A Cold Pizza and Coffee Update - Money?

Money? Did someone say money? Seriously, where is the money?

I have been asked this several times throughout the past few weeks, each time it comes down to “How do I get paid to do concert photography???”

Truth is, good luck. Sure you might find some money here and there, at times enough to cover gas cost to get to the venue and back…but really, this gig is not one where you will make a lot of money off of. Maybe enough eventually to pay your bills on, but at least starting off, you need a secondary job, and one that pays at least decently.

Starting, you will be paying for your own gas, you also have to remember you have to maintain your equipment. It wasn’t too long ago that I finally upgraded my camera body, from the old Nikon D300 (which I LOVE, it is a real work horse that I still carry around as my backup camera) to a D750. It was a necessary move for many reasons. On top of that, you still have rent to pay for, food to buy, clothes to wear, insurance and so on to pay for…and as we all know gas prices are insanely high right now…to the point where you almost need a job to pay for just gas itself.

Where you might make some money is by going on tour. Now going on tour is not a sure thing. Even if you work your ass off, develop a stellar portfolio, know bands and their PR people personally, etc. etc…there are just too many photographers out there for all the bands that are available. And, sorry to say this, but not all bands want to have a photographer on tour with them.

You also might be able to get signed onto a local publication that will help cover things like your gas to get to shows and shoot, with maybe a tiny bit left over for a Dollar Menu supper once or twice a month. But that too is rare.

So, then what do you do? Work your ass off.

Long story short, you are a small business owner as a concert photographer (well, as a photographer in general), and you have to bust your ass like any other small business owner out there. If you think about it in a way, you are up against some of the giants in the concert photography world to prove your stuff; people like Ross Halfin (one of my personal favorites), Jim Marshall, Mick Rock (Yes I am aware that both Jim and Mic have passed, but their work is still out there and your work is still competing with theirs), Danny Clinch, Rita Carmo, and so many others (hell, even myself if I may be so bold). The point is that you have to get your work out there and seen, thus being known.

From there, once your work and name is starting to be known…even regionally, you can start maybe making a little money off of your work. Maybe have an exhibition of your work at a local gallery and sale some prints, also think about getting enough work together for a book possibly. The issue is here that you will need to photograph enough big names that people know and are wanting to see photos of/own a book that has their photo of. If you have photographed the local headliner at always plays Saturday Night at the local dive bar up the street, great…you are getting some work in, but no one out side of a few people will want to see that (unless that band has a BIG name in it…so you never know).

The point is for this update, yes you can make money in the field of Concert Photography, but it is going to be a little bit here and there. You really have to hustle and pimp yourself out there, let your work be seen and your name be know. Then, just then, might you be able to make a few bucks off of your concert photography. But as a reminder, your heart has to be in it first, you are going to have to suffer the long haul and cut your teeth in it first. If you are looking for a get rich quick style of photography, look towards something like Weddings where people will be willing to throw you a few hundred every weekend to snap a few photos. This is live music baby…and there is nothing better than that.

A Cold Pizza and Coffee Update - How to take no for an answer and what to do next

Okay…so there is always the question “what if they say no?”, and in this case, we are referring to a band and/or their PR or even their record label. There is one simple answer to this…and it is “Okay, so what? Move on to the next show”.

I cannot stress this enough that it will happen. And more times than you would like to think. For example, I have been keeping a log of which shows I have been applying to for media passes to cover since November of 2021 (this is Mid-May 2022 as I write this blog). Going with the dates and names of the touring artists that I have applied to, I also have on there where it is and if I was approved or not. Since November, I have 40 shows that I have applied to. I have been able to get a “yes” to about half of them, while a few have been postponed (and I am counting those in the grand total, and there have been seven that has been either postponed and/or passed on) and the rest have been “no”. And they have been a big shows too…from George Thorogood to Elton John, Slash to Korn, LP to Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Things happen, take it on the chin and get ready for the next one on your list. Never go through and let one show get you down. Hell, if it was up to me, I’d photograph every show every night, but even I need some time to sit back and relax, rest, and just say “tonight is a movie night" and turn off everything.

But yes…out of the 40 concerts that I have asked to cover in the past 7 months, I have been able to cover 20 concerts, 13 that have said no, and seven that have been postponed or I passed on. That is in 27 weeks total, I have photographed a concert on at least 20 of them. That means in total, that means seven weeks without a concert, that is almost two months without a show to shoot. That is a LONG Time. But it happens.

And even if you go through and have a confirmation for a show, it does not mean that you will be able to photograph the show. I know this the hard way. Prime example, two days ago, I was supposed to photograph a show in Kansas City, Missouri. Long story short, and not to get into it so much or to name any names, the band who I was suppose to be covering that night had just switched record labels, in the middle of their tour (which is VERY rare) which included their PR agents, which is even more unusual.

Issue is…that when the old PR agency turned over their approved Media List for the show, the new PR firm refused to honor the previous approved media. I had drove an hour to get there, waited about three hours (which included an hour after the show started) and then ended up driving the hour long journey home. This venue is someplace that I frequent a lot to shoot shows, about a half dozen in the time frame that we are talking about here, and they all know me pretty well. The ticket window gentleman even called the tour manager and a few other people to figure out why and if they were sure, because they know me and the work I do, and I had the emails from the previous PR agent for saying I was approved. I mean…the band just switched two days before the show, 48 hours…and all of the sudden, everything was turned on their head. So yes, it happens…to everyone. You will get a no…even at the absolute last minute, and even after you have been approved. It sucks, yes it does…pretty bad…but you have to take the noes that you get with the yeses and go on to the next show…because there will be another yes coming down the road, and if you have your cards played right, sooner rather than later. In my case, three days later.