I desperately need this. It's a sink or swim situation. Please help me.

[JessicaHughes]

Hello.
I have been reading through the forum. Learning, getting some great ideas. I thank you all for your posts and all of you that are continually helping people.

I have been a children's photographer for 8 years now. In August I will be featured in their Kids' issue. It is very exciting for me.

I have kind of been stuck with my photography, not knowing where I want to go. I've been experimenting with bands, and I have to say, I think I have found my true passion.

I was lucky enough to receive two photo passes for Angels and Airwaves. One in Salt Lake and one in Vegas. I had the time of my life. The excitement, the expressions, the emotions, the lights...it was exciting taking it all in.

This is what I want to do. Trouble is, I have no idea how to start. Pricing? Contacts? Do I just start contacting record companies? Artists? Should I shoot local bands and get a better portfolio first? I'm at a loss, but I need this. I am a single mother of 3, just now back in the work world. I have to do this. I have the talent. I know I do. I just need the opportunity.

Here are some of my fav pics from the shows, you can view more on my site (http://www.jessicahughes.com) under entertainment.

I wish I could show more to give you guys an idea of what I can do, and for you to critique and give me ideas on how to get my name out there.

[JessicaHughes]

more?

[CosmoKid]

Your pictures are great Jessica. One thing I learned early is if you expect to make money from this, find a different path. There is some money in this, but nothing I would count on.

Shoot as many bands as you can. Market yourself to publications. Send out as many pass requests as you can find publicists.

It's a grind, especially in the beginning.

[ImCBParker]

Those are nice shots, and it looks like you had great lighting for an indoor shoot. Such a tough road to make money on this though. Go through this section, there are a ton of threads on this topic. Most of us who shoot music do it for the love if it rather than money. I need a primary means of income, as like most, I cannot afford to live off of free shows, free merch, and hanging with up and coming bands, but it is fun. There are far too many people in this arena willing to shoot for free and are happy giving their pictures to the big blogs.

[bacchanal]

The easiest way to make money shooting musicians (in my experience) is with posed promo shoots. Work on creative and on location portraiture and market yourself to bands. This can bleed into some live shooting if the band likes your work and needs additional material.

I think the main thing is to be diverse, and don't expect to make a living shooting performing arts alone. That said, here are some ways that you can make money shooting live music:

Shoot for a publication or multiple publications - this can be longer term/more steady work than most performing arts type gigs, but it requires that you live in a pretty large city and have quite a bit of time to commit).
Shoot for a show promoter/band publicist - Promoters/publicists can give you access (for instance, if you're shooting for a publication), but they generally aren't willing to pay for live shots. Once the show has happened, they aren't as concerned about the publicity. Promoters will occasionally be willing to pay for shots in certain situations if they are looking to promote a band for future dates or a publicist may need material for album art or other promotional type material.
Shoot for the record label - Shooting for a record label is basically the same as shooting for a publicist. There is a greater chance that you would get paid for promotional material than for live shots. Of course, some times live shots are desired for promotional material (but not too often).
Shoot for a venue - This is can be a pretty competitive situation to shoot in, and pay amount can vary wildly. Most venues are not willing to pay for photography on a regular basis. See also: Night Club Photography
Shoot for a graphic artist - Do you know someone that designs posters or album covers? Get to know them and offer to work with them. This most likely wouldn't be steady work, but it can certainly be worthwhile.
Shoot for the band/management - This is more in the small time market, where bands are seeking to promote themselves. Pay is small because the bands usually don't have a lot of cash to spare. Don't ever take a band's word about getting paid...they can be notoriously bad about getting you money. Don't deliver until you have the money.
Shoot for an agency - If you shoot big names, you might be able to make some money by submitting your shots to a photo agency. I've never shot any big names, so I'm not sure if this actually makes people money. I'm assuming this is something people do on the side if they are shooting for a publication.
Shoot for a sponsor - I don't get into the commercial realm much at all, so I've only experienced this once. Occasionally a corporate sponsor of a show/tour will want shots for advertising purposes. This is where you charge big bucks, but you may be required to hand over your copyright (that's where the bucks part comes in). The one time I've done this, the sponsor was big enough that they had all the details lined out and I just signed on the dotted line and clicked away (oh, and got model releases for anyone in the crowd that ended up in my shots).

[JessicaHughes]

Thank you all for your input. I am going to print this out and follow all of your tips.
Sounds like I will have to keep up the portraiture to make some money. I wouldn't mind shooting commercial shoots at all. I have shot a few magazine covers, that was fun.

Thanks again, so much. It is very much appreciated!

[MMX]

Music photographers are people who in most cases would visit the concert anyway, they just want to stand closer to the stage. As guys already told you, you can make some money for promo shots (if the band doesn´t decide to give you a bottle of booze instead of money), but most of bands can´t afford to spend too much. Moreover as I already said, there are many people who will do it for a very low price just because they like the music so if your only wish is to earn money, you´ll have to choose something else.

[TeenPhotog]

Shoot for a publication or multiple publications - this can be longer term/more steady work than most performing arts type gigs, but it requires that you live in a pretty large city and have quite a bit of time to commit).

I have tried to do this, probably contacted 4 city-based newspapers. No success story here. I was told I would shoot a show as sort of an audition, I thought I got some of my best shots, see here: http://abramowitzimages.zenfolio.com/p107715009
After emailing him the shots and everything, no response. Wasn't sure exactly how to feel.

What I really would love to know is; if you were looking to shoot for a publication, what would you say?
Do you specifically say you want to shoot concerts? I feel like saying that would mean being judged as the guy who just wants to get into shows for free.