When you form a band, right after you have songs and a band name, it’s time for band pictures.
There are several websites with band photos so horrible you can’t believe your eyes. Admittedly, some of these are examples of genres that often have cringe-worthy band photos (old gospel and hair metal come to mind), but it’s a lot easier to make bad band photos than good ones.
There are cliche traps everywhere – how many bluegrass band photos show the band:
- On some railroad tracks
- In front of a brick wall
- In a field
- On a gravel road
- In front of a barn
I think I have photos of every band I’ve been in, in every single one of these categories.
It’s a good idea to show the band playing onstage, since it can depict your band being dynamic and interesting (plus it shows you actually have gigs). But that only works if you’re playing on a real stage somewhere. Bar stage backgrounds tend to be very busy. Playing a gig in a backyard or under an EZ-Up look like – well, like you’re playing in backyard or on a patio or parking lot under an EZ-Up.
As a kid, I loved the cover to “Live at Fillmore East” by the Allman Brothers (and I still do). The band, ragged and long-haired, are lounging around in an alley (probably a venue’s loading dock) in front of (and on) a mountain of road cases (all stenciled with the band’s name).
A few things I have learned: one, have the pictures taken by a real photographer with a real camera. They will understand things like depth of focus, which will ensure the people in the band are the main attraction in the picture. They’ll also take a TON of photos and you can pick the ones that really work.
They should take pictures of the band members smiling, being serious, looking at the camera and conversing or joking around – you never know what’s really going to look great, until you see it.
You should also arrange to have the photographer get some performance photos – especially in a venue with good stage lighting and an interesting and/or neutral background. The photographer can also capture individual shots of the band members in action onstage, and those can be really compelling.
It also pays to dress in a way you know you won’t be embarrassed by later on. You want people to view the picture and imagine the band playing at their venue or event, so you need to LOOK like musicians, especially if you’re not playing in the picture. For in-studio sessions, bring some changes of wardrobe to try some different looks.
I have a nice collection of photos of bands I’ve been in through the years, and some make me laugh and some make me proud – but they all invoke memories of some great times, and some of those photos have served us well as promotional materials.
