How do I make the most (I'm talking big picture) out of event pictures

[Crimzon]

I just shot an open mic night at a local pub the other night. I'm just wondering how I can make the most out of the pictures I got. Im not talking money, I mean exposure, experience, yes money is a factor But I'm talking big picture.

I got email addresses and names. These guys are all amateur artists. So I doubt any of them are going to be willing to pay. So I figure I could at least self promote, and send pics for personal use and for their self promotion, and get advertising for me out of it. Is this enough you think or am I selling myself short? Im going to watermark the pics I send them and put my new photographer Gmail on the watermark. I will tell them if it is to be used for commercial use we will need to negotiate, is this enough? I figure they are going to use them on their Myspace or Facebook pages. Possibly for cards (this will need to be negotiated I think)


I'm interested in what anyone has to say. I want to make the leap from total amateur, to at least semi pro. I'm nowhere near that level yet but hopefully this is the first step.

[bacchanal]

I think the most you can gain from something like this is experience, and if you get a great shot or two, maybe something to add to your portfolio. I don't think there is anything wrong with sending watermarked photos for facebook/myspace, but I wouldn't expect to get much return from it.

[Crimzon]

Thanks :)

These are all a bunch of starving artists, with the going rate for paid gigs for local bands is $100 per band member. This being an open mic they are all doing this for free, for exposure. Which is why I figured I could do the same. But there's people who say you should never give away your work.

In fact there was a photographer there who was not taking pics but just enjoying the show. When I was going around asking the performers for their emails, she happened to be at a table with one of the entertainers, and she started giving me crap, that I shouldn't be giving away my shots. But she also stated that I'll probably not get much if anything from these guys..... which is why I was doing what I was doing in the first place.

I went there in the initially to just get some practice, but I figured why not make some contacts and maybe network a bit. I figure if I get even just one person from any of these people to contact me about a portrait shoot, I'll have won. Not that I will, but I'm sure not going to get one by not, networking.


I see a lot of photogs in the performing arts section stating that it's hard if not impossible to get much paid work out of the performers. So why does anyone do it then? For fun? Maybe, but there's got to be a better reason, they can't be all doing it out of fun.

So my original question still stands. How do you turn performing arts photo's into paid gigs or other positive ways?

[bacchanal]

I'm a hobbyist, and I shoot bands mostly to document them. I almost never shoot live stuff for money (promo shoots are different).

I sort of look at performing arts as having two different realms. There are bands that perform in a commercial realm, have support from record labels, have commercial ambitions; and then there are bands that are made up of guys who have day jobs at the Quick-E-Mart, are touring on zero budget, are just playing to play, whatever. I tend to shoot the latter and don't really care too much to shoot the former. I see myself as a contributor to the "scene" and just like the bands I shoot, I don't really make any money doing what I do, but I enjoy being a part of the community.

In my experience the best way to make any money getting money out of the bands is through promo shots. In general, bands are much more willing to pay up for staged promo shots than they are for live shots. This seems to be true even for small time bands. It's not really performing arts shooting, but it is related I guess. Why do I charge for promo shots and not live stuff? Well, because I have to haul more gear around and spend more time doing post processing, and it can be a pain in the ass dealing with people who act like they don't want their photo taken...it's kind of like work.

But for live shots, the most common way to make money (AFAIK) is to shoot for a publication/promoter/venue or something along those lines.

[Crimzon]

Good points. Thanks for all the input.

I will probably do it again, it was fun and good experience as well.