Live Performance Shots: $150. I will take pictures during your entire set. The exact number of shots taken will vary depending on the length of your set and the logistics of the venue, but you can expect between 50 and 70 shots. If you are playing a short set, consider some promo shots before or after the set (getting ready, with friends or fans, etc). You will receive all of the images (the good, bad, and ugly) on a CD in your choice of format; jpeg, tiff, etc.
Performance Shots plus Editing: $175. This includes the Performance Shot plus one session of digital editing. I will take the initial shots, edit up to 4 images of your choice and burn them on a CD in both a large format (3008 x 2000 pixels) and as thumbnails (email and web size – 600 x 400 pixels).
NOTE: Things to consider:
The Venue: If you want live performance shots, I will need to know the size and elevation of the stage, the dimensions and visual barriers of the room, and the house lighting system. A wide, elevated stage makes it very difficult to get a shot of the entire band unless I use a very wide lens. Dim lighting may require the use of a flash unless a very low f-stop or image stabilization lens in used. Supporting girders, center posts and low ceilings create obtrusive elements in the image. Working with the band, the lighting personnel and the house management will help to overcome these obstacles.
Stage Dress: A light-skinned singer (especially redheads) wearing a black or dark outfit comes out pasty white no matter how much correction (film push/pull) is used. Similarly, a black performer wearing a white outfit comes out too dark for facial detail. Band members wearing wildly differing colors and patterns can come out looking chaotic and disorganized. Colors within a reasonable film temperature range are far more compatible for photography. This does not mean that everyone needs to wear the same colors. The film color temperature for red and green, for example, is very close.
The Crowd: Getting a shot of the entire band is very difficult if friends, fans, and dancers hit the floor the moment the band hits the stage. If you know this will be the case and you want a clean shot of the entire band, you may have to consider doing much of the shoot during sound check. If, on the other hand, you want the crowd included, shots can be taken from the side or from an elevated camera position.
The Management: It is the performer's responsibility to make sure the venue will allow photography and the use of a flash. The band must also let the manager or owner know that a photographer is coming and put the photographer on the guest list.
Your Expectations: Whole band photography is a difficult task for even the most experienced band photographer. It is generally easy to get good photos of an individual performer, but trying to get a good shot of an entire group is hard. Consequently, most band photographers are happy to get three or four good "whole band" shots out of an entire evening of shooting live music. While you can and should expect to get good shots of the individual band members, do not expect perfection in every shot.
