From the Digital Photography Review website:
So, no matter what anyone thinks about the Foo Fighters, they have a brilliant publicist! After putting together a set of completely photographer unfriendly rules, the Foo Fighters actually get coverage (Probably more that they would have gotten if they let photographers shoot!)
There are many comments posted on the DPR site, among them:
The answer is simple, don’t shoot or publicise any of their gigs, albums etc. and if they want publicity, make them sign a stupid contract that assigns you the right and royalties to all sales etc.
Maybe this is a good opportunity for less known acts to get free publicity by filling the gap left in the magazine pages!
NO ONE is forced to sign the band’s contract, or very much any contract. It’s that simple.
Just leave them alone. Let their management team photograph them with a smart phone and then see the results!
Maybe then they’ll appreciate the presence of a real photographer, and (maybe) then they’d agree that they should pay the photographer some petty-cash money!
And my favorite one:
The photographer has the option to say “thanks, but no, thanks” and walk away, or “SELL” the copyrights.
If the band/artist buys the copyrights from a photographer, then the photographer has nothing to complain about, and the artist should be free to use the images in any way they like. That’s fair.
Personally, I would not sell them the copyrights unless the price is attractive enough, or if I was in a difficult financial situation without many options.
The other option is to sell the photo gear, go to art school and become a cartoonist 🙂
So, the band wins and gets a lot of free publicity.
I was just on the phone with a friend of mine who licensed a lot of photos to the HBO “Sonic Highways” series. She reminded me that that series couldn’t have happened without archival images from the 70’s and 80’s.
I wonder what is going to happen in 20 years when someone wants to do a TV show and there are no images to be had!!!