Live music pics

[james_grindeland]

<p> A band I like recently played a gig in the city where I live. I went and got a bunch of killer shots, and I'd like the band to post them on their website. Their website has a link for "photos", with a few galleries, and each gallery has about fifteen images, taken by pros.</p>

<p> My wife and I are in the late stages of starting an art/photography business. We also have a SmugMug Pro account, so we can post images for sale, set prices, apply watermarks.</p>

<p> I talked VERY BRIEFLY (someone was trying to get his attention to buy a CD, and I was in a hurry to go) with the lead musician after the show, and he's very interested in the photos. This was a few days ago. I haven't sent him an email yet, but how should I proceed?</p>

<p> I wasn't hired, or even asked, to attend. I also didn't have him sign a model release. With that in mind, what are my best options?</p>

<p> Thanks!</p>

[tonybynum]

best options for what? What do you want to do? You did not say what you wanted to do with the

images. . . you own them, you just cant use them to promote a product or service without the subjects

consent . . .

 

Something you said just seem wrong. . . YOU were in a hurry to leave when talking to the lead singer

and youre asking us what you can do with the photos . . . seems to me like you should have spent a

little more time talking to the guy you photographed . . . It also says something about your business

practices. Seriously, youre a service provider at this point. Your not at a point in your carrier that youre

going to make the band famous, so you should be looking at your time with the client as the key to your

success . . .

 

Good luck . . .

[james_grindeland]

<p>Tony,</p>

<p>Thanks for your feedback.</p>

<p>At a bare minimum, I'd like the images to be visible on my website for anyone to see, to promote my business. One step up on the greedy ladder is that I'd like the images to appear on the band's website.</p>

<p>I can either give the images to the band for free, or give them watermarked versions for free. I could also either give the images to anyone who wants them for free, or I could assign higher prices in SmugMug.</p>

<p>Overall my question is: what are my best options? If I had stuck around longer and talked more with the band leader, what kind of a deal should I have tried to work out?</p>

<p>Cheers, James</p>

[Spearhead]

<p>You're not going to make a whole lot of money shooting live bands, especially if they don't ask you to come out and shoot. Even then, most can barely afford to pay for anything more than beer. Money usually passes hands for promo shots and other contracted services. I do find they will pay for prints, and that one way to sell prints is to find the boyfriends/girlfriends/families of the band members and sell prints to them.</p>

<p>I watermark everything and bands seem happy with that, since they don't have to type in anything.</p>

[james_grindeland]

<p>Jeff,</p>

<p>Thanks. Your comments make a lot of sense. I'll probably let the band use the images on their website in exchange for permission to do the same on my website. </p>

<p>I plan to make almost all of my money from weddings anyway, so it doesn't really make sense to try to squeeze ten bucks out of this.</p>

<p>Cheers, James</p>

[tonybynum]

james, youre assuming they want or need the images. . . if they do you should find out how badly . . .

remember, they are the ones with the "goods" NOT you. You cant offer them much so they wont be willing

to do much for you. . . they see themselves as the product. You see yourself as something they need or

want. . . Most bands have a lot of free shooters who give away their images to the band . . . Unless you

can bring something significant to the table it's not likely they will give you much more than a high-five . . .

If i were in a meeting with them, i'd become their friend and make this a long term committment to become

a music band shooter - you almost always need to be on the inside to make anything. . . these guys, if

they like you, could help you get "in." If this is a business you want to be in, you need to look long term,

not everything has a cash value and sometimes there's more value in building the network than selling a

print or two . . . so, if youre not willing to get involved and make this part of your own gig, over the long

run, quit now while your ahead . . .

[radiotyson]

<p>When I shoot concerts I usually shoot all the bands playing and approach them after their set and after they have got out of the way of the next band. Usually I will grab one and congratulate them on an excellent set and offer to send some photos their way. I'll usually get a card with an email and a day or so later I will send watermarked (small corner) photos their way. I won't post these images anywhere before the band gets them. I always include in my email a line like "Feel free to use these wherever you want i.e. website, facebook, myspace etc... and if you want full size high res images for any other project just let me know." More often than not they will immediately post the pictures all over the place and send back an email with a huge "thank you". If I'm feeling really ambitious I will pursue the band further. Knowing the band is a great way to get photo credentials for concerts and you can even try to sell them band portraits (to be shot at a later date). Bands love it when people want to help them, because so many folks say "No". At the end of the day almost all bands are broke, and they really don't need you.</p>

[james_grindeland]

<p>Thanks, Tyson! Sounds like great advice.</p>