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Need some serious advice... Anonymous
After me and a friend did photography for a large club here in town, the club has approached us about being their photographers on a regular basis. I have no idea what sort of arrangements/compensation is normal to ask for. Anyone here do nightclub photography and get paid for it? Any advice will be greatly appreciated....
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>> Anonymous
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>>128775
OP here BUMP because I need some advice....

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>> Anonymous
Set up an hourly rate or charge per photo. Most people charge per photo. Choose your own numbers but keep in mind that is burst income so you can crank it up if you want.

Note: be sure to retain the rights to your photos. As in you are giving them permission to use your photography. By doing it this way you still retain the right to publish the work for your own reasons later. If they insist on it, you can sell them them the license to the work, but charge an arm and leg for it.
>> Anonymous
It sounds like a cool gig, specially if you're young. But the money isn't great, the most I got was $150. It's usually less, $75 or $100. You get free drinks obviously.

It's tedious work, gotta be there for the whole event, your gear isn't entirely safe, people holler at you for a picture of the and their friends.

I did it for a summer and wouldn't do it again, it's not exactly fun.
>> Anonymous
>>128867
Thanks for the idea's on what to expect money wise, luckily, I enjoy it and I'm a huge electronic music fan so that helps.
>> Anonymous
>>128865
OP here, do you have an example of the breakdown for an hourly rate system? Also, do you have an resources where I can read up on retaining the rights to my photos. Obviously the venue and the artist are going to want to use them for promotion reasons.
>> Anonymous
hourly rate, lol

promoters don't give a fuck about quality, why would they pay you 100 or more when they can do it themselves with a small p&s camera

some venues will care about image quality and offer you some good money but you're out of your mind if you think you can get them to pay you more than a 100 bucks

the truth about photography as a profession is that the gear costs so much while the pay sucks, clients never understand why it's so damn expensive
>> Vincent !!8LCSE0Zp1mL
Heres some truth.

They only want your Hot chick pics so they can promote their club.
They will throw in some DJ pics to keep the electronica fans happy, but truthfully they want HOT CHICKS IN SKIMPY CLOTHING.

Ditch the 50mm and get a wider lens. Also get an off camera flash cord and an external flash, Aperture isn't everything. The flash is.

Also These pics are mediocre at best. but they don't care anyway...
>> Anonymous
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>>128945
Op here: Ive certainly read quite a bit on the style of nightclub shooting your talking about, but it just isn't my style. I will take you advice into consideration tho.

I'm sorry you feel my images are mediocre, unfortunately, that sigma 30mm f1.4 is pretty shit on the canon system, but seem to work well for nikon users....

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>> Anonymous
>>128945

The flash really destroys the rave atmosphere though.

Having every photo be white light really doesn't give the whole club imrpession.
>> Anonymous
>>128950
ITT: We learn to drag the shutter?
>> Anonymous
>>128964

Ok, so a white light illuminated subject on a colored background? Still destroys the atmosphere.
>> Anonymous
>>128950
Almost all "hot chick" shoots from clubs are taken with flash.

As>>128945said, what matters to them is teh hawt chicks.
>> Anonymous
>>128970

This is>>128950here. Now that you've specified, it makes sense. For general club and DJ shots, ambient works well. But for the hawt chick photos, a flash is about the only way you can go. Brings out the detail and if they are moving, it'll be hopeless otherwise.
>> Vincent !!8LCSE0Zp1mL
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>>128947
Buy one new so you can return it (if you have the cash), Thats what I use (Also I use Nikon)

Still remember, ALL THEY care about is getting pics of the club going party chicks. Also Female DJ's are a plus.

Also yes People need to learn how to drag ths shutter. clubzone + other organizers are notorious for sending out newbs with their xti's and 18-55's who just use the onboard flash to take pics of the chicks. And somehow they are still happy.

No-one cares how artistic your style is, and how sharp the photo's are, You will be judged by the hotness of the women you photograph, so get used to it.

Pic related, in that It used an onboard flash (External would have been much nicer, But I don't think i could get it in) And Sigma's 30mm f1.4.

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>> Anonymous
But why would photographs of hot chicks work for promotion? People realize that any decent nightclub is going to be full of hot chicks.
>> Butterfly !xlgRMYva6s
Flash em good!

I do 50gbp for a photo gig for a dj, which includes PP etc and about 2hrs of actual photography.

That nets them about 20-30 images.

Im small fry in the photographic world and the DJs im shooting tend to be either local or national, a few of the guys ive done have been international DJs but not on any major level. Working for the DJs direct (or via their booking agency) is a lot better than working for venues.
>> Vincent !!8LCSE0Zp1mL
>>128992
You just proved my point.
Nightclubs "Aren't" Always filled with hot chicks,
You just think that because thats all the pics that are shown from them

the hotter the clientelle the more they can charge, and the longer their lineups can be (aka the pickier they can be about letting people in) etc etc etc..

Hotness = high demand for those establishements. Sausage fests = bad for money. (who buys most of the drinks however... But they are getting bought for the girls..)
>> Butterfly !xlgRMYva6s
>>128999
Electro / Tech == Sausagefest
commercial house == chicks

TRUST ME.
>> Anonymous
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>>128991
Op here, so what are you trying to convey by this image? Yes i know its important to get pictures of beautiful club-goers, but this image isn't even technically good, the background is lit up pee yellow, and the subject is blurry???

Am I missing something here????

Besides, the venue offered me the job after seeing my pictures, so obviously they are ok with my style and the direction I take.....

Ambient light ftw.....

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>> Anonymous
>>129063
I like the picture in 128991. The colors almost make it look cross processed. The subject is a DJ at a club, the blur shows movement. It's fine to use blur, but you have to be in control. That image is borderline, but I like the colors, and it isn't terribly blurred.

Back OT, the pay is probably very dependent on where you are, it never hurts to call up local photographers to see what they would charge.

Things to keep in mind with pricing:

Are you selling them full rights to your photos, or restricted usage with limitations on where, how and how long they can use them? You can charge a lot more if they want full rights.

Do they want you to do any major post processing, or just deliver a CD of TIFFs with basic color correction, exposure, etc.? You should be paid for shooting time and processing time.

I'm sure there's more, but I can't think well right now...
>> Anonymous
>>129063
To convey action. Your picture looks like a bored
mac geek at a mac convention checking his e-mail, but suprisingly has none.
>> jarryd
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>>129063

Ambient light isn't everything, especially if someone from a club has approached you to take photos for them. Ambient light may be good for creative shots of the DJ and someone at a distance. I've found that clubs want photos of the crowd and people at the venue.

Learn to balance ambient with flash. Expose for the background and just have some fill flash for the subject.

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>> Vincent !!8LCSE0Zp1mL
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>>129063
What am I trying to Convey? Lol This isn't some sort of Artistic showdown, You are at a CLUB, Everyone is on E, You take pics that people go "WOAH MAN THATS EXACTLY LIKE I SAW IT THAT NIGHT"

Or in my case, so I can go, Sweet, This is what the lighting actually felt like, The Black Cavern feel is not exactly appealing to me, in person or in photographs.

Those were shot last weekend, I have lots of older stuff I consider better, But relevance was the key there.
Again pic is relevant, As the 30mm f1.4 is a fucking kickass lens. No Flash in this pic.

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>> Anonymous
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Op here, I thought we were arguing about using flash? Wtf. Also this picture is exponentially better that the other one you posted, the only thing I dont care for is the angle....

Also, I'm really torn on the sigma, as allot of people say its a pint on the canon system, and that it isn't even sharp at f1.4, could you give me some more examples?

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>> Anonymous
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>>129115
Op here:
Yes, I already know how to do this, thanks, also, this thread has derailed horribly from the discussion about what to charge and how to approach/deal with clubs/promoters regarding pictures and rights....

Pic related....

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>> Anonymous
>>129385
I was referring to your pic of armin in the above post, the example I posted is just one of my decent shots......
>> Vincent !!8LCSE0Zp1mL
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Ok, this might not be at f1.4, this club had good stage lighting. Equipment shot from about 6 feet away.

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>> Anonymous
>>129413I wonder If I can rent one somewhere and test it out? hmmmmmmmmmmm

Thanks for the pic...
>> Anonymous
does this sigma 30mm 1.4 work well for canon?
>> Vincent !!8LCSE0Zp1mL
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I personally think the 30mm f1.4 is the best club lens available on the Nikon system. Canon the 50mm f1.2 USM i'm sure is better on FX bodies. But for the price the Sigma 30mm is fucking gold.

Everyone whines about its AF issues on Canon bodies, But IF you buy it new, you can always exchange it until you find one that works. I don't really see why its such a big deal to everyone...

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>> Anonymous
>>129445

sure, but they could get it right in the first place instead of offering something like that.
>> Anonymous
>>129445
What about the (discontinued, thousands of dollars when still made) Nikkor 28/1.4?
>> Anonymous
>>129449
not afs or hsm
>> Anonymous
>>129450
So what? It'll autofocus on every AF Nikon body except the D40 and D40x, and autofocus usually isn't reliable in low-light anyway.

Also, I was sort of semi-sarcastically backing his post up. The Nikkor 28/1.4 is almost certainly a better lens and ergo a better lens for club work, and also theoretically able to go on the D3 for ISO 25600 goodness, but it's only available used, no one wants to sell theirs because it's one of the few fast normal AF primes for a crop body, and it was priced like a Leica even when it was still being made.
>> Vincent !!8LCSE0Zp1mL
>>129452
Actually from my experiences with using the 24mm f1.8 (sigma), 50mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 85mm f1.8 and 30mm f1.4
HSM does make a big difference for AF in club lighting.
For a crop body I would probably take the Sigma over the Nikkor 28mm.

However on a D3.... the 28mm would be amazing
>> Anonymous
>>129543
Werd, thanks for the advice vincent.