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Arranging promos

published by JanaBlomqvist on Sat, 12/22/2007 - 1:30pm

Can anyone share tips for arranging a promo shoot?

Whenever I have approached a band with an offer like that, I have been instantly offered to contact their manager/label. And that's as far as it got. I do have a portfolio of live shots, but I am sure the management/label , if they consider the request at all, would want to see the promo portfolio firstplace.
That's when it comes full circle. You need promos to build up a portfolio, and a portfolio to get promos.

It seems to me most of photographers getting to do the promos are actually friends of a band. I would want to take this path as the last resort - I am not really interested in being friends with those band guys and spend my evenings in bars.

As Kalle mentioned, you can meet Ville Valo in the street here and he might be willing to discuss things. Does it really work that way? Would any band member, even from a minor band, at all consider at least a 10 minute shoot with some photographer without a promo folio who they have never heard of? Also what do you think of the chances to talk a real celeb musician into a project like that? I have got away fine with snapshots of such musicians as Lauri Ylonen, Tomi Joutsen and Tuomas Holopainen - straight on the spot where I caught them with the duration of their willingness to cooperate for a maximum of 30 seconds - which makes perfect sense.

Does it make sense to go for it and ask for more? Especially if, for instance, there is a label rep around watching?

I would also welcome any stories about how you got your first promo shoot.

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General Business Aspects

Submitted by Kalle Björklid on Sat, 12/22/2007 - 6:31pm.

Well, you'll have to start with the small bands and work from there. I've been asked to do promos because of my live music stuff at Huumakuva.net. On smaller clubs you can often meet the members of a (smaller) band. Usually that discussion is easy if they're in need for promos.

Of course, you don't have to photograph bands to be able to convince bands and management. I'm sure Jarmo Katila could convince a couple of bands with his portrait stuff:
http://www.moshpit.fi/gal_portrait1/index.htm

(here's his promo gallery: http://www.moshpit.fi/gal_promo1/index.htm)

Anyway, the place to start is demo-level bands, or maybe your friends. As with all different categories of photography, you have to gain a bit of experience before you can even understand what the challenges are.

http://www.bjorklid.net/
http://www.huumakuva.net/

Submitted by JanaBlomqvist on Sun, 12/23/2007 - 5:28am.

Thanks Kalle!

I knew Jarmo by his promo and concert work pretty well, but never took a close look at portraits. Convincing indeed.

It would be nice to see your promo work as well, I think you mentioned once that you did Mokoma for one thing, if I am not mistaken?

And so in your case live photos were good enough ground to get promo offers? Without any studio work or a portraiture portfolio?

Either way it sounds comforting that non-band photography can still be considered when applying for promo work.

Submitted by Kalle Björklid on Sun, 12/23/2007 - 9:09am.

JanaBlomqvist wrote:
It would be nice to see your promo work as well, I think you mentioned once that you did Mokoma for one thing, if I am not mistaken?

Mokoma and Stam1na (which are under the same record company, and you can almost say they are the record comany) both bought afterwards backstage-group-shots that were definitely not meant as promos. I probably am in the top ten of quickest promo shoot sessions ever for Finnish bands, both sessions were less than 5 minutes, and I'm not too happy about them (but I didn't say no to the money ;)).

Links: Stam1na (at the end, first are some photos by a much more famous guy), Mokoma (see the photographer name below the pic to identify mine).

So, those were never intended to be promo shots.

Here's some "for promotional purposes" shots: Garage 13

JanaBlomqvist wrote:
And so in your case live photos were good enough ground to get promo offers? Without any studio work or a portraiture portfolio?

Well, bands are often not knowledegable of photography, and they do not understand the vast gap between live music photography and "posed"/studio work. For instance, I've never learned anything about studio lights, how to position them etc. I don't especially like doing promo stuff, and I don't actively promote it. I'd like to be good at it, and parts of it are fun, but just knowing that I'm below medicore at it is a bit hard starting point, since it causes so much stress and I'm already doing rather high-level (Finnish scale) live music photo stuff.

http://www.bjorklid.net/
http://www.huumakuva.net/

Submitted by JanaBlomqvist on Sun, 12/23/2007 - 11:00am.

Kalle. Mokoma and Stamina look very nice. You did really good in that period of time given. I'd think that 3 of those 5 minutes would even be directing the band, and not actually shooting? So I think you earned your pay.

Garage 13 is even better - has the classic promo look to it. Did you use strobes? Or flash?
And did you after all get to play with studio lights at any point?

I sure understand your attitude about promos, I feel very uncomfortable about having to affect what's going on in the viewfinder as well. And I am also WAY beyond mediocre (I would not say you are, though) but... yet some smaller bands have something that looks like snapshots on their myspace profile.

And talking about skill level... what do you think of this:
http://jeremysaffer.deviantart.com/art/The-69-Eyes-72649044
http://jeremysaffer.deviantart.com/art/Nightwish-72657998
http://jeremysaffer.deviantart.com/art/Anette-of-Nightwish-72648764

These are studio shots. For a magazine. And if that sort of standard is accepted by such bands as in those pics.... doesn't give the photographer much credit but heck I'd go for it.

Also I should have made myself a bit clearer about promos - I don't mean a full 2 hours on location or in a studio by that. That includes backstage shots, interview shots, just arranging a 5 minute slot of time before the gig for photography 'to go together with the live report'. I am definitely not ready for the real thing. But those short on time and effort from the band shoots might be okay. I'd think the expectations would also be lower of the photographer. What do you think?

Submitted by Kalle Björklid on Tue, 12/25/2007 - 6:49am.

JanaBlomqvist wrote:
Garage 13 is even better - has the classic promo look to it. Did you use strobes? Or flash?

Thanks. Nothing but light from the environment was used. The photos were taken in the freight elevator of Lutakko, and the main light source was the elevator's light. The hint of cold that can be seen at least in one of them is daylight coming through an open door.

JanaBlomqvist wrote:
And did you after all get to play with studio lights at any point?

Nope. I have a very cheap studio (9 euros for one full day) at my disposal, but I haven't had the time to start learning that.

JanaBlomqvist wrote:
These are studio shots. For a magazine. And if that sort of standard is accepted by such bands as in those pics.... doesn't give the photographer much credit but heck I'd go for it.

Bands probably weren't asked for an opinion...

JanaBlomqvist wrote:
Also I should have made myself a bit clearer about promos - I don't mean a full 2 hours on location or in a studio by that. That includes backstage shots, interview shots, just arranging a 5 minute slot of time before the gig for photography 'to go together with the live report'. I am definitely not ready for the real thing. But those short on time and effort from the band shoots might be okay. I'd think the expectations would also be lower of the photographer. What do you think?

Well, I guess it should be easy to get to the backstage if you (or the writer from the same media) has an interview arragned. Other than that, try to find bands that really want you there, that is, they are ready to invite you to backstage in order to get photos of themselves (they'll probably want to use them on their web pages). The trouble of course is that they won't know you can be invited if you don't tell them that. Just don't be pushy. Backstages are private areas, as you know.

http://www.bjorklid.net/
http://www.huumakuva.net/