How to Make It in Music Photography

Making it in music photography isn’t easy. In fact, with the barrier slowly lowering each year, it can be hard to make a name for yourself in the vast sea of music photographers. However, with a few helpful tips and tricks from Irish photographer Ruth Medjber (whose portfolio includes a variety of famous musicians from Metallica to Madonna) you can make money in the music photography industry:

By no means is the video a tell-all on how to make it big in this specialized field of photography. In truth, Medjber’s tips are more aimed at photographers who are already comfortable with shooting live music photos and have a decent collection of images, rather than those aspiring to join the music photography industry. So while there are plenty of ways to make your work stand out, here are a few tips to help make you stand out from your competition.

1. Expand Your Portfolio

New images are always great to add to your portfolio. Portfolios add variety and show potential clients your skills, but remember, it doesn’t stop with what you place in a specific album. Any images you deliver will always be somewhere out there, so maintain control over your portfolio by only distributing images you can stand behind.

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2. Market Yourself as an Event Photographer

It’s extremely rare to find a music photographer who makes their entire living shooting only live shows.Always add other events or music related photography options, promoting yourself as an event photographer who specializes in music.

3. Build Your Contacts

To add to your contacts, look for upcoming events you would want to shoot. Then contact the PR Company representing it, sending a nice email with a portfolio of your images. Once a PR company knows who you are and likes your work, you could not only get booked to photograph the event you want, but it can also lead to additional work for various other events.

4. Teach People

No matter what form of photography you’re working in, you will never find a one-size-fits-all approach that works for everyone. If you’re confident in what you do, and have the knowledge, why not share that information? Help give back and teach others; not only can you earn a little money, but you can learn from your students as well.

5. Cover Everything—Don’t Have a Night Off

Whether or not you have something booked, you should always go to any events you know of. That’s one of the most important tips Medjber has ever been given, and it can help your photography in many ways. Not only will it provide you with a new set of live images, but you can also gain a whole new list of fresh contacts.

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