights being granted to Photographer hereunder, Photographer agrees to provide, at no charge, to Cheap Trick Unlimited, duplicate negatives and/or transparencies (as designated by Cheap Trick Unlimited of the Photograph(s)). Cheap Trick Unlimited shall have the right to use the Photograph(s) for any and all commercial and non-commercial purposes whatsoever relating to Cheap Trick and Cheap Trick’s activities and Cheap Trick Unlimited shall have no obligation to make any payment to Photographer, the Publication or any other third party in connection with any of such uses.
Rights Grab:
What is a rights grab? To keep it simple, it’s a release that indicates that after you take photos of an artist, your work is not owned by you, but by the management company/band. I’ve never sign this type of release and I never will. Some artists will pay you a dollar for this which indicates a “Work for Hire”, but either way you lose the rights to your photos. They can do whatever they want with the photos. You have 0 rights to them. Hey, maybe if your nice, they’ll let you use a photo that you took for your portfolio! This is never worth signing, no matter the band.My photos are mine and will always remain mine.
Example: (a) Photographer does hereby assign unto Company all of Photographer’s right, title and interest in and to the copyright of all the Material created, and all parts and elements thereof, including all derivative rights therein, the exclusive right to register copyright in the name of Company, and any and all causes of action arising under the rights assigned by Photographer to Company under this agreement. All Materials shall, from the inception of their creation, be considered a “work made for hire” for Company within the meaning of the Copyright Act of 1976 (Title 17, U.S.C.), as amended. If it is determined that any Material does not so qualify, then such Material, and all rights therein shall be automatically assigned to Company by this Agreement.
(b) Photographer does hereby assign unto Company all of Photographer’s right, title and interest in and to any other intellectual property rights that Photographer may claim in the Material, or any part thereof.
The worldwide copyrights(and all renewals and extensions thereof) in the Photographs are from the inception of their creation and forever thereafter owned solely by The Cult (and their designees). In the event that the undersigned Photographer, the aforesaid newspaper or magazine or any other persons or entities wish to make any use of the Photographs other than as hereinabove expressly permitted, the prior written consent of The Cult shall be required (which The Cult may withhold or grant in The Cult’s absolute discretion), failing which consent, any such use, reproduction, dissemination, publication or distribution shall constitute willful copyright infringement and subject the photographer, the newspaper or magazine, the user and all others concerned to civil and criminal liability as willful copyright infringers. The worldwide copyright in the aforesaid concert (and all elements thereof) together with all rights of reproduction, distribution, publication, and dissemination by any and all means and methods are exclusively owned and controlled by The Cult (and their designees).
How to avoid these releases:
Ask to waive the release: Tell the connection that you will only shoot the show if the release is waived. Sometimes that’s all it takes. What’s the worse they say? “No”? You have nothing to risk.
Shoot from the crowd: Many photographers do not shoot Kiss from the photo pit mainly because of Kiss’ rights grab release; however, many buy front row tickets and shoot from their seats, insuring that they own their Kiss photos and they even get to shoot the whole show! Granted, you may not be able to bring a DSLR into the venue, but there are many mirrorless cameras that can capture amazing photos (especially with their light rig.)
Sneak In: I mean, you can try right? Don’t be surprised if negative consequences result in this including being blacklisted.
Try to go through the opener: I actually got to shoot a rights grab artist without signing their release by shooting the opening acts, and never being presented a contract to sign. This won’t work all the time, but if it happened to me…
Festivals: Sometimes bands with a release will not present said release for a festival. This isn’t always the case.
Don’t: Don’t support this barbaric request. Tell the publicist why you won’t sign the release and leave as that. Maybe they’ll get the memo and waive their release for good.
All in all, I do not support signing releases. I don’t want the usage of my intellectual property to be hindered. I don’t care if my favorite band has a rights grab (they don’t), I will refuse to sign it and move-on with my life. There are plenty of bands without releases.
Nick Karp is a professional photographer and freelance music writer. He recently relocated to NYC and dyed his hair bright pink because that is the kind of thing people do in the music business.
Hello and welcome to the dawn of yet another brand new week. We know quite a bit of time has passed since our last photo-related editorial, but sometimes the best things in life take a little longer than expected to come together. We appreciate your patience.
This blog exists to promote the future of the music industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your music-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Never purchase a photo pass from anyone. Let me repeat this again, NEVER PURCHASE A PHOTO PASS. I’ve noticed a trend of bands starting to offer photo passes for sale, and this is not okay. It’s appalling. This is essentially selling media credentials to a show, which is unheard of in journalism. Most cases they offer to post your photos that you took of them on social networking. Why is this accepted in the photography community? What makes bands think it’s okay to use people’s work for free, let alone charge people to photograph them?
Hawthorne Heights were the first band I’ve noticed that have done this. They offered $150 for a photo pass to shoot their set at Warped Tour. My favorite part about this is that in prior years (this year not included) a monkey with a blog could have received credentials to Warped Tour. Everyone and their mother literally could attempt to cover the festival, and I bet 75% of the application would be approved, if not more. That’s not dissing the tour, but it is a majority of photographers’ first festival, and it is sort of a rite of passage to shoot the event. There was an outcry within the photography community against Hawthorne Heights, but despite that face there were people who actually bought the package. However, Hawthorne Heights eventually cancelled it after I assume someone on their PR team brought it to their attention that the photography community at large was not pleased. I’m not sure if it was the pressure from photographers or if the Warped Tour shut it down, but either way, Hawthorne understood that they were wrong.
Black Veil Brides have offered a photo pass and an interview for their upcoming tour on their Pledge Music campaign. This seems to have flown slightly under the radar. The only people paying for this are parents of 12 year old girls that missed the MySpace era. Don’t waste your money, wait for the band at their tour bus, that’s how you can meet the band…. Not by buying a $200 interview. I mean, does it come with dinner? Because most people like to be wined and dined before being fucked.
Paramore might be the only exception to this. They are offering 15 disposable Paramore cameras for sale, per show, and a photo pass will be in two of them. I would like to note that Paramore rarely approves photographers and when they do, they have one of the worst photo releases in music. In short, if you want to shoot Paramore, you will have to sign the rights to your photos away.
We [the photographers] only get three songs to photograph a band. That’s not a lot of time to get the shots I want/need. We essentially only have 9-14 minutes shooting, which is not a lot of time to capture the energy of an entire show. In that time, there are usually unprofessional photographers in the photo pit, (see Assholes In The Photo Pit) security to hinder your view (and protect you,) and many times crowd surfers as a distraction. I understand the whole “you have to start somewhere” argument, but read my first blog that entails how to get a photo pass properly and not supporting the defamation and destruction of my art.
Nick Karp is a professional photographer and freelance music writer. He recently relocated to NYC and dyed his hair bright pink because that is the kind of thing people do in the music business.
Hello, again. Welcome to the second Advice column of the week. We received such an overwhelming response to our last photography feature that we partnered once more with Nick Karp to create a third installment in what appears to have become our latest ongoing series aimed towards bettering the music industry. We have several additional photo-themed columns planned, but we are always looking for suggestions on topics worth covering. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more information about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Following my local music scene played a huge influence on my desire to shoot bands. Within a local music scene comes a DIY culture behind it, and bands performing at unconventional venues was the norm. Shooting bands at VFW halls, Leigon Halls, Basements, living rooms, and even backyards was not a rarity, and if I am being completely honest I would have to say that shooting at those establishments is much harder than shooting at an arena or other large scale venue. Arena shows have big production budgets, including lighting with front and back lights. You can shoot at low ISO’s and still produce a correctly exposed photo. DIY venues however, may only have a single florescent light bulb in the entire room.
So, how do you capture great moments in a situation like that? Flash. Shooting these type of shows often requires you to break some of my unwritten rules of the photo pit, but there is a reason good reason for such rule violation. 99% of the time there is no photo pit, or anyone making sure you stick to the ‘3 song rule,’ and with the band’s blessing, flash can be allowed. The follow is a list of techniques I use for shooting at these types of venues…
Flash bounced off ceiling:
The technique I have found most useful is having an external flash aimed directly up to bounce forwards on the ceiling. This distributes the light equally over the band member you are trying to shoot. That said, this method can only work with a lighter colored ceiling as black/dark ceilings will absorb too much of the light.
When using this technique I try to have my power high enough so that my ISO is 800 or so. My shutter remains around 1/100 and my F stop is at f4. Some examples of bouncing a flash against a ceiling can be viewed below:
In this picture you can see how the light spreads pretty evenly over bass player Nicholas Inman(You Blew It!) and some of the fans.
In this photo, lead singer Damian (Fucked Up) is in the crowd. There is virtually no light in the crowd, so I bounced a flash at the ceiling to try and get some light on him. It worked and this is the image.
Flash at 60 degrees:
This is a technique I use when the ceiling is really low, like when shooting in a basement. The bottom of the photo will not be lit up as much as the top so I suggest upping the shadows and blacks in post production. An example of this can be shown below.
Here you can see what happens when I use a 60 degree flash. You want to keep your flash power low enough to not blow the highlights out. In post I raised the shadows and added some contrast. Lucky for me, TMP had floor lights that went on and off, and they gave me a little extra light to work with in this tiny basement.
For this one, I did the same exact thing with my lighting as the shot before, except there are no floor lights. Check out the bass and you can see how grainy it is from pushing the shadows. The light was bright enough to light the bass below, but dark enough where it didn’t blow his face out.
Dragging the shutter:
Dragging the shutter is what occurs when you use flash to light up the subject and have a shutter speed so low (Around 1/20 – ½) that you’re able to move the available light in the photo. You can either bounce the flash to the ceiling or point the flash directly at the band. If you do the ladder, make sure to ask the band’s permission prior because having a flash directed and flashed in your eyes Is distracting when you are performing. If pointed at the band, I try to have my flash power low, and even with that, my ISO at 400 or so. My aperture will be somewhere around f 5 -6.3 and again, shutter will be at 1/8th. An example can be seen below.
Here’s a somewhat extreme look of dragging the shutter. You can see that theirs is two Pat Butlers [Singer of Sleepy Hahas]. My shutter speed was at ½, so this is an extreme case of dragging the shutter. I feel as if this photo gives off a psychedelic feel.
In this shot of Zealot, I had my shutter speed faster than I did than the previous photo. This is at 1/25th of a second where the photo is not heavily distorted, but I obtained enough back ground light to slightly move bend the light so my subject and the room lights can pop.
Using off camera flash:
Off camera flash is something I do very rarely mainly because of venue limitations. Although some would allow me to set up a flash or two on the sides of the venue, I choose not to because my equipment is out of my sight. Despite this, off camera flash is one of the better methods to use when shoot at DIY venues. The way I set is up is to point the flash at the middle of the stage and then shoot about 45 degrees towards the center of the stage. If I’m using a second flash, I can point that flash to my other side of me, 45 degrees towards the center of the stage, or if I can put it behind the band, I will set it up directly across from the first light. An example of when I use off camera flash is below.
In this shot you can see one of the the flashes in the back of the phot. The lead singer was lit up by another flash to camera right. The flash was so powerful that my settings were ISO 500, 1/100, F9.
For this shot, only the flash on the back was used. The other flash was having a hard time being triggered. You can see the difference not having a back flash makes, and how essential it is to have that front flash.
Pop Up Flash.
I hate it. There’s a reason top of the line equipment doesn’t have pop up flashes.
Nick Karp is a professional photographer and freelance music writer. He recently relocated to NYC and dyed his hair bright pink because that is the kind of thing people do in the music business.
Hello and welcome to the beginning another week of music industry insight and discussion here on the official blog of Haulix. We were so overwhelmed by the response to our initial column on concert photography that we decided to bump up the release of part two to this afternoon. We hope to continue this series every week or two for the foreseeable future, but we need your help to make it happen. If you have a question about music photography, or perhaps want to learn more about the industry in general, please email james@haulix.com and we will use your letters to craft the future of this site. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Hey readers, Nick Karp here! Welcome back to my segment about Concert Photography here on the Haulix blog. I’m glad to see that the last article was received well by you, the readers, as well as the concert photography community at large. I feel as if last article were only the tip of the photography iceberg, however, and have spent the past two weeks outlining a series of posts geared towards providing you with everything you need to begin a career in music photography. This week’s topic: Photo pit etiquette.
So you’ve been approved to photograph a concert. Congrats! It’s the night of the show, you’ve picked up your credentials from the box office and you have been given the privilege to enter the photo pit. I want to emphasize the word privilege. Photographing a band from the photo pit is a privilege. You do not have a right to be in that pit, but rather the permission of someone directly connected to those on stage. Permission can and will be revoked as a result of misuse.
Normal people with stereotypical office jobs have a cubicle or an actual office as their workplace. Concert photographers are not normal. A concert photographer’s office is a photo pit, and we have to share it with everyone else approved to shoot. Sometimes the number of photographers in the pit can be as low as one or two, and sometimes, like at a major festival, the number of photographers can number around 70. I’ve shot with both and the latter is not fun.
There is a standard for concert photography that also serves as the one and only written rule in most pits: “three songs, no flash.” This phrase describes the time allotted to photographers (first three songs of the set) and restrictions place on the gear they are allowed to use (no flash photography). I’m going to say 97% of the time I shoot shows I do not use flash. There are instances when I have and will, but we’ll discuss that during another article.
Even though there are no set rules when shooting in the photo pit, besides the above stated, there are many unwritten rules that photographers need to obey to ensure professionalism and proper etiquette:
Back packs: Put your back pack down under the barricade. I understand you need to keep an eye on your gear, and that’s great, but do so without it on your back. The photo pit is a very small place and I’m no longer afraid to mention this. We need to make as much room as possible, and having your bulky bag near the barricade and not in the way helps tremendously.
iPhones: An iPhone is not professional equipment and you look like an idiot shooting a band with one. Get your Instagram photo after the first three songs.
iPads: Read iPhones and multiply the rage you will cause to stir in fellow photographers by 100.
Point and Shoot: As mentioned before the photo pit is a professional environment. Please do not shoot with nonprofessional equipment; otherwise known as, a point and shoot camera. I’ll take any DSLR camera over a point and shoot. If you don’t have proper equipment, don’t shoot from the pit.
Reaching: This is the most abused unwritten rule here. I understand going for the hail mary and reaching every once in a while, but don’t do it the entire set and don’t do it from in front of the pit. 95% of your reaching shots are unusable, and your camera is getting in the way of other photographers. If you’re going to reach, reach when you’re in the back of the photo pit, that way you’re not in any of the photographer’s way. You’re also disturbing the band and the crowd. Who really wants to see a band with a camera in their face for three songs of the set? It’s disrespectful.
Camping: Much like Call of Duty, staying in one spot in the photo pit is annoying. When you grab the shot you want from that angle, move around, there are plenty of more angles to get. Don’t stay there for the entire set. Let another photographer grab that angle, and you should grab more angles.
Auto Focus Assist Light: Turn it off. You’re ruining everyone’s shots around you by having a beam of light from your camera hit the artist, and it’s a distraction to the performer. The light has its uses, but the photo pit is not one of them. Please be considerate.
Flash: You’re not allowed to shoot with flash. Plain and simple. Your mounted flash is getting in everyone’s way. I’ve noticed that most people that have a mounted flash also reach, so that’s just an extension of the camera to furthermore get in other people’s shots and distract the audience and performer. Put the flash in your bag, and if you must, attach it after your tenure in the photo pit.
Ego: Keep your ego in check. I don’t care how long you’ve known “so-and-so”, and I don’t care how you should have had an “All Access” pass to the show. Seriously, dude, I don’t care and neither does anyone else in the photo pit.
Nick Karp is a professional photographer and freelance music writer. He recently relocated to NYC and dyed his hair bright pink because that is the kind of thing people do in the music business. He was assisted in the creation of this article by Elise Shively.
Hello and welcome to another week of music industry insight and advice here on the official blog of Haulix. We have chosen to end the month of March with the introduction of a brand new column, and we think those of you with an eye for photography will be thrilled with the results. If you would like to learn more about the efforts of this blog, or if you would like a tour of our servicing platform, please do not hesitate to contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
Hello, readers of the Haulix! I’m going to assume that none of you know or acknowledge my existence, so let me introduce myself; My name is Nick Karp and I am a New York state Concert Photographer. Trust me, that title is not as lucrative as it sounds. I was asked by Haulix to write an introduction on how to get started in the world of Concert Photography, and that is what I am here to do. Over the course of the next several weeks I will be sharing with you all my knowledge and secrets about the world music photography, beginning today with a guide on how to obtain photo credentials for a concert.
There may some language in this article that you may not understand. Shoot is another word for “taking photos of.” A Photo Pass is a pass that allows you to photograph a concert. Usually a photo pass will allow you entry into the front of the barricade, which is called the photo pit.
Before I continue, I would like you, the readers, to know a little bit about my background as a Concert Photographer. There is no “right” way to begin in concert photography, but I do not recommend following in my footsteps. I skipped the basics and jumped immediately into shooting bigger tours, beginning with a weekend of Against Me! and the Bamboozle Road Show. I had no idea what I was doing and all my photos from both shows are garbage. Not only that, but looking back now I realize I also made a complete ass out of myself in front of photographers in the photo pit. It was a complete disaster, so please, do not be like me.
What I do recommend, however, is starting with bands and events within your local scene. There are plenty of young artists out there looking for photographers who are willing to take photos of them, so the best thing you can do is email them and let them you are interested in working together. Ask them if they would be willing to trade admission to their next show in exchange for the rights to use your photographs on their various marketing efforts. Building a good reputation with bands in your area through networking and word-of-mouth will help you develop a portfolio even if you are not being paid for your work. In fact, you should not even be thinking about money at this point. Your first show should be about getting out there and taking some photos. Earning experience in the field and studying movements of people on stage. This photo pit is as much your office as it is a classroom. Soak in everything.
Most bars and VFWs that host local shows will allow you to bring a camera, but it’s always smart to double check the photo policies at each venue before attempting to set up credentials. If you are unsure of the venue’s policy, or if it is not readily available online, call them direct. It never hurts to ask, and there is always a chance your conversation could lead to additional opportunities down the line.
You will not always have a photo pit, especially at these early gigs. You’re going to have to find out how to shoot in a crowd, which has its own set of pros and cons that will be discussed in the coming weeks. For now, I will say that one positive from venue without a pit is the opportunity you get to shoot a band’s entire set. That doesn’t happen very often otherwise (we will go into more detail further in.) Lighting will most likely be worse, but that helps you grow as a photographer and it will help you adapt in shooting in different and difficult environments.
Once you have some experience in concert photography,you can begin your quest on obtaining a photo pass a national touring act. You can attempt to build a name on your own, but a far easier and smarter move would be to research and apply to join a digital music zine. Find a site you like to read and contact the editor about opportunities regarding live coverage. They will likely ask to see some of your work, which is when you can show off the local coverage you began working on after reading the initial paragraphs in this post.
When you find an outlet willing to give you a chance, work with your editor to find upcoming events that would be ideal to feature on your site. Your editor may apply for your photo pass themselves, but often times they will ask you to apply so that you can begin building a network of professional publicists familiar with your work.
Who do you contact about shooting a show? 95% of the time the answer will be the publicist of the artist or event you are hoping to cover. A publicist deals with all press and media requests for the band, including live performances, and will be your best friend when it comes to setting up coverage. You can find a band’s publicist usually on their website, Facebook page, or, if they have terrible digital marketing skills and do not post such information on their own, by using Google. If you cannot find a publicist’s info, keep trying. If you are certain there is no contact to be found, go ahead and email their manager. The worst thing anyone can say to you is “No,” and after five or six times even that won’t phase you all that much.
As far as actually emailing contacts are concerned, I have only a few quick tips:
Publicists do not want an essay as a press request. Make it quick and simple. Let them know why you’re emailing, which band you’re trying to shoot, what date at what venue and in what city.
You should be a little personable. Great networking skills are the best tools for success anyone can have in the music industry.
The time frame in which you want to send out a request for a show is somewhere around 10-14 days prior to the show.
I re-created a coverage request scenario with Thomas Nassiff of Exit 384 Media, just so you can get a glimpse of a typical email and response:
Thomas.
Hope all is well. My name is Nick Karp, I am a photographer for *Enter Publication* (www.PublicationURL.com). I wanted to inquire about photography / media credentials for BAND at VENUE in TOWN on DATE. We would love to do a gallery of the show as coverage.
Thank you for your time and I appreciate the consideration! If you have any questions, my photo editor *Photo Editor Name* s CC’d on the email.
Thanks for the request Nick, we would love to have the coverage. I’ve CC’ed the band’s manager on this email so he can make sure there is room on their guest list for that night. If so you’ll be all set with a ticket plus photo pass.
-Thomas Nasiff
As you can see, the exchange you make with publicists does not have to be long or complicated. Short and to the point is always preferred.
Always update your editors with progress and responses, even if you are turned down. Sometimes a publicist may ask for information on the publication. Talk to your editors on how to handle that situation.
If you have not received an answer from the publicist, you should follow up about 3 days prior to the show. It never hurts to remind them about your request. Chances are a publicist is dealing with countless media requests and press requests for 20+ bands any given day. It’s easy to understand how a message or two may fall out of the loop.
What you should absolutely not do under any circumstance whatsoever is nag the publicist by emailing them every single day for the same request. Do not be rude. You’re asking for something. If you get rejected, accept it. Tell them, “Thank you for your consideration,” and move on. You want to stay on good terms with every publicist you work with, regardless how much access they give you. Rey Roldan, the publicist behind Reybee Productions even created a blog documenting some of the most ridiculous requests he receives. Rey has always been a pleasure to work with and he’s great at what he does; however, if you try to sass Rey, he will sass you back and you won’t like the results. Don’t be “that” person. Check out the site. It’ll give you a lot of tips on what NOT to do. – http://myphonecallssuck.tumblr.com/
Prior to shooting the show you will want to make sure you receive confirmation from the band’s contact on site. ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE CONFIRMED. If you do not receive an email receiving a confirmation, follow up with the publicist. Make sure you receive the tour manager’s number in case you are not on the list. That’s your emergency contact. If everything goes smoothly, don’t bother him. He or she has more important things going on than chatting with you about your photos.
The next step is to go to the show and shoot! We will cover that undertaking, as well as everything from gear tips to why everyone hates the guy using flash in the pit, in the weeks ahead. Follow Haulix on Twitter for updates on the next column and follow me for insight on my daily life in music.
