Theatre is all about story telling, just like good photography and just like any live event, photography is a way to capture the moment.
However, long before anything happens on stage, it all starts with actors' headshots, as they try to project their identity to agents and directors.
However, long before anything happens on stage, it all starts with actors' headshots, as they try to project their identity to agents and directors.
Once a show has been cast, it needs publicity - enough 'story' to intrigue and entice an audience but not too much to give everything away before the performance. Frequently publicity images will be created separately and in plenty of time before opening night to allow flyers to be ordered and websites or social media campaigns to be created. As such they are often conceptual in nature as the final scenery, costumes and even cast may not be ready.
Organising a media photocall shortly before the start of a show can be a good way to generate more publicity. Particularly during a very busy period, such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A striking image is likely to make its way into the local or even national media. Such photocalls need not take place in the venue itself but should include some elements from the final show, such as actors in costume or specific props. In fact, taking members of the cast to a visually distinctive Edinburgh location can often produce the best publicity images.
Organising a media photocall shortly before the start of a show can be a good way to generate more publicity. Particularly during a very busy period, such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A striking image is likely to make its way into the local or even national media. Such photocalls need not take place in the venue itself but should include some elements from the final show, such as actors in costume or specific props. In fact, taking members of the cast to a visually distinctive Edinburgh location can often produce the best publicity images.
There are different ways to approach the arranging of publicity for your show and getting the word out into the media
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Photocall Attendance...FREE
No guarantee of attendance - best endeavours No images for your own use without fee Images will be circulated to media Media will be charged to use images |
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Photocall Internal Use...£150
Guaranteed attendance (up to one hour) Images supplied for your own use by a mutually convenient electronic method (e.g. email, ftp, dropbox) Images may also be circulated to the media (although this is no guarantee they will use them, even if they cover the story) Media will be charged to use images Any prints or alternative output required would involve addition costs, to be agreed beforehand. Travel expenses would need to be added if applicable. Please contact me with any questions or to discuss other assignments. |
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Photocall With Distribution Rights...£250
Guaranteed attendance (up to two hours) Images supplied for your own use by a mutually convenient electronic method (e.g. email, ftp, dropbox) Images to distribute to the media, licensed for third-party usage (and the best chance the media will use your images to accompany the story) Media will not be charged to use images Any prints or alternative output required would involve addition costs, to be agreed beforehand. Travel expenses would need to be added if applicable. Please contact me with any questions or to discuss longer assignments. |
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Further pictures during the rehearsal process can add to the 'buzz' around a show in the weeks before opening night. Not to mention frequently being the favourite mementos of a show for members of the cast - reminders of the shared hours of preparation. Obviously a rehearsal will take rather longer than a photocall and therefore the cost of photography has to increase. If you are on a particularly tight budget there may still be something I can do, perhaps offsetting some of my fee against an advert in your programme? Please contact me to discuss further. Or for an amateur group perhaps my Group Events product would be more appropriate.
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Rehearsal Internal Use...£250
Guaranteed attendance (up to three hours) Images supplied for your own use by a mutually convenient electronic method Images may be circulated to media Media will be charged to use images Any prints or alternative output required would involve addition costs, to be agreed beforehand. Travel expenses would need to be added if applicable. Please contact me with any questions. |
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Rehearsal With Distribution Rights...£300
Guaranteed attendance (up to three hours) Images supplied for your own use by a mutually convenient electronic method (e.g. email, ftp, dropbox) Images to distribute to the media Media will not be charged to use images Any prints or alternative output required would involve addition costs, to be agreed beforehand. Travel expenses would need to be added if applicable. Please contact me with any questions. |
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Ideally performance shots would be taken at the final dress rehearsal - indistinguishable from the final show but taken without disturbing your paying audience. Sometimes, particularly in the Edinburgh Fringe, it isn't possible to arrange a full dress rehearsal in the performance space and therefore performance shots have to be taken during a live show. In that case my fee for photography would be the same as for rehearsals, as outlined above.