Tattered Tips From Amanda
How NOT to Tick Off Your Live Music Photographer
Most musicians who have been in the scene for a little while share the opinion that great live show photos are an essential piece of band promotion, and making friends with people who take good band photos is therefore a very good idea. What many musicians DON'T know, though, is what the rules of etiquette are when it comes to photographers and their photos. Here's a quick-n-dirty guide to keeping your photographer happy.
1.) Don't Be a Cheapskate: Pay Them. Sure, snapping those photos at your show is "free" for the photographer *right-then,* but the camera equipment with which s/he took the photo wasn't free. It was hundreds, if not THOUSANDS of dollars. Don't believe me? Do a quick internet search for DSLR Cameras & Accessories. It's mind-boggling how much that stuff costs. Then there's photo editing tools, and lighting equipment for studio shoots, etc., etc., but we won't even go there right now. If your photographer asks you for $50 - $100 to shoot your show, pay them. Those photos are a post-show testament to the good times everyone had, and you can usually use them for future promotion if you pay for them. If you DON'T have the money to pay for unlimited use of the photos, at least:
2.) Offer to Get Them Into Your Show For Free. Sure, your buddy wants a spot on your guest list, but he's probably not doing much to help your band with promotion. Your photographer is. If no one takes and posts pictures of the show, it's like it never happened. Ideally, you would pay them for this service, but some photographers, especially newer ones just getting into photography, still want to come and shoot the show with the only payment being a comp ticket. Some seasoned photographers, too, just like taking live band pictures and enjoy live music, so sometimes they, too will shoot your show for the price of a comp ticket. Whether you pay them to come to the show or not, though:
Written By: Amanda Caines , Singer for the band TATTERMASK: www.facebook.com/tattermask