Music/Concert/Festival Photography Q&A

scottcampbell

scottcampbell

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Hi there everyone!

I'm Scott and I cover music for Redferns and Getty Images as well as various newspapers. I've made this thread because some people may have questions about music and festival photography and I don't have a lot to do at the moment, so I thought I might as well keep myself busy! :lol:

Other music photographers, feel free to chip in with answers to any questions.

Ask away!
 
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How do I get a pass for all areas T in the park :D
 
BruceMo said:
How do I get a pass for all areas T in the park :D
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As with most passes, get an assignment from an agency or newspaper then apply. However with T in the Park you won't get access all areas, just backstage, VIP and main arena I think.
 
Well, while you're bored and spare time on your hands, how do you get an assignment?
This would be my dream job, you're a lucky lad
 
I've shot quite a few gigs and concerts over time, mostly for little or sometimes no fee, because I enjoy it. How did you go about getting proper paid to do this type of work?

I would consider myself decent enough for this area.

I remember talking to a girl in the pit at one gig who had stories about all manner of big name bands. But when it came to "How much do you make shooting these gigs regular?" she said she never made any money, she just gets to hang with the bands [Jimmy Eat World, Bad Religion, many other big names] - so basically, she's a groupie, who take pictures on the side.
 
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Music photography has to be one of the worst paid gigs out there for a free-chancer, but it seems to be the game with the most free-chancers in it.

There seems to be a few ways to 'make it' and that can either be on the back of a band you are working with who break and they take you with them then your images become in demand.

Or

If you are lucky enough to snap something that gets noticed by the agencies and or music press, someone there likes your style, thats when you start to get access and once you start to get access you start to get the shots no one else does and your stuff gets published and your reputation builds to the point bands want you to photograph them.

Or the good old you know someone who knows someone, so working with venues / promoters can get you contacts and access

At the moment there are soooo many people who think music photography is 'glamorous' and want to do it they go to every gig for about a year to 18 months then realise there is no money in it and get fed up with working for nothing, eating in kebab shops at 1:30 in the morning, having your work constantly ripped off on social media and used without credit that they give up and go and do something else.


Me personally I work a couple of small venues snapping up and coming bands working on the principle that one day some of those bands are going to be massive and if you have the images from the very early days they are the ones people will want. Imagine you had some early Sex Pistols or Clash photos in your collection that no one had seen for 30 odd years.

All the time I'm building a body of work that hopefully will contain enough quality to move me to the next level, and lets face it.. you cant practice this stuff at home... and I get into most gigs for free, I've had numerous albums gifted to me from bands, been published a few times so its not all bad.
 
NeilMc said:
Music photography has to be one of the worst paid gigs out there for a free-chancer, but it seems to be the game with the most free-chancers in it.

There seems to be a few ways to 'make it' and that can either be on the back of a band you are working with who break and they take you with them then your images become in demand.

Or

If you are lucky enough to snap something that gets noticed by the agencies and or music press, someone there likes your style, thats when you start to get access and once you start to get access you start to get the shots no one else does and your stuff gets published and your reputation builds to the point bands want you to photograph them.

Or the good old you know someone who knows someone, so working with venues / promoters can get you contacts and access

At the moment there are soooo many people who think music photography is 'glamorous' and want to do it they go to every gig for about a year to 18 months then realise there is no money in it and get fed up with working for nothing, eating in kebab shops at 1:30 in the morning, having your work constantly ripped off on social media and used without credit that they give up and go and do something else.


Me personally I work a couple of small venues snapping up and coming bands working on the principle that one day some of those bands are going to be massive and if you have the images from the very early days they are the ones people will want. Imagine you had some early Sex Pistols or Clash photos in your collection that no one had seen for 30 odd years.

All the time I'm building a body of work that hopefully will contain enough quality to move me to the next level, and lets face it.. you cant practice this stuff at home... and I get into most gigs for free, I've had numerous albums gifted to me from bands, been published a few times so its not all bad.
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You forgot to add the rights grab contracts that are becoming more and more. This means it doesn't matter if you have a great shot, you don't own it, the band does.

The money is not in live music and I can't see it being for a long time. Artist promo shots, even on a local level is a more profitable venture, but don't expect more than beer money.
 
Hi Scott,


Thanks for the thread. A question about agencies. I regularly get photo passes for moderately-sized events and do a decent job, I think (Flickr link at the bottom). The photos then get used on a reasonably big music blog I write for. But then the rest of the photos simply languish. It seems to me the best way of giving those photos a chance at being used elsewhere would be by working with an agency. But it's all new to me so I'd appreciate any advice in how you made the step into the world of agencies.

Oh, one more question. Can I sell prints of performers without needing a model release?

Thanks,

Martin
 
OP hasn't been back in 10 days to answer anything. I don't really see why they bothered make a thread and state they had tonnes of free time ...
 
martsharm said:
Oh, one more question. Can I sell prints of performers without needing a model release?
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If they are your pictures then you can do what you want with them.. the only trime you "need" a model release in this country is if the customer/agency? asks for one to cover there backs.. its not a legal requirement for anything.. selling prints? like I say IF they are your pics then sell away :)
 
martsharm said:
Hi Scott,


Thanks for the thread. A question about agencies. I regularly get photo passes for moderately-sized events and do a decent job, I think (Flickr link at the bottom). The photos then get used on a reasonably big music blog I write for. But then the rest of the photos simply languish. It seems to me the best way of giving those photos a chance at being used elsewhere would be by working with an agency. But it's all new to me so I'd appreciate any advice in how you made the step into the world of agencies.

Oh, one more question. Can I sell prints of performers without needing a model release?

Thanks,

Martin
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Want to work for an agency? Get on the phone to them and offer yourself. Send your web link and chase it up. If they want you, they'll get in touch.

There is little money to be made shooting for an agency, so don't expect to make much from this. Music photography is currently a long game.

Yes you can sell prints, unless you signed a release forbidding this. Some managers etc. also do not like this, whether legal or not you do not want to start peeing off managers, music is a small world and a bad name sticks. If someone asks you not to do something it's best not to.
 
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ding76uk said:
Want to work for an agency? Get on the phone to them and offer yourself. Send your web link and chase it up. If they want you, they'll get in touch.

There is little money to be made shooting for an agency, so don't expect to make much from this. Music photography is currently a long game.

Yes you can sell prints, unless you signed a release forbidding this. Some managers etc. also do not like this, whether legal or not you do not want to start peeing off managers, music is a small world and a bad name sticks. If someone asks you not to do something it's best not to.
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What I meant regarding the agencies was I would continue to do my current freelance thing, but an agency could take on the other decent images that don't get used for publication in the first instance. So it's a pay-per-use model, I don't need paying to cover the event as I'm already doing that freelance. So if anyone wants a picture of Edwyn Collins, for instance, my images would be in the database of an agency for consideration. Does this method make sense? Would/does it work?
 
martsharm said:
What I meant regarding the agencies was I would continue to do my current freelance thing, but an agency could take on the other decent images that don't get used for publication in the first instance. So it's a pay-per-use model, I don't need paying to cover the event as I'm already doing that freelance. So if anyone wants a picture of Edwyn Collins, for instance, my images would be in the database of an agency for consideration. Does this method make sense? Would/does it work?
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Yes, see above for how. It's pretty tough to make much with music pics though. Make sure if you are being paid for your initial usage check they are OK with agency use of other images from the shoot.
 
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To add unless you are one of the top guys almost all agency work will be commission only. So if you dont sell anything you would not get any cash. Same goes for many sports agencies! :cool:
 
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