Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Friday, November 3, 2017
Business Plan Rough Draft
I would want my business to be centered on either concert photography (which could also include event photography in general). If I were to do concert photography, I would basically have bands hire me to either attend their concerts when they are in town, or to go on tour with them and be their personal photographer. I would also take promo photos and portraits for bands. This could either be within my own business or I could work for a publication. I would like to be based in Austin, seeing as the music scene is extremely big, and it would be easier for me to get gigs. Some main events I would be shooting are ACL, SXSW, and all of the other fun Austin music festivals.
Equipment wise I would need to purchase a few things in order to get some quality shots. I already own a 50mm lens and a DSLR camera (duh). 50mm lenses are really good for when you are just starting out as a concert photographer. Some lenses I would need to purchase that would be very beneficial to my career are a 24-70mm, 70-200mm, and 16-35mm. I would probably end up purchasing another camera, so that I could carry two around my neck to maximize the amount of great shots I get. With two cameras I would also be able to put a long distance lens on one and a shorter distance lens on the other so I could get a better variety of pictures, and be ready for any action that may take place. I would also purchase a good pair of ear plugs, seeing as running around in front of booming speakers 24/7 may not be the best for my hearing. The best recommended ear plugs are Downbeats (Long stem version), and they are also good for people who are on a budget. I would also purchase a new camera strap, probably one of the harness variety so that I can attack two cameras to it and also ensure that it won't fall off on me! The HoldFast Gear Money Maker is a recommended brand, as it has a high-grade leather harness that is put on backpack style, and is designed to hold two cameras near your hips. A portable flash system may also be helpful for backstage portrait work. A recommended one is the Elinchrom Ranger Quadra. I would also need to purchase a lot of memory cards with maximum storage, as I would be taking tons and tons of photos at these events. I'd also need a better camera bag, maybe one that is like a backpack so that I can better transport all of my gear.
At concert events I would always carry around some business cards to hand out to anyone interested. It would be a good way to get my name out there some more. I would need to go to quite a few concerts throughout the year to make enough money, and probably hold a separate day job or expand myself to other photography services like weddings, product photography, etc. The average annual salary for concert photographers is $100-$250 per shot/event, and the general salary range is about $0-$2000 per event. I would want to go to around 15 concerts per year. That sounds like a lot, but to be honest I would probably end up going to more! And, if I was touring with an band, I would end up going to around 30+ shows.
My preparations for a shoot would most likely be different every time depending on the type of shoot I'm doing. If I was shooting a live performance, I would do some research in advance and look at other photos from that artists concerts to get an idea of what the lighting and stage setup will look like. If I were doing a backstage or setup shoot I would spend time researching the personality of the artist. This would be very beneficial to the actual shoot and would help me take better photos if I already have somewhat of an idea to tailor to.
Equipment wise I would need to purchase a few things in order to get some quality shots. I already own a 50mm lens and a DSLR camera (duh). 50mm lenses are really good for when you are just starting out as a concert photographer. Some lenses I would need to purchase that would be very beneficial to my career are a 24-70mm, 70-200mm, and 16-35mm. I would probably end up purchasing another camera, so that I could carry two around my neck to maximize the amount of great shots I get. With two cameras I would also be able to put a long distance lens on one and a shorter distance lens on the other so I could get a better variety of pictures, and be ready for any action that may take place. I would also purchase a good pair of ear plugs, seeing as running around in front of booming speakers 24/7 may not be the best for my hearing. The best recommended ear plugs are Downbeats (Long stem version), and they are also good for people who are on a budget. I would also purchase a new camera strap, probably one of the harness variety so that I can attack two cameras to it and also ensure that it won't fall off on me! The HoldFast Gear Money Maker is a recommended brand, as it has a high-grade leather harness that is put on backpack style, and is designed to hold two cameras near your hips. A portable flash system may also be helpful for backstage portrait work. A recommended one is the Elinchrom Ranger Quadra. I would also need to purchase a lot of memory cards with maximum storage, as I would be taking tons and tons of photos at these events. I'd also need a better camera bag, maybe one that is like a backpack so that I can better transport all of my gear.
At concert events I would always carry around some business cards to hand out to anyone interested. It would be a good way to get my name out there some more. I would need to go to quite a few concerts throughout the year to make enough money, and probably hold a separate day job or expand myself to other photography services like weddings, product photography, etc. The average annual salary for concert photographers is $100-$250 per shot/event, and the general salary range is about $0-$2000 per event. I would want to go to around 15 concerts per year. That sounds like a lot, but to be honest I would probably end up going to more! And, if I was touring with an band, I would end up going to around 30+ shows.
My preparations for a shoot would most likely be different every time depending on the type of shoot I'm doing. If I was shooting a live performance, I would do some research in advance and look at other photos from that artists concerts to get an idea of what the lighting and stage setup will look like. If I were doing a backstage or setup shoot I would spend time researching the personality of the artist. This would be very beneficial to the actual shoot and would help me take better photos if I already have somewhat of an idea to tailor to.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
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