Quick event coverage question

[Davidoff]

I don't know if this exact situation has been discussed before, but I couldn't find it. Anyway, I'd like to build a portfolio with events, concerts, parties, you know, and this week there will be a small festival arranjed by a university nearby, real paid bands tough, not garage bands and such. What would you say was the correct way about doing this ? I'm not expecting payment, just a pass. Should I contact them and say I'm building a portfolio, should I just say I'm a photographer and I'd like to shoot the event, what do you think ? Any legal issues ? Thanks very much in advance.

[Cygnus Studios]

Contact the event coordinator and simply ask permission to shoot the event.
You can offer them pics in exchange for the right to shoot the event.

One important question to ask is the rights to the images. While you will own the copyright as the photographer, some venues or organizations have very specific guidelines in what can be photographed and how the images are used.
Find out if the venue has language in the contracts with the performers about images.

A simple contract will work, spelling out the uses for the images, and liabilities.

One thing to ask for in exchange is your promotion. If the venue will allow your name or company to be listed as the "photographer".

[Digital Illusions]

I shoot for a theater here locally, and I give them a CD of the photos I took. They don’t pay cash but rather pay in tickets to the event (if I want to take someone else) or a pair of tickets future events.

as for time to shoot, if it is a big name act, I am usually limited to the first 2 songs played. Then I have to sit down and put the camera away. If it is a local production, I basically have free access to the theater; front row, backstage, back of the auditorium, top of the box seats, etc.

So for me the theater is really lenient on what I can shoot, it is the artist or theater company that determines how long I am there and/or what I get to photograph.

Unfortunately the theater dosn't pay in ca$h but I enjoy performing arts so, for me; it is ok to be paid with tickets.

When approaching a new venue I always ask the event coordinator if I can shoot, usually they say yes if they get a copy of the photos. Sometimes it takes a few days to get a decision as they must contact the artist or theater company first.


If the place is happy with your photos soon you wont have to ask if you can shoot the event, they will start calling you to see if your available.

hope that helps. good luck :thumb

[davidweaver]

Suggestions:
* Act like a serious professional. Don't barter, don't beg. Just ask to shoot without an explanation. If you are asked tell them that you are a freelancer and want to add their venue to your list. You are telling them the truth here. Remember it has a lot to do with a professional look and demeanor.
* Find a buyer for the images. Yeah, I know it is a catch 22 when you are starting.
* Please don't tell them your are starting your portfolio. Tell them your website is under construction and that you are 'getting around to it'. Busy freelancers are frequently too busy to keep websites updated.
* Get simple cards made with your name + Photographer or Photography, and your contact info. That will make you a pro in the eyes of many. Again, act like a professional.
* Don't pass on the garage bands. Here in Austin they make their way to large festivals. Shooting garage bands is a great way to hone your skills too. I ran into folks from The Boxing Lesson, The Steps, and What Made Milwaukee Famous while I was shooting Spoon this evening.
* Don't give stuff away. Again, see the bit about being a professional. Sure I'll trade a couple pics for a museum membership but I'll charge to do their magazine and other promo / event shots as I am a professional.
* Don't give away stuff. If you are giving it away it has no value - in most cases. Yeah...I know there is marketing and schmoozing value in some cases but you should be very wary of giving stuff away.

On the legal issues, since I'm not a lawyer I can't give you advise. If it were me, I wouldn't be concerned about it until I had to sell an image. I would suggest becoming familiar with various licensing rights and use issues that will help you in selling your work, and help you from getting ripped off when someone buys a right to an image.

Go read this: http://krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf


Have fun!!!!
David





I don't know if this exact situation has been discussed before, but I couldn't find it. Anyway, I'd like to build a portfolio with events, concerts, parties, you know, and this week there will be a small festival arranjed by a university nearby, real paid bands tough, not garage bands and such. What would you say was the correct way about doing this ? I'm not expecting payment, just a pass. Should I contact them and say I'm building a portfolio, should I just say I'm a photographer and I'd like to shoot the event, what do you think ? Any legal issues ? Thanks very much in advance.

[Davidoff]

Thanks so much for your advice everyone, I got the credentials and shoot everything as I pleased :D It wasn't hard tough, I just e-mailed the event organized ( students from a nearby university ), showed up to talk to one of them and he had no problem handing the job over to me. He said they had someone in charge of that in their other events, but thanks to me they could assign that person to some other duty. Also, they'd be shooting with some p&s.
Well, I'm still not done uploading them all, but you can look at a lot of them here : www.flickr.com/photos/12428391@N06

[johng]

I think you've got some really nice stuff in that gallery. Some interesting shots and angles. The one thing I noticed is a number of shots with a lot of uninteresting deadspace. Looks great when there are lighting affects or whatever that help show the atmosphere. But a number of shots where the performer is maybe only in the bottom half of the frame and the upper half has nothing but ceiling. If you can get past that issue (or remove those photos) your gallery will be much improved.

[Davidoff]

I think you've got some really nice stuff in that gallery. Some interesting shots and angles. The one thing I noticed is a number of shots with a lot of uninteresting deadspace. Looks great when there are lighting affects or whatever that help show the atmosphere. But a number of shots where the performer is maybe only in the bottom half of the frame and the upper half has nothing but ceiling. If you can get past that issue (or remove those photos) your gallery will be much improved.

Thank you John, I'll look into that and pay more attention to it next time.

By the way, I sent low-res photos to everyone, the band, the organization, etc. So today I get an e-mail from the lead singer saying that he'd like a high res one for printing and how much would that cost. Should I just charge him for the printing lab, send him the high res file and let him print it, or should I be a pal and send them all in high-res, hoping it has some future commercial interest ?

[Blaker]

Thank you John, I'll look into that and pay more attention to it next time.

By the way, I sent low-res photos to everyone, the band, the organization, etc. So today I get an e-mail from the lead singer saying that he'd like a high res one for printing and how much would that cost. Should I just charge him for the printing lab, send him the high res file and let him print it, or should I be a pal and send them all in high-res, hoping it has some future commercial interest ?

I guess that depends, do you want to be a photographer and earn money with your skills, or do you want to be everyone's pal and work for free?
Do you want him to refer other bands to you as "this great photographer who works for free and will then give you free hi res files to use in any way you want"?


You've already basically shot on spec- now is the time to be a professional.
If you give him a high res digital file, he can and will use it for whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
You will make no money now or down the line from him.
You should charge him accordingly- and have a contract that spells out the usage.
You've already shot the band for free and given away all your low res files- they've seen what you can do, so now it is appropriate and professional to charge any hi res files they want to use.
His band is out there working for money, you should be too . Unless the guy is your brother or your best friend or something, why should you promote him for free?

He wll still like you and your work, and probably have more respect for you as a photographer, and view you as the professional that you are , if you charge him for your services.


If they are an up and coming band, and prob don't have a budget for photos, you might want to license the photo for a limited time, say a year of unlimited usage , maybe for around $300 - $500.
The photo probably wouldn't be relevant after a year anyway, as new bands undergo many changes before they break up or make it.

Others here may have more accurate pricing guidelines-
Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Davidoff]

I am aware of that blaker, the thing is, my deal with the organization was exactly that they'd allow me to shoot in exchange for the pictures for them and the bands. I even remember saying I was not planning on selling them, just using the opportunity to build a portfolio and practice. Would it be correct to still charge for a print after this agreement ? Obviously I don't plan on doing it from now on if I get other bands, I was considering it now because they're the first band I've actually shot live and talked with and because of my "agreement" with the organization.

[Blaker]

I am aware of that blaker, the thing is, my deal with the organization was exactly that they'd allow me to shoot in exchange for the pictures for them and the bands. I even remember saying I was not planning on selling them, just using the opportunity to build a portfolio and practice. Would it be correct to still charge for a print after this agreement ? Obviously I don't plan on doing it from now on if I get other bands, I was considering it now because they're the first band I've actually shot live and talked with and because of my "agreement" with the organization.

Oh, sorry , I didn't realize that, but of course you should honor any agreement you had with the organization.
I guess what it boils down to is what is in the agreement? Is it for unlimited photos of all the bands? Meaning that if they wanted 1000 photos you'd have to print them up and give them to them?
Was the agreement for all of the hi res files so they can make up the photos themselves? ( but then why would you have given them low res files instead of the hi res files to begin with?)
Was your agreement with them in writing?

If not, only you know what you agreed to, and will have to abide by your original agreement.

[johng]

Also, you have to remember - there's a huge difference between supplying prints (at cost) and supplying a digital file which could be used for any number of purposes. Digital file does not equal print.