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How to Get Started
There are many ways to begin your career as a concert photographer. Options include offering to provide images to bands in exchange for the opportunity to shoot them, shadowing a veteran photographer, and offering to shoot shows at local venues for the experience. In my opinion, the easiest way (and the one I will elaborate on) to get “in” is to find a publication (print or online) that is willing to take you on as a freelance contributor.
Finding a publication:
Start your search with your favorite websites/magazines/newspapers. If nothing comes to mind, search for local publications that have concert photos and/or reviews. You could even browse around for non-local outlets as many of them prefer to “preview” concerts with content from other cities before they come to town. Look in the staff listings for the editor of photography or even the publisher.
Approaching the staff:
Now that you have a couple publications in mind; it is time to reach out to the staff. It is a common practice for photographers to mail out postcards with a sample of their work on it to various publications in hopes of snagging a job. However, at this level, that probably isn’t financially wise or practical.
What you can do, though, is send and e-mail or call the individual/s up asking if the outlet would be interested in having another contributor on staff and follow that with a brief description of who you are and what you can offer them. A sample letter can be found on the next post.
So, they gave you a negative response. Now what?
Don’t give up. In this field, rejections WILL happen. This will not only toughen your shell, but the process of cold calling (reaching out to unknown people) is a very useful to master. With each rejection comes the opportunity to practice this skill.
They said yes!
If a positive response is given CONGRATULATIONS! You now have the opportunity to learn and grow as a photographer. Remember to work hard and take in all of the knowledge and information that you gain—what you get out of it is what you put in.