Static Live Magazine October 2019

GREAT
PRESS
PHOTOS
By Stephanie Christie
Getting that great
press photo for
yourself or your
band is probably
one of the most
important pieces
of your brand. You
know what they
say...You never get
a second chance to
make a great first
impression. Your
photo is your first
impression, so let’s
make sure it speaks
to your band and
sends a great vibe
to your audience.
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PLANNING IS IMPORTANT - Creating a mood board
on Pinterest will be a huge help, not only to you, but also
to your photographer, stylist and bandmates. I would
suggest that you always start by gathering a few shots of
other artist photos that you feel drawn to. Ask yourself
why you like those photos. Do they have great color?
Great composition? Do they tell a story in one single
frame? Other items to include in the mood board might
include wardrobe ideas, location ideas, prop or backdrop
looks.
THE GOAL IS TO ‘LOOK’ LIKE YOU ‘SOUND’
- By this I mean, anybody should be able to look at
your photo and have a very good idea of what to expect
BEFORE they actually hear your music. If you are a surf
rock band, I would expect to see you in a setting that
reflects that vibe. It could be a beach, a retro beachside
motel, a surf shop, a cafe, a jeep, on a boat etc. It would
feel out of place to see a photo set in a parking garage,
warehouse, cityscape or rooftop.
WARDROBE MATTERS - Hiring a stylist is a really
great way to make sure that you look like the very best
version of you. For a couple hundred bucks, a stylist will
pull a few looks for you, based on your mood boards and
sizes and will handle all returns of clothing. You will show
up with a few basic items that the stylist can use to mix
in, and you will look and feel amazing and your photos
will look professional. If you don’t know where to find
a stylist, ask your photographer. All photographers have
stylists that they work with regularly and are very happy
to have another professional on the shoot. Also, make
sure your stylist has a link to your music, your website
and your socials.
HAIR AND GROOMING - Get a fresh haircut/color a
week before your shoot...not the day before. You know
the old joke about the difference between a good haircut
and a bad haircut? About 2 weeks. When going for a
new look make sure you bring photos of inspirational
looks. Find cuts and colors you love and share those
with your stylist. Shave, moisturize and take a look at
those eyebrows. They shape your expression. Clean,
manicured nails are a plus. Having an on-set hairstylist
is really wonderful if you have long hair or if you are
shooting multiple looks. Also, make sure your hair stylist
has a link to your music, your website and your socials.
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SELECTING A PHOTOGRAPHER - Having a
professional photographer is the most important aspect
of any shoot. I cannot tell you how many times I have
had a band schedule a photoshoot next week for
new photos and they tell me that a family friend with a
really good camera is taking the photos. That’s great
if the family friend is a professional photographer.
However, most of the time that family friend is just a
nice person with a nice camera. Big difference. If your
mom ordered a 10k ProTools setup and insisted on
recording your next album for you, would you do that?
Probably not. It would be like me calling myself a chef
because I have a gourmet kitchen. Every piece of your
content needs to be held to the same standard as your
professionally mixed and mastered tracks. The first
step is to share your mood board with your potential
photographer to see if they can get your ‘vision’. Also,
make sure your photographer has a link to your music,
your website and your socials.
BE ORGANIZED - Start a group chat or group email
with all band members, photographer, stylists and
helpers. Send out an email with locations, call-times
for hair and wardrobe fittings , possible weather issues,
back-up plan etc. Let’s say you have a shoot planned
for the beach and it is raining cats and dogs. Head to
a bowling alley, a cafe, a shopping mall, arcade or old
bookstore nearby and shoot a few frames while you
wait for the weather to clear. Sometimes the accidental
shots are the best ones!
PLACEMENT OF SUBJECTS - If you are
shooting a multi-member group, there are a few
key things to keep in mind. It is very important that
your photographer knows the role of each member
in the band. Otherwise, you may end up with your
lead singer in the back of the photo. Also, If you
know that a member may only be a touring player or
may be leaving the group soon, you should let your
photographer know this as well. Generally, they will
position them on either end of shot so that they can be
cropped out if necessary.
SHOOT EDITORIAL STYLE - By this I mean try
to capture more than just your band image itself and
work within a theme. Grab a shot of just your feet. Or
just your hands. If you’re shooting in a cafe, ask your
photographer to shoot a couple of shots of forks and
knives on the table, or hands holding a menu. These
can be used for additional content pieces like tour
posters, Instagram posts, Facebook event
pages, or album artwork.
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