Like many industries, the music industry has seen changes in how to find and promote to photography clients. One of the biggest changes is that the “contact” person for photo services has diversified to the point of being so broad that you have to contact many different types of firms. We will also look at the changes in “access” photographers have to the artists. One common theme is “passion” and selecting your music industry client based on your interest in the music and personal relationships within that community of artists. Finally, we will examine different methods of self-promotion working for the photographers interviewed.

MP: What kind of music industry clients have you worked with? Who are the best to contact for photography?

 Greg Watermann, www.gregwatermann.com: I've worked with them all: magazines, artists, music production companies, record companies, publicity firms, and the agents.  Other sources are merchandise companies (t-shirts, calendars, etc.), and management firms (they directly manage bands), and manufacturers of music instruments and gear.

Bettie Grace Miner, www.minerworksofart.com: I have worked with numerous jazz musicians, major and independent record labels, concert promoters, artist managers and agents, jazz and blues festivals, music PR firms, radio stations, charities, music related websites, resort hotels, and night clubs. The world is changing for music, musicians and the industry as a whole.  Radio stations have gone under or changed formats, leaving the musicians and labels nowhere to sell their product. The major labels have let go of all but the most lucrative talent and the independent labels have been all but squeezed out of business.  Music stores are almost non-existent with most music being sold either online or through downloads.  I have had to scale back prices from the big budgets major labels had to a very small budget, working with the artists directly so they can produce their own projects and then try to get distribution deals.  Art directors for the labels that are still in existence change frequently and are sometimes independent contractors. The short answer is that there is no answer.  You have to research each avenue or project to find the person who will hire you.  Most times it is the musician themselves, then you can work your way up the food chain.

MP: What do you recommend are the best ways to research and find these photography clients?

David Alan Kogut, www.northeastventure.com:  Road Managers and Artist Managers are still the best to contact. The music business seems huge but it is really small. Everyone knows everyone else so the best way is to put yourself in the right crowd. I started locally with a venue close to my studio that had R&B acts and worked my way up from there.

Christopher Winton-Stahle, www.winton-stahle.com: I find that the best way to build clients in general is through personal relationships with either the artists or the labels. This takes time. Starting with a magazine is a good way to get in because you meet the artist directly. If you do good work that they dig then they may want to invite you back or they’re pass your name along. Musicians all talk to each other so once it happens and you’ve built and maintained that good reputation then it’ll most likely continue to happen. I’ve never had a lot of luck with promoting to record labels. Music photography is a much desired field that is difficult to break into “full time” and I’m sure that the labels get more promos from photographers than they can shake an ugly stick at. My opinion about photographing musicians and celebrities is that it’s not just about doing great work that is innovative and creative but it equally about personality and your attitude. The worst thing in the world for an artist is to work with a weird photographer with star struck eyes or someone that goes into the situation with an “attitude”. Remember that these are just people like you and me and when working with other professional artists they don’t want to feel uncomfortable. They may find dealing with people can be uncomfortable at times so it’s your job to just make things as quick, easy, and enjoyable as possible. I think that’s actually one thing that has helped me with photographing anyone of a celebrity status is that I see all people equally and I just like to just have a good time no matter who you are.   

Bettie Grace Miner: Concert promoters became aware of my work through the artist portraits due to exhibits at jazz venues, prints and a self-published book collected by fans.  That visibility led to commissions for music festival posters for numerous events.  The poster art was used for advertising and merchandise produced for sale at jazz and blues festivals.  Radio stations and magazines were introduced to my work through these events and I created revenue share programs and trades for advertising with them.  Charities often do music festivals to raise funds, which gets lots of promotion and the artwork created for those events gets a lot of exposure.  I exhibited my work at the festivals and other events, introducing my imagery to fans; they would then buy prints and get them autographed by the musicians.  The artists would put the images on their website, which would then get picked up by magazines, other websites and used in interviews and public relations.  That exposure would bring my work to the attention of record labels and the resulting CD covers would bring additional exposure to the entire music industry.  It’s a networking dream.

MP:What have been the biggest changes you have seen in music industry clients?

Paul Natkin, http://natkin.net: When I started 30 years ago there were dozens of magazines featuring musicians-mostly location photos. In those days it was relatively easy to get access to any venue. That access was truly the key to finding and keeping clients in this industry. When you built up a sense of trust with any of the music industry players, you could make a phone call and have an all- access pass waiting for you at the door. This access helped photographers become part of the process, the process of the selling of the music. For example, when I got a call from the publicist for Bruce Springsteen at the beginning of his career they told me “shoot everything you can and get the images published everywhere you can”. So they brought me in for his first video (Dancing in the Dark) and his first concert in St. Paul. With previous contacts made with Rolling Stone magazine from a photo shoot with Prince, I sold them images from the Springsteen shoot as well as to magazines all around the world. So because publicists and musicians wanted me to shoot because I could get the images published, my access increased the publicity value to the band. And because I retained my copyright and sold usage, I can still make money today off these older images. Two problems today: there are far fewer magazines to sell to and publicists bar access to the artists. But lack of access is really the biggest problem and is choking off the freelance photographer and most of the creativity in the process. As an example, this change to the photographer’s access has been to cutback from shooting the entire concert at stage front  to only the first three songs shooting from the soundboard and finally to shooting  from the back of the room for the first 30 seconds of the concert. Boring and static and mediocre images. Today, the industry will never get back on its feet unless there is some effort to create change at the venue access level. The venue will toss you out after shooting for 30 seconds or 3 songs unless previous and tedious special permission has been granted just to you. It used to be you got Photo Passes, now they just let you in the back door, escort you to the shooting position and then escort you out. This is insane. The idea of the venue dictating access to the musicians is crazy, today the band has to specifically ask for a policy change to allow the photographers to stay and shoot. Because if you can’t take the picture of them, you can’t sell the picture for them. One way I make money today is to be hired up front- -in advance of any concert tour-- to create hundreds images for the talent. They select the images they want then buy unlimited rights for lots of money and then they dole out the images very carefully and deliberately to the magazines.

After a heart-to-heart talk with the late Jim Marshall, I decided to take a stand and not take on a gig unless I could shoot the way I wanted. Immediately I lost 90% of my business! But the 10% of clients that kept me on are in it for the images I can create, not the standard, mediocre shots everyone else gets.

MP: What have you found to be the most effective self-promotion methods?

Christopher Winton-Stahle:  Direct mail to the labels is an option. You can get a full list of such firms through ADBASE or Agency Access. These are directory services that build mailing lists and they both charge by annual fee. Periodic email blasts are an option as well. I’ve connected with a few bands and musicians through social media which has worked fairly well for lower profile artists. I’d say to focus on doing good work, get your name out there through your website, social medial, direct mail, get to know the artist, talk to the magazines, build relationship with managers and labels, show your work in a non-stalker creepy way and let the powers that be know that you’re interested in working with them but don’t come across as being “too hungry”. If you’re work is good then it will speak for itself but it is up to you to get it in front of the right people and it’s up to you to find the people that you connect the best with.

 Greg Watermann: Word of mouth and reputation in the industry are vital marketing tools. That’s really the only way to move up in entertainment. It’s not possible to get the clients I have now by cold-calling or drop-offs. Do photography that blows them away and be very easy to work with.  Trust is very important also. I'm often times in sensitive situations with a camera in my hands and the artist has to trust I will do the job professionally.

Bettie Grace Miner: Exhibiting and networking at major music events; through word of mouth referrals, my website and e-newsletters.  I have never done any traditional advertising, yet I get sales and website hits from all over the world. Through that marketing I developed a database of clients, customers and music industry VIPs.  Each month I send an email newsletter with exhibit, new releases, news and other thoughts to keep in touch and keep me in the front of their minds.  Within days of doing a newsletter, I always get some kind of assignment, commission or sale, even if it’s not related to the newsletter content. 

 David Alan Kogut: Now with Facebook and other social marketing options the world is your oyster. I have gotten clients from Europe, US, Canada from Facebook. I joined the New York City Friars Club ten years ago as a way for me to be around activities and events and get to be known for what I do. I also used other skills such as fine art painting, art direction and graphic design to get in the "inner" circle.Today I offer the same services. For example, I shot the Gin Blossoms (both Still and Video); I interviewed the band and designed the latest CD. I also created web pages to promote them. So basically the idea is offer as many things as possible to your clientele to keep them coming back for more.