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Photo shoot Tips for Musicians

As a photographer, I must admit that my most memorable and passionate photo shoots are those with musicians. There is an energy, a creativeness and experimental spirit that you do not find in your average Family or Real Estate photo shoot. With that being said, it still surprises me that so many artists (especially new ones) have no idea what they want out of their photo shoot. Too many times, I have experienced the artist giving ALL creative freedom to the photographer, when the photographer has no idea what is the artist(s) image, genre or what the photos will be used for. They may be undecided as to indoor or outdoor locations, will there clothing changes or copyright of the photos from the shoot. Now, I love to be granted some creative freedom in a photo shoot, but only after I know what the artist is going for in the shoot. If the photo shoot is my vision and not the artist(s), the shoot becomes unpleasant and the client goes home with images they dislike. I can't stress enough the importance of using professional photos for your website, promo pictures and/or artwork. For elements like the background image, header image, and official promotional photos, the difference is immediately clear when artist(s) are not using professional photos. It can make for a negative impression of your brand if the images aren't up to the quality of your music. So to avoid that, I compiled some tips for recording artists before jumping into that first or next photo shoot:

1) Choose the Right Photographer I try to meet with every one of my clients prior to each shoot. These face-to-face meeting allows the client and me to establish clear objectives for the shoot so at the end of the day, there are no surprises or misunderstandings and everyone walks away knowing exactly what is expected. It also helps me build a rapport with the artist(s), which always translates into a much more relaxed and productive photo shoot.

2) Know What You Are Paying For Clarify what picture rights and post-production services you are paying the photographer for. Are you buying rights to use all the pictures that were shot, or just a subset? Who chooses the subset? Will they be chosen and retouched in Photoshop by the photographer before you see a final set? Are you buying the rights to use the photos online, print, in a press kit, for posters, etc.? Can you modify them yourself in case you want to do a cutout with Photoshop and overlay the picture on a different background? Will the photographer provide you with versions ready for you to use on your social media sites (various different sizes, resolutions, file types, etc.), or will you need to create those files yourself from what the photographer gives you? What public attribution does the photographer expect (for example on your website)? Of course, every photographer has different rates and packages, so you must know before your photo shoot exactly what your money buys. Be sure to confirm the dates you will be receive your proofs and once proofs are selected, when and how will you obtain the finish product.

3) Understand What Your Needs Are To Pre-Plan for the Shoot It's important to have some idea of what your needs are before the shoot, in terms of how you plan to use the resulting images. For example, the quality of great artwork for your project are quite different than those of a press kit shot, or a website header. Each situation calls for photos that meet certain design conventions, size limitations, orientation (portrait vs. landscape), as well as overall mood and style. Create a list of the various types of pictures you need and give the list to the photographer ahead of time. Banner photos for social media sites, website photos, black and white as well as color photos and other promotional uses (posters, one-sheets), head shots of individual band members are some examples.

4) Necessities for the Shoot Everyone's needs are different, but here's a list of things that you will need to consider:

Style & Clothing- I advise my clients to bring between 4 and 6 complete outfits-- one or two that might be considered "formal", a few that they might wear for live shows, and then one or two "personality" outfits.

Will you be using make-up? - For female artists (and males as well) or groups with a female (male) lead, it may be wise to spring for a makeup artist (MUAs) or ask the photographer if they could provide one for the shoot. There are amazing MUAs out there at reasonable rates and can help to cover up skin imperfections in a completely transparent and unnoticeable way. You want to be comfortable, confident and relaxed for your shoot, so if putting the care of your face in the hands of a professional gives you that, by all means, make it happen! It also makes a photographer’s job that much easier when the retouching phase rolls around.

Location/Backdrop- Studio shooting is generally your best bet, so you won’t have to worry about the elements (heat, cold, rain, etc.), and the lighting is completely controllable. However, be sure your photographer is really handy with Photoshop, because the studio option might be a bit limiting-- especially if you're seeking "atmospheric" shots where the location is an integral part of the overall look and feel. Regardless, these things are definitely important to consider, because they can have a huge impact on the final product.

Your Shot Selection- Unless you're 100% crystal clear on exactly what type of shots you need, I highly recommend mixing things up and going for some headshots, 3/4 shots (mid-thigh up), and full-length shots. This will provide you with maximum flexibility when it comes to choosing which shots you want, and may even pay dividends down the road if your needs completely change for whatever reason. Also, if you're in a group, I highly recommend taking some shots of individual band members by themselves-- these are great for things like "Bio" pages on websites and profile pics on social networks.

5) Do the Shoot Hopefully at this point you've got all you need and ready to proceed with the actual shoot. Before this date you and your photographer have truly done the necessary homework and this part should be an amazing experience for all parties involved. Just try to relax and go with the flow, and trust in your photographer's ability to make you look amazing. After all, that's what you're paying them the big bucks for!

6) Select Your Photos The photo shoot is complete and now you get to see the magic created that day! Be sure the photos you select are the ones that best captures your image and/or brand. Also, select those images that will do well in different platforms. Know what photos will be for artwork, bios, posters.website, etc.

7) Strategize Your Plans There are a number of things to think about once you get your photos in your hands, so don't go crazy and start throwing them to the four corners of the globe just yet. You need to plan out a strategy to release them in the most effective manner, meaning that you want to get as many people to see them as possible.

  I hope this blog post was helpful to you inspiring artists out there. Continue to follow your dreams and allow no one to tell you your dreams are unattainable. I look forward to hearing your feedback. Let me know if there any tips I missed! Peace Illustrious

A Fine Mess Podcast:

ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/a-fine-mess/id255403881?mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/afinemesspodcast

YouTube: https://youtu.be/CV9lCviys3U

Email: afinemesspodcast@gmail.com

Illustrious:

Twitter: @illustrious_sfo

Instagram: illustrious_afinemess

illustrious.sfo@aol.com

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A Fine Mess Podcast Episode 3: Do Lyrics Matter?

A Fine Mess Podcast Episode 3: Do Lyrics Matter?

//www.hipcast.com/podcast/HB4cpQ6Q?embed=1 The brothers discuss if being a lyrical MC matters in this age of Hip-Hop as it once did in the Golden Era. They share their top 5 M.C’s and 10 favorite Rap albums of all time. The brothers also give their insight on the Drake ghostwriting scandal, the difficulty in crafting a top 5 list and why Skitz don’t like Salt N Pepa. All this and so much more.…

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Indie or Major

The topic of 'Indie or Major' has really sparked some good conversation.

Indie or Major The first episode of ‘A Fine Mess’ has finally premiered! The podcast has gotten some nice feedback and I am really looking forward to building our audience. The topic of ‘Indie or Major’ has really sparked some good conversation. I honestly feel there is no better time for an artist than as it is today. The internet has definitely leveled the playing field. A little more than a…

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Album Review: Ty Dollar $ign 'Beach House 3'

Ty Dollar $ign has created a top notch project with ‘Beach Music 3’

Ty Dollar $ign Beach House 3   Los Angeles, California own, Ty Dolla $ign’s initial claim to fame was through the success of YG’s single “Toot It and Boot It.” Since then, this young man has been blessing listeners with clever hooks and melodies for many of today’s most popular artists as well as for himself with his mixtape releases. This time around, he’s dropping what is called his official…

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Album Review: The Lox '4 No Reason'

Not the top quality I expect from some of the greatest MC’s of our generation.

The Lox ‘4 No Reason’ The Trinity (Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch) from Yonkers known as The Lox, have truly solidify themselves as Hip Hop royalty. Being one of the few groups that have remained relevant from the heyday of the 90’s. A feat more credible considering the fact the group had only released two major projects in that time frame, 1998’s underrated “Money, Power, Respect” and “We…

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There is no better photo shoot than one with my A Fine Mess podcast family!

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Indie or Major

The first episode of ‘A Fine Mess’ has finally premiered! The podcast has gotten some nice feedback and I am really looking forward to building our audience. The topic of ‘Indie or Major’ has really sparked some good conversation. I honestly feel there is no better time for an artist than as it is today. The internet has definitely leveled the playing field. A little more than a decade ago, if you wanted to be successful in the music industry you had to adhere to the gatekeepers (The Labels) and their rules. The gatekeepers held the keys to radio, video, distributors and marketing. Labels decided what hits were and weren’t. They chose who and what was the new trend in the industry. They advanced the big dollar budgets that would lure independent artists from their independence. Advancing the dreams of fortune and fame. Today’s market, you can forgo the labels and create your own buzz and following. Make your own videos, build your own studio, put your own tour together and create and sale your own merchandise. With the help of your computer, you can have your music uploaded for the world to see and/or hear in the matter of minutes. It’s never been any easier to find an audience for your music. Now that’s not to stay you can post your music and you will have a million followers instantly. You do have to work harder than ever before to be noticed in a crowded playing field. Everybody’s a rapper, a singer or a producer!! Just as easy as it is for you to get your Soundcloud or YouTube page up with your music posted, there are plenty artists doing the same thing. So what is the best decision for inspiring artists? I say, decide what you want in your career first and how hard are you willing to work to make those things manifest in your career. If ownership, independence and control over your career is your goal, then I say the independent route is for you. You want the road to riches, stardom and fame, then you want the majors.  Independence is a harder grind, but in today’s market, there is no easy grind! The days of free styling in front of an A & R or singing acapella for a label head to get a deal are gone! The days of sending your demo to the label and hope it falls in the right hands to get signed are gone! The labels want to see those numbers!!! How many YouTube views you have? SoundCloud? What’s your streaming numbers? If these numbers aren’t in the millions, you can’t even strike up a conversation with the majors!! So basically it’s up to the artist to create the buzz. Build the brand. So, if it is you doing all the work, why would you need a major label? And I say, EXACTLY! Back in the days, everything I just spoke about, the label did for you. Marketing, branding, creating a buzz, getting you on the radio, getting your videos made and played. Now, if you can’t do that for yourself, you won’t have a career. The labels use to invest in you, now you must invest into yourself. Which is not a bad thing, with you investing in yourself, you have ownership, as Hov said, ‘Legacy, Legacy! You own the publishing, the masters, the video rights, streaming rights, etc. A beautiful thing! The label did these things for you, but at a steep price, you lost the ownership of your art. You were indebted to the label, from the advances for studios, videos, tours, marketing etc. Most artists never recoup all the money advanced to their career. With all that said, the one thing the major labels MAY be able to give you is FAME. And that’s not guaranteed!!! The major’s will provide lanes for you may have never had access to otherwise, that track from Pharrell, that high priced video, visits to the major radio stations, your music in the hands of powerful DJ’s and advances. If you want to be that major player in the game, you want to be the next Drake, the next Beyoncé, then the major’s is where you need to be. That’s why I said earlier, you must know what you want out of your career. It may seem like I am bad mouthing recording companies (but I am no big fan of the majors or indie’s, they have ripped off too many artists, especially those of color!), but I do understand the aspirations of some artists. The price for fame is worth signing a 360 deal and give a piece of every dollar you make to the label, it’s worth losing your publishing, and it’s worth never owing your masters. Ownership is not the main reason most artists want to be in the music business. So you can’t be mad! It’s to make money, name up in lights, fancy cars, big homes, award shows, songs on the radio and in the clubs and all the other amenities that come with fame. And what would be wrong with that! Chase those wishes. Be that star you dreamed to be. I am no dream killer. I despise dream killers (that’s another subject I will speak about real soon!). I just say to inspiring artists that, if you have to put in the work anyway to create success for yourself to get these labels to look at you, know your worth. If you built your brand, don’t negotiate with the majors and lose all or half of what you built! Let the companies come to you. If you are getting over a million views of anything, trust me, you will be noticed!! Even 6 digits will garner attention. When the companies come to you that puts the ball in your court. You dictate the rules, and if they aren’t willing to give you what you feel you deserve, stay firm in your conventions and let the company move on. Just as they noticed you, so will others. That’s what I love so much about the Chance the Rappers, or Young M.A’s of the game. They know their worth and won’t sign a deal that does not work in the best interest of their career. They have the following, the brand and even the patience to wait for the best deal. I been on my soap box long enough, let me know your thoughts on the subject. If you haven’t yet, check out the first episode of ‘A Fine Mess’ podcast where we go in depth on the topic. Episode 2 is coming soon. Can’t wait to see the reaction to the next podcast. We jump into waters you wouldn’t expect!

Peace and blessings

Illustrious

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/a-fine-mess/id255403881?mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/afinemesspodcast

YouTube: Coming Soon

Twitter: @illustrious_sfo

Instagram: illustrious_afinemess

Email: afinemesspodcast@gmail.com

Illustrious: illustrious.sfo@aol.com

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A Fine Mess Episode # 2

With episode number 2, we tried to dive into an important topic in our community and that is the School Voucher program.

School Vouchers With episode number 2, we tried to dive into an important topic in our community and that is the School Voucher program. For those not familiar with the program, it is a government-funded voucher redeemable for tuition fees at a school other than the public school that a student could attend for free. As noted on the show, I have serious worries when we speak about this subject.…

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A Fine Mess Episode 2: School Vouchers

The brothers discuss whether school vouchers benefit or hinder the community. The importance parents play in their kids' education and the need for better teachers in lower income neighborhoods.

The brothers discuss whether school vouchers benefit or hinder the community. The importance parents play in their kids’ education and the need for better teachers in lower income neighborhoods. Do African-Americans have equal opportunities in this country? Will robots replace our human labor? Also, why the crew is not giving kids no trophies!!! Laugh, learn and enjoy with  Illustrious, Skitzlive…

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 The Birth of A Fine Mess Podcast

The 'A Fine Mess' podcast is on a break, prepping for a new and stronger year of content. We will continue to bring entertaining commentary on hard hitting topics that are relevant to the Hip-Hop culture

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