Deone Jahnkephotographer

What good photographs can do for you:

Years ago, a booking agent confided to me that he was able to get much more money for a particular band’s performances than their talent really merited, based on the great promotional pictures we’d created.  It was a nice compliment, but what it really spoke to was the power of imagery. You only need to look around, at the grocery store, bookstore, music store, or on-line, to see the impact that good (or bad) photographs have, and to appreciate their influence on your perceptions of the people pictured.

When you start to consider promotional photographs of yourself and your band, consider where the pictures will be used, who you want them to appeal to, and what you want them to say about you.  Consider practicality as well as aesthetics. If the pictures will be reproduced postage-stamp size in a nightclub ad, you’ll find an atmospheric location image to be useless. You’ll need a tight portrait of the players.  Conversely, a poster or a CD cover can incorporate an image that is a little more emotive and less literal.

What to do prior to meeting with a photographer:

I’m flattered when a client comes to me and says, “I have no idea what I want. You’re creative – you figure it out!”  Yet it’s a far more satisfying collaborative process when my clients come to me with an idea of how they want to be represented, so that we can work together to achieve that vision. Any kind of insight is helpful. If the pictures are for a new CD, give the photographer a copy of the music in advance.

If you’re already working with a management firm or a record label, your colleagues at these places will have plenty of input about what they want your pictures to look like, and perhaps even which photographer they want to have make your pictures.  But if you’re taking charge of producing a publicity campaign or releasing your own CD, you’ll need to take on the responsibility of effective communication.  If you work with a group of players, discuss it amongst yourselves and determine which of you will be the final decision-maker. No artist, photographer, engineer or producer wants to answer to many conflicting opinions when creating a final product.  If you’re working with a graphic designer who is putting together the look of your promotional materials, engage the designer in concepting with the photographer to make sure the pictures you create work with the design direction. 

What makes for a good music picture:

I periodically teach a class in making music pictures, and I always ask my students to bring to class the music photographs they find memorable. You can probably bring a dozen amazing pictures to mind, from favorite albums or magazine covers.  Think about what makes those pictures powerful, and try to incorporate what moves you about them into your own pictures.  In class, we also discuss clichés, and we examine the ways to use, instead of disdain, the standard instant-read images, like cowboy hats or biker jackets (they are valuable tools to connect with your audience, which has a shorter and shorter attention span) in ways that are unusual and compelling. 

Music photograph clichés:

You can probably bring a bunch of music picture clichés to mind … the ‘50’s cover band posed in pastel colored tuxes (at the lakefront!) in front of a vintage car… the scary, long-haired prog rock band looming gloomily in the shadows… brick walls, alleys, and the quintessential railroad tracks… 

To cringe at some horrific band pictures, and learn from their mistakes, visit this website, suggested courtesy of music industry graphic designer Linsey Sieger:

http://www.rockandrollconfidential.com/hall/index.php… but the secret of clichés is that they don’t need to be rendered that way. If you’re set on a gritty urban environment for your pictures, or that current fascination with huge, abandoned mansions with distressed walls, you can still use those environs effectively by paying attention to your attitude in the pictures (authentic, not contrived, PLEASE), the lighting, and the composition of the pictures. Interesting angles, interesting cropping, duo-toning, black and white renderings, saturated or monochromatic colors can all take clichéd environments and make them a little fresher. Above all, be yourself in the pictures, and work with the vision your photographer supplies.

What you should expect to pay a photographer:

It depends on the skill level of your photographer, the complexity of the work, and the intended use of the pictures.  When you look for a photographer, search out the person whose vision resonates with yours. Remember that old advice about comparing apples to apples...  If you call a photographer and your question is “what do you charge?” you’re treating photography as a commodity and not considering that every single photographer brings something different to the party. I’d be suspect of a photographer who can rattle off a number for you without getting a lot of information FROM you about what your picture needs will be. You can find this level of price-driven service at a shopping-mall photo studio, but it’s unlikely that’s the kind of pictures you’re really looking for to represent your band. Start by being candid with your photographer about your budget, so you can come to a conclusion about how much good work can be accomplished for the fees you can manage. 

What you pay for pictures will reflect what you get, and there are ways to work with experienced photographers who might otherwise be unaffordable, by limiting the license on the pictures. For instance, you can pay less for a photography session with the understanding that it’s just for promotions, and revisit the fees for usage of the pictures if you decide to sell t-shirts and posters with the photograph on them, or put them on the cover of the CD and use them in display advertising in national magazines. I price my sessions based on the saturation of the pictures, as well as what it takes to make the pictures.  Time-Warner records will – and should – pay more for a photo session, to be used in national promotions, than XYZ band will pay, who are releasing their own CD and selling it out of the trunks of their cars, because the value of the pictures increases with the usage of the pictures.  But don’t let that knowledge prevent you from contacting an experienced photographer about working together. Just as you might take a low paying gig for the exposure, I might discount my fees if I understand there are other factors at work that will contribute to the value of the session from my perspective (will these pictures be reproduced very well, and get a lot of exposure in markets where I want my work seen?  Will making these pictures lead to other great opportunities? Can I sell the pictures directly to a magazine, the record label, or another source?) Limiting the license for your pictures, and agreeing to let labels and magazines contact the photographer directly, can lessen your fees if your pictures have that potential.

Just like your music, photographs are intellectual property, and the more you use them, the more valuable they become. And remember that good work simply costs money.  You wouldn’t go to the grocery store, wheel a full cart of groceries to the cashier, and then explain that you’ve only got $10 in your pocket – but you really need all this food – and expect the clerk to simply give you more than you’re paying for.  Consider the value of what your photographer is creating for you. Ask for specific information about what reproduction rights you’re buying, and what additional rights might be available later at additional fees, if and when you find you have additional applications for the pictures.

The same level of consumer technology that has made home recording feasible has made making pictures accessible to nearly everyone, but the parallels between recording music and making photographs don’t stop there.  It’s unlikely you’d make your record on a $75 machine -- don’t make the mistake of presuming a digital grab shot, made by one of your friends, will hold up to critical reproduction standards for packaging or poster use.  A picture that looks good on an illuminated computer screen at 72 dots-per-inch can turn to pixelated goo in print.  If you don’t have a clear understanding of what’s needed from an image for good print reproduction, make sure you’re working with someone who does.

There are extra considerations that might make your pictures even richer. A makeup artist/stylist is an invaluable resource to help with clothing choices, grooming, and  attention to the details of your appearance.  Locations can add atmosphere and magic –  you may need to pay a location fee or obtain a permit to shoot pictures in a private or restricted area.  These additional costs are your responsibility.

Analog versus digital pictures:

Make your decision based on the vision of the photographer.  Digital photography has emphatically already arrived; in the hands of qualified photographic technicians who understand reproduction requirements, the quality of digital images can surpass those made on film.  But “analog images” can be just as compelling. Your photographer will have reasons for wanting to make your pictures either on film or digitally, just as you may want to record onto tape… as opposed to a Protools program.

Crediting a photographer:

It’s appropriate to credit your photographer when the photograph is reproduced. It’s as common a courtesy as having the disc jockey mention the name of your band when she plays your tune on the radio. A simple line saying “Photograph: Deone Jahnke” or  “Photography ©Deone Jahnke” is perfectly acceptable, and should appear on your posters, 8x10 prints, and on your website. It’s easy to include that credit in electronic versions of your pictures by enlarging the “canvas” of the digital image to type in the appropriate information.  While you’re at it, it’s wise to include the correct spellings of names (and the order of personnel!) on those captions so the press knows who’s who when they reproduce your pictures and identify the band members.

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