I just did my second band photo shoot for our Solveig & Stevie updated EPK, for the cover of our new EP/CD (whatever it is going to be), and for our redesigned website and social media banners.

Argh.

This was not my first experience with band photo shoots. I’ve done band promo shoots, several music videos, and sat for professional family photo portraits and for business head shots numerous times before as well. You would think I could get this right – but no.

Band photos are so important, and they can be so complicated. Your photos should communicate your band’s brand accurately to your potential fans. Plus, all of us humans want to look cool and sexy and, well… good, in our pictures – preferably without either plastic surgery or too much Photoshopping.

I think we can all agree that we artists are perhaps a little more touchy when comes to visual presentation than the rest of the population. Whether we are are punk, folk, metal, grunge or goth, it’s often a very carefully calculated personal image.

Plus, as a woman who just turned 50, trust me: doing a photo shoot causes extra boatloads of anxiety. What woman is ever truly thrilled with her photos, I ask you?

Not only that, but in this age of social media and websites, it’s important to understand what multiple uses the pictures must serve. The worst thing is to realize right AFTER the shoot that you didn’t get the right type of shot (closeup, landscape, or individual head shot) you needed for that one thing you forgot about…

This is an article about shooting photos in a staged situation, not live performance shoots. Those are easy – you don’t really need to do anything except your normal performance routine, the rest is up to the skill of the photographer.

There are a few important things I learned about my most recent photo shoot saga that I hadn’t picked up from reading various online articles (cited at the end of this post) ahead of time.

I thought I’d share them here:

1. Make a list of the various types of pictures you need and give the list to the photographer ahead of time. Banner photos for social media sites, website photos, black and white as well as color photos for EPK and other promotional uses (posters, one-sheets), head shots of individual band members are some examples. These may require planning ahead for different backgrounds and poses.
2. Clarify what picture rights and post-production services you are paying the photographer for. Are you buying rights to use all the pictures that were shot, or just a subset? Who chooses the subset? Will they be chosen and retouched in Photoshop by the photographer before you see a final set? Are you buying the rights to use the photos online, print, in a press kit, for posters, etc.? Can you modify them yourself in case you want to do a cutout with Photoshop and overlay the picture on a different background? Will the photographer provide you with versions ready for you to use on your social media sites (various different sizes, resolutions, file types, etc.), or will you need to create those files yourself from what the photographer gives you? What public attribution does the photographer expect (for example on your website)?
3. Don’t use friends or family for the sake of saving money – unless they qualify. Make sure you look at the photographer’s portfolio beforehand, and that they have some experience shooting band pictures. Don’t hire a high school or family portrait photographer who has never shot for musicians or bands. What you will get are photos that look like portraits, not band photos. I made the mistake of hiring a friend for our first set of photos, and although she had some experience shooting bands, it ended up costing me a lot of time and heartache I could have saved by studying her portfolio better beforehand. Not to mention I had to pay for a second shoot.
4. Shoot outside if possible, the light is so much more flattering. This is especially important for us more “mature” artists. Cloudy is better than bright sunshine. Enough said.
5. Bring instruments, a chair, mics, hats, scarves, etc. to use as props. But use only things in the shoot that you would actually play or might wear on stage. For example, don’t take a photo with you holding a guitar (or a stand-up bass) if you’re not the guitar player – even if it looks super cool. We loved this look, but Stevie does not generally play the stand-up bass when we perform. We had neglected to bring a guitar to the shoot.
6. When choosing your wardrobe, consider your genre and target audience. Again, don’t stray too far from what you would wear on stage for a performance. Coordinate between band members, but don’t be too controlling. Allow for individuality. We had rented some steampunk costumes because it seemed really fun – but it ended up not really reflecting our musical style or true stage look.
7. Bring a few different outfits to the shoot. Do the same poses as well as different poses in multiple outfits and configurations. You never know what will be your favorite shot until later. Mix it up.
8. Professional makeup and hair are better than doing it yourself. Not just because you can’t see the back of your head, but also because if you are nervous, a professional makeup artist will help you feel more confident and can fix things like flyaway hair and shine during the shoot. But for goodness sake, try and find someone who has done your makeup before, even if it’s just a friend. Don’t hire someone who will make you look like Courtney Stodden. (OK, I will tell you a secret: Courtney Stodden’s mother, Krista, actually did my makeup for my very first music video, The Wave. It’s a long story, but true. If you don’t know who Courtney Stodden is, congratulations. If you look carefully, you can tell I tried to wipe off the red lipstick.)
9. Let the photographer direct you at the shoot. A good photographer will talk to you constantly during the shoot, help you feel at ease, direct you to move, and suggest different settings and poses. That said, do make suggestions, a good photographer will be open to reasonable ideas. Don’t be afraid to try different things in the moment.
10. Move. Moving slowly while a photographer shoots is not only possible with digital photography, it often gets the best pictures. It allows the photographer to get a variety of poses and angles. Holding poses generally looks stilted. Your best photos will probably come toward the middle or end of the shoot, when both you and the photographer are more relaxed.

More resources:

• The Definitive Survival Guide for Band and Musician Photo Shootsby Russ Robinson on Bandzoogle’s website
• For the Best Band and Musician Photos : Stay Away From the Train Tracks! by Chris Robley on CD Baby’s website
• Your Band’s Photos Suck; Here’s How To Improve Them by Best Bass Gear
• How To Take Band Photos by Heather McDonald on About.com
• Tips for photographers: 11 Tips for Band Promotional Photography by Tom DiMaggio Photography on Digital Photography School’s website

Please feel free to leave your own tips and suggestions for band photo shoots below. Especially if you, too, have screwed up like I did.