Playing in a band isn’t the only way to make money if you’re passionate about music. There are all sorts of things you can do in and around the industry, so you’re still surrounded by music all of the time, even if you don’t play.
Being a music photographer is a great option if you are interested in photography. You get to go to loads of amazing gigs for free and you might even meet some of your favorite artists along the way.
However, this is a tough industry to get into and there is a lot of competition, so you’ll need these tips to help you break through and find success.
Start With Local Bands To Build A Portfolio
Before you do anything else, you need a portfolio of your work to show bands that you can take awesome photos of them. The best way to do this is to go and take photos of bands that you know. This will make it much easier for them to trust you with their photo-taking duties at future gigs. Get in touch with local bands and offer your services for free. They’ll be happy to oblige because they can use the photos to get noticed, and they won’t have to pay. You can then use all of these photos to start building your portfolio.
Set Up A Professional Website
All of the most in-demand music photographers have their own website or blog. This is a great place for you to showcase your photos and let people know how they can find out more about you.
You should also put up information about yourself, such as who you’ve worked with in the past and what sort of equipment you use. You might even want to add a price list for people who are interested in hiring you at future gigs.
The most important thing is that the site looks professional and gives the impression that you are already a successful photographer.
Leverage Social Media
Leverage the power of social media to get your name out there. You can do this by using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts that are specifically designed for promoting yourself as a photographer.
You should also include links to your website in these accounts so that anyone who likes or follows you is pointed straight towards it. This article on how to become an influencer on instagram has some great tips for photographers that are looking to make a name for themselves. Once you get things going, you’d be surprised how quickly it could snowball. Before you know it, you’ll have big bands contacting you about photographing their gigs.
Focus On Building Contacts
It’s all about who you know in this industry. This isn’t something you can change overnight, so it’s important to start making contacts with bands when you are getting started.
Join local music forums and comment on threads that are about upcoming gigs. You should also be active in your local scene by going out to all of the gigs that catch your eye.
This will help you find new bands to work with, but it also helps you build relationships with managers and agents that can help you find work in the future.
Starting a career as a music photographer can be difficult, but if you stick at it, it’s a great way to earn a living.
Joe is a friend and contributing Author to Lifein12keys.com. He lives in Longwood, Florida with his wife Bethanne and sons Patrick and Joe Jr.