Excerpted from Chapter 3 of Concert Photography, which also addresses ways to establish contact with the people who have the power to issue photo credentials and how to convince them to give them to you. It also covers the conditions you're likely to encounter once you've been issued that elusive photo pass.
Acquiring photo credentials is the most formidable obstacle facing photographers who want to shoot best-selling musicians in theaters, arenas, and coliseums. Though these artists actually represent just a small percentage of the total number of working musicians, they are the most visible. As such, their photos are the most marketable-a primary reason that photo access is so tightly controlled. With a few notable exceptions, it's safe to generalize that the bigger the act, the more restricted the access. It's not unusual to go to a mega-show these days and see one or maybe two photographers the whole night. For much of Barbra Streisand's 1994 comeback tour, no still photographers were permitted in the house. In truth, musicians who can afford to exercise that kind of control don't need to generate publicity. Artists with the stature of Streisand, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and the Rolling Stones tour so seldom that they create an massive overdose of hype without even trying.
Fortunately, mere mortal musicians must court the press to call attention to their latest album and tour. That's why artists and record companies have publicists whose primary task is to provoke media coverage. Musicians and publicity people understand that it's in their best interest to grant interviews, dole out free tickets to writers and reviewers, and provide access to photographers. They just want to be sure they're getting something back for their efforts. It's simple, really; if you want to get credentials to shoot a show, you're going to have to convince somebody that it's in their best interest to give them to you.
To help you determine where you might fit into the picture, let's take a look at the photographers wearing photo passes and lining the stage at the shows you paid $30 to see. They are likely to come from several sources.
The majority are on assignment for a magazine or newspaper, including staff photographers and freelancers representing national and international publications, local daily newspapers, and local entertainment weeklies. In terms of sheer numerical possibilities, this is probably the easiest way to score a pass. Arrangements are frequently made by the publication on behalf of the photographer, although well-established freelancers often have direct connections with record companies and band management.
These are professionals who are hired to record all events that take place at a particular venue. Sometimes there are two photographers who fit into this category-one hired by the promoter, the other by venue management. Depending on the band's photo policy, they are often granted better access than press photographers. And even if the band is being difficult about photo access, the venue photographer can often find ways to circumvent restrictions because he or she has the advantage of knowing the nooks and crannies of the hall and the personnel running it.
This group includes people who are friends, family, or employees of the band. Most of them are just looking to get a few shots for the scrapbook, although a few take photography seriously and may provide photos for the band's album covers or tour books. I've even met a few who are professional photographers in other disciplines, such as fashion, sports, or advertising, and just happen to be friends of the band. The edge this group has is that they're sometimes permitted to shoot in places that are off-limits to strangers and working media, including backstage, in hotels, or on tour buses.
This is probably the best music photographer's gig there is. The tour photographer is hired by a band's management or record company to travel with the band and produce photos suitable for publicity and merchandising purposes. In most cases, these guys are well-seasoned pros and veteran road warriors who are known and trusted by the people who hire them. Discretion is essential for this type of work. In theory, tour photographers have complete access to the band both on- and offstage, and sometimes they actually do. Some of the more experienced members of this coterie include Neal Preston, Ross Halfin, Neil Zlozower, Paul Natkin, Mark Leialoha, and Lynn Goldsmith.
This catch-all category includes photographers hired or granted photo rights by various entities with some kind of professional connection to the band. They include, but aren't limited to, public relations agencies, record companies, sound and lighting companies, merchandisers, advertising agencies, and music equipment manufacturers who have endorsement deals with the band.
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