Music Photography (Portrait and Live) - Questions

[bethany138]

Ok - There have been a lot of questions about this floating around lately. I thought we should put them all in one place! So, any pro music photographers who want to help us out please post!

My questions:

1. Do you have a contract for your portrait shooting? What should this entail?

2. Pricing structure - it seems to me that music photography is different from your average portrait shoot because you have to take into account reproduction releases and commercial use. Am I correct? If so how do you handle this?

3. Event - (Live Shows) - Do you charge hourly to shoot these? Do you release photos as with a portrait shoot and how?

Please feel free to add your own questions!

ANY info you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! :)

[Steve Parr]

Ok - There have been a lot of questions about this floating around lately. I thought we should put them all in one place! So, any pro music photographers who want to help us out please post!

My questions:

1. Do you have a contract for your portrait shooting? What should this entail?

2. Pricing structure - it seems to me that music photography is different from your average portrait shoot because you have to take into account reproduction releases and commercial use. Am I correct? If so how do you handle this?

3. Event - (Live Shows) - Do you charge hourly to shoot these? Do you release photos as with a portrait shoot and how?

Please feel free to add your own questions!

ANY info you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! :)

#1 - Yes, I do (although I do very, very few of these). Basically, it allows the band to use the photos as they see fit, I get the by-line, and no editing is to be done with them without my approval. That's the basic gist of what I have. I could put a lot more in, I suppose, but I like simplicity.

#2 - I treat both the same way.

#3 - I know people who charge hourly, but I prefer to shoot "by the job".

[bethany138]

Great answers! Thanks. It would be great if someone could share their contract or an example of one. I have not been able to find one to go by.

Thanks!
b

[Steve Parr]

Great answers! Thanks. It would be great if someone could share their contract or an example of one. I have not been able to find one to go by.

Thanks!
b

I'm in Montreal on business, and I don't have mine on this computer. Now, if you could wait two weeks...

:lol:

[Screamer]

1. Yes, most definatelty. You need to make the distinction if the imagery will be used for editorial, promotional or commercial use. The means of media distribution also needs to be taken into account.

2. Pricing is consistent. I charge time, labor, processing, and archival if requested. For image price guidelines take a look here:

http://photographersindex.com/stockprice.htm

3. See #1 and #2.