In the past years as a house photographer at a venue, I've encountered a large amount of really amazing experiences. I also hoard quite a bit of photos that have never been published. I'd be happy to give these images a home here.
Being in the industry gives me a chance to encounter meet and greets I'd have never expected but also introduced times where I felt very small.
With each event I've progressed but the same question remains, no matter the pay - how can YOU get involved with this dream gig?
I'd like to share some tips on how to get that elusive photo pass.
1.) Be polite. Type up the most professional e-mail you can. Don't forget to mention who you shoot for and where the images will be seen.
2.) Know your contacts. The first resource is to contact the venue's management team or the marketing/social media department. They get a specific number of photo passes, most which go unused except for by the house photographer. If they say no, don't worry - the management for the artist may be a little more lenient (trust me, this is an outlet everyone fears to try and it can work out at least half of the time in your favor).
3.) Start a blog! You don't need a career job a huge newspaper to get into gigs - start by reviewing small and local concerts that would be happy to have you to build a portfolio. This could be your foundation source - and foot in the door! This is how I was hired as a photojournalist for the Indiana Gazette and the made a venue house photographer.
4.) Plan ahead. You're not going to get a photo pass the day before, at least two weeks if not more prior to the event is an acceptable amount of time to ask.
5.) Have fun! This is important, because most concerts pay very little if anything, if you're in it to make big money this is not the industry!
If you have any additional questions - ask! I'm more than happy to share my experiences and stories.
Let me know if you'd like to see more from this side of me as I learn to tailor my blog.
xoxo
Beckie-Ann
www.beckieanngalentine.com