What do you think is a reasonable price to charge a band for promo pix for their debut release?
I’d suggesting giving them an itemization of #1-4 “…or, I shoot it digital at my expense, retain copyright, and grant you a free license to use the photos to promote album X.” No cost to them, and hopefully one day when they hit it big your copyright interest in those photos can help pay back the shoot expenses.
Okay. They’re a band about to release their debut album on an “underground” label. This means they have no money. They’re probably playing with beaten-up instruments, and touring in the back of a Ford Transit (or American equivalent). That said, find out if there is a budget, and if so what it might be. If you’re just starting out as a photographer (which it sounds like you are) you’re probably going to have to do it for either nothing, or nothing plus travel expenses. Every photographer I know who shoots bands – whether they work for newspapers/magazines or doing promo for bands, or (usually) both – started out charging nothing, shooting their friends’ bands, hanging out with them or getting in the back of the tour van and living smelly for a couple of weeks. Partly it’s to get experience of how to shoot a band, partly it’s to build a portfolio to show people who can afford to pay you that you’re worth paying. The music photographer who works for the paper i write about music for star
jedrek, I’m pretty positive that my headshot skills are NOT very good (esp. cos I haven’t taken any other than some of my friends’) and I was very honest with the band about this, a fact that they noted and said they really appreciated. Why they are interested in using me is that I understand the aesthetic of the music they play (doom / extreme metal.) They say they have talked to many commercial photographers and have come away unhappy with the results. I like this band’s music a lot and am excited at the prospect of contributing to their debut release in a small way. The money is not the most important consideration, but I also do not want to work for free. Cost + Fee is what I had in mind… I’m just trying to figure out how to arrive at “Fee”. Thanks for your reply!
JJ86’s advice is dead on. I ALWAYS charge for equipment “rental” and a digital capture fee to recoup the cost of my investment. Also, NEVER, EVER WORK FOR FREE. I cannot stress that enough. By working for free you not only do yourself a disservice but you are also undermining the value of other photographers services in your area. The Editorial Photographers site is a great resource for answering your questions. The bottom line is your not going to get rich shooting this band but you need to be compensated appropriately for your time, expenses and creative abilities. Feel free to contact me via email if you need help with a contract and coming up with appropriate fees.
