Friday, October 30, 2009
The BPR Halloween Photo Weekend starts tonight at Jerry's Lee's Summit with the Clique early, then the Brooksider with ZEVO at midnight.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Week that Was in BPR Photography
So the past week was quite an adventure shooting several bands/events. I really felt that the overall quality of the photos was above average with some really special highlights (the 90
Minutes publicity photos). Glad to see such a wide range of familiar faces at each stop.
The guys from Pogey were fantastic. They played the KC Irish Fest last year, opening for The Elders, and that was first time I took photos of either band. And in fact I was just messing around; I really didn't plan make an impression with either act. But I got backstage access thanks to Shawn from the Zeros and ended up taking some of the best live photos of any show I'd taken pics at. And that led to Pogey buying all the pics I took and the Elders hiring me for future gigs and eventually some new publicity photos. And shortly after last year's gig Pogey asked if I would come back and shoot them again when they returned for this year's Irish Fest and that's what happened. I really didn't meet them last year except to briefly introduce myself, but this year I got to chat with the guys and they were great.
I dunno, there's just something about all musicians that seems to be universal in how friendly, enthusiastic and above all appreciative of what I do with the photography. I mean, every band I'm associated with or have worked with is exactly the same. Maybe there's some sort of respect as artists for another another artist. Or maybe they recognize how hard I work to produce the best quality photography for them every time they have me come out and shoot. Or maybe they just love how I make them look like larger than life Rock Stars ;)
The Elders, what can I say. The next day I took some extra photos of Pogey during their second performance at this year's event, then went over to see the guys who gave me a tremendous opportunity by hiring me to do their publicity photos this past summer. I hadn't seen them since that shoot and as always, some of the classiest and friendliest gentlemen I have met. And again, they pack the KC Irish Fest year after year; something to the tune of 25,000 turned up to catch their amazing live show.
And so I had a short three days after that great weekend before I headed out on Wednesday to Lee's Summit and Jerry's Bait Shop to capture Tyson Leslie's 35th birthday event. Tyson's band, 90 Minutes, is one of the more recent bands I've fallen in with this year, and again, like all of the bands, incredibly incredibly supportive of what I do and they're definitely a favorite of my to shoot. I told them once that they were my favorite band to shoot, period, but then I realized that it wasn't fair to several of the other bands who I actually equally enjoy shooting. That doesn't take away anything from them, but each band that I shoot is exciting and enjoyable so you can't really say there is any single favorite; I guess it's like loving all of your children equally, lol.
But the big thing about the 90 Minutes gig this past week was twofold: many guests players from other bands were on hand to celebrate Tyson's birthday and fill in for a song or two, which created a great atmosphere and lots of great photo ops. But other big thing, and for me something I've been pining for ever since I did the Elders publicity pics...was doing some new publicity pics with other bands, and I got to do that with 90 Minutes.
I'll be posting links to all of the galleries I mention in this blog at the end, but these publicity photos really helped me take it to a new level that I've been really hungry to achieve for a long time, but just hadn't quite gotten there before. For me it was about utilizing my lighting rig (Canon flashes triggered by RadioPoppers, stands and softboxes) effectively and creating really cool lighting. The live photography is fun, but this is what I want to do more and more of in the future. My goal is to do less (free) live photography and more studio/posed/publicity photos. If you see me out at an event with the camera, whether it's a band or a VIP party, chances are I'll be there because I was hired and not "just for the fun of it"...although of course, there will be special exceptions.
Friday night...got to see the guys in KC/DC again and shoot a 9.11 event at Fuel in Overland Park. Again, great event, terrific turnout, and some rather, um..."edgy" pics of some pretty excited female fans on stage during "Shook Me All Night Long". When you go to the link you'll see. But for now:
And finally, Saturday night. Quixotic Fusion at the Nelson-Atkins. This act is the single most unique act I've seen and it's amazing that they were founding and are based here in Kansas City. Seriously, this is something expect in New York. It's an ensemble of performers: ballet-trained dancers, musicians, high-wire gymnasts who collaborate to present an incredible, ethereal show. This is an act that everybody who values a great show but also can appreciate the obvious forethought and preparation and planning that goes into this act should make plans to see.
So that was it. Amazing week to be part of.
Links to galleries:
Pogey at the Irish Fest
The Elders at the Irish Fest
90 Minutes Publicity Photos
90 Minutes Live Pics of Tyson Leslie's Birthday
KC/DC at Fuel
Quixotic Fusion at the Nelson-Atkins
Minutes publicity photos). Glad to see such a wide range of familiar faces at each stop.
The guys from Pogey were fantastic. They played the KC Irish Fest last year, opening for The Elders, and that was first time I took photos of either band. And in fact I was just messing around; I really didn't plan make an impression with either act. But I got backstage access thanks to Shawn from the Zeros and ended up taking some of the best live photos of any show I'd taken pics at. And that led to Pogey buying all the pics I took and the Elders hiring me for future gigs and eventually some new publicity photos. And shortly after last year's gig Pogey asked if I would come back and shoot them again when they returned for this year's Irish Fest and that's what happened. I really didn't meet them last year except to briefly introduce myself, but this year I got to chat with the guys and they were great.
I dunno, there's just something about all musicians that seems to be universal in how friendly, enthusiastic and above all appreciative of what I do with the photography. I mean, every band I'm associated with or have worked with is exactly the same. Maybe there's some sort of respect as artists for another another artist. Or maybe they recognize how hard I work to produce the best quality photography for them every time they have me come out and shoot. Or maybe they just love how I make them look like larger than life Rock Stars ;)The Elders, what can I say. The next day I took some extra photos of Pogey during their second performance at this year's event, then went over to see the guys who gave me a tremendous opportunity by hiring me to do their publicity photos this past summer. I hadn't seen them since that shoot and as always, some of the classiest and friendliest gentlemen I have met. And again, they pack the KC Irish Fest year after year; something to the tune of 25,000 turned up to catch their amazing live show.
And so I had a short three days after that great weekend before I headed out on Wednesday to Lee's Summit and Jerry's Bait Shop to capture Tyson Leslie's 35th birthday event. Tyson's band, 90 Minutes, is one of the more recent bands I've fallen in with this year, and again, like all of the bands, incredibly incredibly supportive of what I do and they're definitely a favorite of my to shoot. I told them once that they were my favorite band to shoot, period, but then I realized that it wasn't fair to several of the other bands who I actually equally enjoy shooting. That doesn't take away anything from them, but each band that I shoot is exciting and enjoyable so you can't really say there is any single favorite; I guess it's like loving all of your children equally, lol.But the big thing about the 90 Minutes gig this past week was twofold: many guests players from other bands were on hand to celebrate Tyson's birthday and fill in for a song or two, which created a great atmosphere and lots of great photo ops. But other big thing, and for me something I've been pining for ever since I did the Elders publicity pics...was doing some new publicity pics with other bands, and I got to do that with 90 Minutes.
I'll be posting links to all of the galleries I mention in this blog at the end, but these publicity photos really helped me take it to a new level that I've been really hungry to achieve for a long time, but just hadn't quite gotten there before. For me it was about utilizing my lighting rig (Canon flashes triggered by RadioPoppers, stands and softboxes) effectively and creating really cool lighting. The live photography is fun, but this is what I want to do more and more of in the future. My goal is to do less (free) live photography and more studio/posed/publicity photos. If you see me out at an event with the camera, whether it's a band or a VIP party, chances are I'll be there because I was hired and not "just for the fun of it"...although of course, there will be special exceptions.Friday night...got to see the guys in KC/DC again and shoot a 9.11 event at Fuel in Overland Park. Again, great event, terrific turnout, and some rather, um..."edgy" pics of some pretty excited female fans on stage during "Shook Me All Night Long". When you go to the link you'll see. But for now:
And finally, Saturday night. Quixotic Fusion at the Nelson-Atkins. This act is the single most unique act I've seen and it's amazing that they were founding and are based here in Kansas City. Seriously, this is something expect in New York. It's an ensemble of performers: ballet-trained dancers, musicians, high-wire gymnasts who collaborate to present an incredible, ethereal show. This is an act that everybody who values a great show but also can appreciate the obvious forethought and preparation and planning that goes into this act should make plans to see.So that was it. Amazing week to be part of.Links to galleries:
Pogey at the Irish Fest
The Elders at the Irish Fest
90 Minutes Publicity Photos
90 Minutes Live Pics of Tyson Leslie's Birthday
KC/DC at Fuel
Quixotic Fusion at the Nelson-Atkins
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Some Ground Rules
So this something of a follow up on my previous note about watermarking. In some ways I've adhered to it, and in some ways not and I need to get back on track. These rules update that note regarding my business practices:
1) I don't mind that people use my pics for their myspace or facebook pages It's actually pretty cool and is great for promoting me. I DO appreciate people leaving my watermark in the photos, or at least noting in the caption my website address. (See below for watermarking policy as it pertains to this.)
2) If I get paid to shoot an event, I put my watermark in the lower right corner when I post it to smugmug or facebook That still enables me to put my own personal stamp to the pic without being too obnoxious.
3) If I don't get paid to shoot an event but still want to shoot for fun, I use the larger version of the watermark over the center of the pic I know, it's annoying, but I've got to put a value on my work, especially in respect to the bands/people who DO hire me and pay me. Note that the watermark DOES NOT appear on any prints that are ordered from my site; it's just a web thing.
4) For every print that's ordered from my site, the buyer gets an 800x500 web-res version of that pic with no watermark For your facebook, myspace, emailing, etc. This is a new policy and hopefully motivates people to order prints.
5) PRINTS ARE HANDLED BY SMUGMUG, NOT ME I don't make the prints myself, and I never see any credit card information from your order. I've gotten this question before, at least the part about whether I make the prints myself. That's all handled by smugmug; they process the order from one of their printers and mail them directly to you. I just get notified when a print order is made.
6) Copyright info Just like a musician retains copyright ownership of their songs even when someone buys their CDs or downloads mp3s from iTunes, so I retain copyright ownership of my photos. When you order a print or hire me (or any other photographer) to shoot for you, you're basically paying for usage. Hence I can continue to field orders for prints or use those photos in my portfolio.
7) Typically I charge by the hour, but am considering alternative methods for being paid based off what I provide at a given rate On the face of it being paid by the hour is simplest, but I typically find I end up shooting longer anyway (because it's fun, usually). One alternative I'm considering is that I would provide a limited number of high-res, printable pics depending on our agreed rate. As in, five photos for $50, 20 photos for $100, 40 photos for $150, 80 photos for $200, and all of the photos, unaltered and altered, for $250. You'll notice it's a scaled system, where you'd get more for your money at the higher rates. Contact me if you are interested or have other questions about it. THIS IS A BAND/EVENT RULE; portrait shoots and weddings are priced differently.
That's it for now. I'm sure that leaves out a lot of details and other relevant issues, so in that sense it's still a system that's a work in progress. Any questions with these rules please ask me for clarification.
1) I don't mind that people use my pics for their myspace or facebook pages It's actually pretty cool and is great for promoting me. I DO appreciate people leaving my watermark in the photos, or at least noting in the caption my website address. (See below for watermarking policy as it pertains to this.)
2) If I get paid to shoot an event, I put my watermark in the lower right corner when I post it to smugmug or facebook That still enables me to put my own personal stamp to the pic without being too obnoxious.
3) If I don't get paid to shoot an event but still want to shoot for fun, I use the larger version of the watermark over the center of the pic I know, it's annoying, but I've got to put a value on my work, especially in respect to the bands/people who DO hire me and pay me. Note that the watermark DOES NOT appear on any prints that are ordered from my site; it's just a web thing.
4) For every print that's ordered from my site, the buyer gets an 800x500 web-res version of that pic with no watermark For your facebook, myspace, emailing, etc. This is a new policy and hopefully motivates people to order prints.
5) PRINTS ARE HANDLED BY SMUGMUG, NOT ME I don't make the prints myself, and I never see any credit card information from your order. I've gotten this question before, at least the part about whether I make the prints myself. That's all handled by smugmug; they process the order from one of their printers and mail them directly to you. I just get notified when a print order is made.
6) Copyright info Just like a musician retains copyright ownership of their songs even when someone buys their CDs or downloads mp3s from iTunes, so I retain copyright ownership of my photos. When you order a print or hire me (or any other photographer) to shoot for you, you're basically paying for usage. Hence I can continue to field orders for prints or use those photos in my portfolio.
- 6b) Typically usage rights for the buyer includes a CD of high-res jpgs to make as many prints as you want for personal use (framing to hang up on the wall of your home, scrapbooking, giving as a gift) and as promotional material if you're a band (posters, flyers, press kit, myspace and facebook pages, website, etc). Other uses must be vetted through me.
7) Typically I charge by the hour, but am considering alternative methods for being paid based off what I provide at a given rate On the face of it being paid by the hour is simplest, but I typically find I end up shooting longer anyway (because it's fun, usually). One alternative I'm considering is that I would provide a limited number of high-res, printable pics depending on our agreed rate. As in, five photos for $50, 20 photos for $100, 40 photos for $150, 80 photos for $200, and all of the photos, unaltered and altered, for $250. You'll notice it's a scaled system, where you'd get more for your money at the higher rates. Contact me if you are interested or have other questions about it. THIS IS A BAND/EVENT RULE; portrait shoots and weddings are priced differently.
That's it for now. I'm sure that leaves out a lot of details and other relevant issues, so in that sense it's still a system that's a work in progress. Any questions with these rules please ask me for clarification.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Annoying Watermarks vs Locking Galleries
Well, having locked all of my galleries that I shot for free last month, I've reconsidered (for now, anyway) and created a new watermark that I'm laying across the center of the pics in those galleries and have unlocked them, making them viewable again. I'll be honest, I can't make up my mind as to how to the right way to address this concern. I want to place some value on having them posted, but I don't want to hide away the photos and prevent them from seeing the light of day (and, um, well, some of my best work happened while shooting for free; go figure).
So I decided to created a new watermark, specially designed to be placed directly over the center of each pic. Now, surveys of photo websites have shown that people really dislike watermarks being placed like this (but they don't mind them along the edges, where I place my regular watermark); in fact, I tested out a different (albeit even more annoying logo) with a friend and he called it "obnoxious"...but hey, again, there's got to be some kind of value to these photos. I guess the fine line is protecting my work while at the same time not driving away people.
Below is an example of the new watermark:
For now, this will be the watermark I place over all galleries and future shoots for which I don't get paid up front. I kinda like it, but I'm not sure of the reaction it will get from people used to the more subtle lower right watermark I've been using for the past couple of years. The bottom line is that I'm trying to find a happy medium between displaying my work for everyone to enjoy while protecting it and encouraging print sales. (Some have suggested not shooting at all if I'm not getting paid, but there are times when I just feel like shooting and I enjoy doing it, so if I'm not booked with another band that night, why shouldn't I?)
So I decided to created a new watermark, specially designed to be placed directly over the center of each pic. Now, surveys of photo websites have shown that people really dislike watermarks being placed like this (but they don't mind them along the edges, where I place my regular watermark); in fact, I tested out a different (albeit even more annoying logo) with a friend and he called it "obnoxious"...but hey, again, there's got to be some kind of value to these photos. I guess the fine line is protecting my work while at the same time not driving away people.
Below is an example of the new watermark:
For now, this will be the watermark I place over all galleries and future shoots for which I don't get paid up front. I kinda like it, but I'm not sure of the reaction it will get from people used to the more subtle lower right watermark I've been using for the past couple of years. The bottom line is that I'm trying to find a happy medium between displaying my work for everyone to enjoy while protecting it and encouraging print sales. (Some have suggested not shooting at all if I'm not getting paid, but there are times when I just feel like shooting and I enjoy doing it, so if I'm not booked with another band that night, why shouldn't I?)
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