Derek Herman Live
Category: Music

Derek Herman Caught in the Act

A few weeks back Ric Farrah Photographs caught Derek Herman live while covering the 26th Annual Colgate Country Showdown at the Gibson Showcase in Nashville, TN. 

As a songwriter, Derek's songs are solid, very commercial and some off the best work coming out of Nashville today.  You can look to Derek as one of the "real" rising stars in Music City and country fans can expect to hear him and his work from coast to coast. 

Check out Derek's page at Derek Herman Music

Call or email with inquiries. No Hassles. No obligation. No Pressure.  Really!

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Whiskey Run Live Memorial Day at WKDF’s Country in the Park
Category: Music

If you are into watching new acts on their way to the top,Whiskey Run should certainly be tops on your list.

Nashville, TN - The heat of a 100+ degree day didn't stop Whiskey Run fans from showing up at Centennial Park on Memorial Day to catch a free concert sponsored in part by FM 103 WKDF. The Nasvhille winners of the 26th Colgate Country Showdown went on at 2PM followed by The Dirt Drifters from the Warner Bros. roster, Capital recording star Luke Bryan, and country superstars Pam Tillis, and Diamond Rio.

Contact RFP for more information on concert photography and other photographic services for pro talent, business and family. Your blog comments are always encouraged. Thanks!

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A Better Alternative To Fan Pictures
Category: Music

Your RFP Concert Photography Program is the Affordable Approach

Lets face it and bless their hearts for good intentions, but fan pictures at best will only slow down your progress and at worst can damage your professional image! Sure, there are plenty of low paying gigs available but to command what your worth you, your band, and all of your marketing must look the part. The RFP concert photography program ends the need for fan pics to fill your gallery. We fill your gallery with a high energy royalty free slideshow and stills running 24/7 on your MySpace pages and website.

We arrive at the show and jump right in.  After an earlier sight survey and a consult with venue's technical crew to set the lights, we join the crowd to catch you at the peak of excitement up close and personal.  We capture images so sharp they can see you sweat, and your killer guitar licks, and your drum sticks looking lightening fast, and your extreme facial expressions and your outrages moves and the horns jammin' and... well you get the picture. We shoot from creative angles on and off stage that shows your audience alive and energized by your show. You're up there rocking and we're taking it all in for your fans, bookers, producers and promoters to see, where ever they are.

You know this is important, your agent has been begging for decent photography, your fans have been screaming for a rocking 8x10 to buy at your shows. and you want better gigs.  The next time you are scheduled in a decent venue or doing a showcase give us call. I promise this is worth the investment and we can make this happen for you. And I also promise that interested industry professionals are already visiting your site. It's worth a quick phone call or email to see just how easy this can happen.

Contact Us
615.773.1702

As always your comments are welcome and appreciated.  We only get better by hearing your thoughts.  Please use the links below.

Thanks for visiting!

Ric

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The Rock and Load Show
Category: Music

6/27/07

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Smokey Lonesome Live
Category: Music

If you are into high energy "Kick Ass" southern rock, Smokey Lonesome is an absolute must!  Rest assured, if you haven't yet heard this band you will.  

These veteren players craft their innovative, insightful originals into the best of both country and rock genres then packs those songs into a dynamic, "I can't believe I'm seeing this",  awe inspiring show.

With harmonies that would make the Eagles or Crosby, Stills and Nash take notice and the precise musical craftmanship one would expect from other world class musicians, Smokey Lonesome is an act that is getting noticed.

My advise on how to catch a shooting star...  Get on the Smokey Lonesome friends list!

If your band requires updated merch, promo, concert, studio or tour photogrpahy contact RFP at 615-773-1702

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Top Blues Stars Gather to Benefit Drummer and Friend Chucki Burke
Category: Music

Nashville, TN - Some of Nashville's most noted blues performers gathered at The Place on 2nd Avenue South last Sunday to benefit drummer Chucki Burke who recently suffered the loss of his arm.

The benefit was organized by Melinda Kunkle, former president of the Music City Blues Society.  The benefit, staged at "The Place" on 2nd Avenue South, featured a silent auction and a cajon buffet with all the proceeds going to Burke. An estimated $3000.00 was donated by local fans and musicians.

Among the performers where the Jefferson Street Blues Band, Blue Mother Tupelo, Nick Nixon, Shan De Bayou and Delicious Blues Stew, The Road Taken, Liz Rader, Tracy Nelson, Marion James, Sam Stafford, Richard Water, John Richard, CJ Vaughn and Gypsy Carns, with a host of drop ins from all over town.

The slide show was shot by Ric Farrah with just the available stage lighting for a dramatic effect.  Live and press photography can be captured at your next performance by calling 615-773-1702

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Build Your Fan Base While You Fatten Your Wallet
Category: Music

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Ric Farrah Photographs

615-773-1702

prolooks@farrahphotos.com

www.farrahphotos.com

Build your fan base while you fatten your wallet. As you probably already know, table items contribute quite nicely to the bottom line, particularly on tour. In addition, there is nothing like being paid for your fans distributing your promo and CDs. The more stuff that's out there the more your work touches others.

You can get a thousand 8x10s for a little over $500.00. Even if you sold just half for $10.00 each at shows and distributed the others in a solid thoughtful give-away promotion, the profit is $4500.00 and you continue to benefit considering how many friends of fans will view that promo shot. Figure everyone has at least 5 people they speak with on a regular basis. When you rock the crowd hard enough to spend additional money on our stuff, that excitement naturally carries forward to their friends.  Fans want others to share in their joy so they spread the word by displaying your picture at work or in a prominent place at home also by using the other merchandise they buy, i.e. wearing your T-shirt and playing your CD.

I'll speak to photography because that's what I know best. Fans want to remember their rockin' good time so concert action shots work best for sale.  An action composite works well when an overall band shot renders each member too small in the frame or when poor lighting was an issue during capture and a decent wide shot wasn't possible. Even when you include the costs for capture, processing, and image fees, selling photos reap huge rewards. They're like selling 8x10 inch business cards. People are paying you to distribute your marketing. Kind of like buying an Old Navy sweatshirt, Old Navy profits twice.

Another thing to consider is an organized way to make your band available after the show, near, (but not behind), your POP display. Have others on your team sell the merchandise. Have your team make known there will be an autograph session set up adjacent to the POP display where fans can meet you. Always be the star. Unless heavy interplay is part of your act, its better to have an announcer inform the audience of any meet and greet. Keep the star mystique alive so when you do make your after show appearance the fans get a sense of something special.

Audience interaction is important. I'll never forget a show I worked on with Mel Tillis back in the 80's. Mel was charting and still popular from his television show canceled in previous years. My job was to emcee and provide a stand up comedian to open both shows of the one nighter. Mel is a master at audience interplay and of working the crowd after a show. He was truly appreciative of that audience and it showed. After each performance he was out mingling in the audience practically walking them out to their cars. In addition to being a talented entertainer, Mel is a good business man; I'm convinced a big part of his success is a heartfelt appreciation of his fans. I believe he sold out all of his merchandising that night. I know both shows were SRO sell outs.

The bottom line is that this small investment could have the potential to return 8 or 9K  and additional promotional benefits. So if you don't have a good working relationship with a photographer, go find a pro, with pro gear, processing & design capabilities, and a passion for the entertainment business to get your promo updated. If not, you risk leaving money on the table.

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RFP Shameless Plug Department:  Save time and risk by calling RFP.  For more info call 615-773-1702

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Fallouts Stink - Turning a Problem Into An Advantage
Category: Music

For Immediate Release

Contact: Ric Farrah Photographs

615-773-1702

prolooks@farrahphotos.com

www.farrahphotos.com

Fallouts stink but what do you do? They happen to all of us. Over the weekend I got word that a fat little project scheduled to nicely round out my April has been postponed until fall because of budget reasons.

I can't remember which, but once a self help book mentioned, "For every problem is an equal or greater advantage". What's advantageous from postponed work?  I spent the remaining weekend looking for that elusive advantage.

The problem:  Postponed work.

The solution:  Use the timing to create new relationships with those who can benefit, right now, from your services...

... or in other words, make up your loss with volume. As temporary as possible, sell a top quality service all entertainers need below the standard market rate.  For the short run both parties benefit and in the long run there is potential for creating a lasting relationship.

One of the services I provide to working acts are live stage shots processed into slide shows for their MySpace or website. An example is the large slide show seen on my profile and again at http://www.farrahphotos.com under the Musicians and Models pages. I have decided to make up the postponed work by filling some off time with a slide show special of sorts.

For the remaining month of April, I have set aside weeknights, (unless already booked), to go out and shoot these slide shows at prices that even the newest start-up can afford.

The Win/Win is obvious particularly if an act is still depending on fan shots or considering updating some publicity shots.  Pro talent must invest in their career and occasionally the timing is such that doing it now makes sense. This is certainly one of those times.

So here's special pricing for a special situation only until the end of April. We will come out locally, Nashville or Wilson County, to shoot your show live and deliver a slide show as a flash web page, PDF, or the slide show format shown on my profile for just $50.00 per band member, ($150.00 minimum). Honestly, if you need pro photogrpahy, it would be nuts not to take me up on this.  You know these are give away prices, particularly, since the slide shows are delivered after capture and processing, royalty free, without any usage fees. You know why I'm doing this and I seriously doubt I'll be doing it again anytime soon.

As a working act, it would be hard to overlook this opportunity just to have the additional pics on file.  Obviously, this has to be first come first serve. When the availble nights are booked, its over. And with tour season coming upon us quick, bands will be taking advantage of this opportunity very quick even if it's just for a new killer 8x10 to sell at your shows.

Drop a message in our in box and we'll get back to you to discuss arrangements and answer your questions.  If I'm right we will be helping each other, definitely turning a problem into a greater advantage.  I hope to hear from you soon.

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A Press Kit Primer
Category: Music

Press Release for Immediate Release

Contact Ric Farrah Photographs

615-773-1702

04-06-07

A Press Kit Primer

A young act in Ohio recently emailed me with some questions regarding press kits.  While most on my friends list have publicists in place, chances are you know someone that may benefit by an article on press kits. I decided to reply with a post on the RFP blog. Hopefully this info is helpful to others beginning to generate interest like my friends in Ohio.

Press kits are no real problem and a fact of life for pro talent. However, since we see our self from the inside, we know all of our own little flaws and weaknesses coupled with our natural insecurities found in art professionals, one of the hardest things to do is market one's self. Incidentally this is why most think they take a terrible picture despite reassurance from others that the image is fine. Young acts may find the costs of a publicity contract prohibitive and have to do some of the work on their own.

First and foremost your press kit must appear professional. In the 80's while producing and booking talent I can't tell you the truckloads of junk I received trying to be passed off as a media package. The cruel truth is, unprofessional packages aren't seen from the round file. I wasn't about to risk my reputation on a amateurish or poorly packaged act. Sadly I probably overlooked some great talent who could have done the job but I just didn't have the time to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Your bio should be a well written fun read that gives the reader an insight of who you are and what influences your work. The reader should come away with a friendly feeling of knowing you with a desire to learn more. Remember, your bio is a sales piece and needs to be treated as such. Your goal is to move the reader to act in individual steps that leads to a booking over the mounds of others who've also submitted their press.
 

Remember, long copy always outsells short copy. The theory is that if somebody is interested in buying what you are selling they will want as much information as they can find.  A headline or slug is a good tool to get the ball rolling generating interest in your bio. Use an opening statement that will entice the reader to take the first small step toward booking you by reading your copy. In addition, your press kit should be designed to drive potential employers to your website where you can detail in depth everything about you without the associated printing costs. 
 

Conversely, short copy, even the best crafted three sentence paragraph will not sell to anyone who isn't interested in the first place. Often people will make the mistake of using short copy for fear of people being too busy to read long copy.

Undoubtedly you have noticed the bold type in this article. The use of bold type in this manner is known as creating a dual readership path. I highlight the main points as an aid to those who only want to skim the article. The reader will slow down if the highlighted points generate additional interest or warrants further research.

Your bio should be printed on a quality rag bond containing your logo and contact info. Be sure to include supporting documents that add credibility to your act. Copies of newspapers reviews or magazines articles work best. Part of a publicist's job when you eventually invest in one, is to get you into more newspapers and magazines by writing and distributing well crafted press releases.

Other supporting documents are client lists and testimonials. Potential clients are reassured if others had a good experience booking your act. Don't be afraid to ask for a testimony when past clients are complimentary. Generally they want to help and take partial credit for your success and usually are flattered that you want to quote them. Client testimonials should always contain the first name, last name, company name, and town of the person providing the comments. Its okay to paraphrase client comments accurately but verbatim is always best. You should get their permission to add the comments in your press before shelling out the printing dollars in the rare case they don't want to be mentioned.   

Fan testimonies are great too because any booking agents want's to be sure that their audience will enjoy your show.  A quick trip to the referral page on my website at http://www.farrahphotos.com will provide an example of how I treat my testimonials.

Include anything that will make the booker's job easier such as an equipment list, play lists, camera ready art, generic marketing materials easily customized to their event, a comp card, (somewhat of a post card to be filed for future reference), professional photography titled with contact information, and a demo CD/DVD.

Ideally you want the person to listen to the entire demo but that's rarely reality. Be sure to place the samples you want to be seen or heard in the first 90 seconds. Your goal is to create enough interest to move the decision maker to take the next step and listen further and make a booking decision. Once again, your demo should look pro.  If you plan a large blitz, distributing hundreds of press kits having your CD professionally reproduced is a must. Here in Nashville I get great results with We Make Tapes and Discs.  

A cost effective alternative if you are not planning to send large quantities at once is to invest in a DVD burner with LiteScribe technology which burns a label into the non data side of special discs. I use this method with my image discs but the disadvantage is LiteScribe is slow process taking some 17 minutes to burn one label at a time.  In any event, labels should be burned or professional printed. Do not use paper labels printed by an ink jet.

Your press kit should be packaged in an attractive folder custom printed or foil stamped with your logo. The inside of the folder should contain pockets to hold the documents. The pockets should be die cut for a business card and CD placement.

After your initial investment of producing your package you will incur the printing and postage costs.  Start at your local Kinkos where you can walk in to see what's available and get a ball bark figure. Then do some research on the web. I've had good results with competitive pricing with some online printers.

You can look to invest somewhere between $600.00 and $1200.00 to produce and print your package if you require photography and need help in writing your bio. You can visit the Portfolio Maintenance section on the Musician and Talent pages of my website at http://www.farrahphotos.com to see my price list for a starting point. I also charge $60.00 per hour for digital design, retouching, and copywriting. Be aware that my prices are competitive for this market and actual prices by other qualified professionals could be higher.
 

Finally, keep in mind that the style of media kit described here is used to generate interest for booking your act. A publicity blitz is a different animal designed by publicists to achieve interest while shopping a label or media attention for a project. You can look to invest up to nine thousand dollars a year or more for a full publicity blitz. The following is one package Capital Management offers their clients:

12-MONTH FULL COLOR PUBLICITY PACKAGE - Artist package includes commercial photo session, full color pictures to all the major media outlets nationally & locally, all the music trade magazines, biography and photo are mailed to all of the major record labels in Nashville, managers, and producers listed in the annual edition of Who's Who in Music in the city of Nashville. One press release per month is sent to all media outlets. Cost is $4,500.00 (Four thousand five hundred dollars) per 6 month period or a total of $9,000.00 (Nine thousand dollars per year.

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Ric Farrah is a 27 year veteran in the entertainment industry. Ric has worked as a nationally recognized talent coordinator in Los Angeles, CA and now makes his home in the Nashville suburb of Mt. Juliet, TN working as a freelance photographer. Visit Ric's website at http://www.farrahphotos.com

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Image Vs. Sound and What Stars Have in Common
Category: Music

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Ric Farrah

                Ric Farrah Photographs

                615-773-1702

                ric@farrahphotos.com

                www.farrahphotos.com

Image vs. Sound and What Stars Have in Common

Often I wondered which of these fundamentals are more important. We all have been around seemingly successful acts who demonstrate more image and marketing prowess than craft. We scratch our heads wondering why these acts even achieve regional recognition much less national prominence. Thankfully, these acts rarely stand the test of time and soon fade the scene as quickly as they arrive.

My personal experience working with pro talent at both ends of the spectrum, either national household names or young talent taking their first steps toward stardom, is that true stars have several things in common that reach across all genres and art forms. First off, the legends all have a deep passion rooted to their sole for their craft. They love what they do and sharing their talent with others is not an option; it's as important as their craft. Passion for their art is coupled with an honest heartfelt belief in their own vision and ability. Others, including myself are inspired by these remarkable individuals. We are attracted by their ability and confidence. This attraction is infectious and results in the numbers required to achieve prominence.

Passion and belief in one's own ability are the essential building blocks that form the foundation for determination. It's with this determination that stars are willing to do the things required that others who fail are not willing to do. Every star I've worked with, both in LA while producing live comedy and now here in Nashville working as an entertainment photographer, holds an unwavering understanding of what they want and where they were going.

While it is somewhat easier wield clout to get the things you need to advance your career as a star, these acts didn't start their career at the top.  What all stars have in common is that they take personal responsibility for their careers and their decisions. They know to seek out and surround themselves with other quality professionals who will  mutually benefit when working together. They fully understand the industry and own the responsibility for their career choices.

Without passion and belief in their vision, natural industry roadblocks and setbacks become insurmountable and the aspiring talent will not attract the people necessary to achieve success. The road to stardom isn't traveled in a vacuum. To take things to the next level one needs both professional assistance as well as their fan base.  Again, it is worth repeating, stars must be willing to do the things that others who fail were not willing to do.

Your sound is a given, obviously the backbone of your act. But even with top notch musical ability, without vision and the necessary tools, you and your band will plateau. This is not to say you can't earn a respectable living as a musician but it is unlikely you will achieve the heights you hope for by taking the time to read this. So what are these necessary tools that will take you from your current level to the next?

We've already discussed the most important items which are primarily a state of mind. All success starts in your mind. Actually, to be more precise, your success starts in your subconscious mind. And your subconscious cannot take a joke. In other words, your subconscious mind will believe anything you tell it even if your conscious mind doesn't believe what your are thinking. You tell your subconscious you are a star and your subconscious thoughts act accordingly, feeding your conscious mind with ideas and solutions that manifest those subconscious thoughts into physical reality. Conversely, if you are consciously negative your subconscious mind will believe the negativity and replace possibility with impossibility and provide the steps required to fail.

To prove this point you and some friends can pull a cruel practical joke on another friend or a coworker. Start off in the morning when you first greet your unknowing victim. When you ask him how he's doing, place doubt in mind by telling him he doesn't look very good and ask if he feels sick. His first response will to reassure you and himself that he feels fine.  Fifteen or twenty minutes later have another greet the individual in the same manner, questioning his present health. In another twenty minutes or so have your third accomplish tell your victim essentially the same with the help of a fourth party agreeing as well, that your victim is definitely under the weather. I promise you by lunch your victim will be on the way home suffering only from his mind manifesting subconscious thought into physical reality.

Think about this truism:  What gets thought about gets done. It is your passion, vision, belief, and determination that fuel your subconscious to take your desires and turn them into physical reality.  You can probably recall several occasions when a great idea or a solution to a problem just popped into your mind while at that particular moment you weren't even thinking about the situation. That is because your subconscious is always at work, on the job, day or night, asleep or awake. Therefore it is vitally important to consciously feed your subconscious with a positive attitude.

Entire books have been written about the power of your subconscious mind and go far deeper into the subject than the scope of this article. For now we should acknowledge that this is a critical element to achieving success.

Another critical element is placing the same importance on your package as you place on your sound. There are industry standards in marketing and promotion required to attract the people who will mutually benefit by helping your career. It is not reasonable to expect others to help in your career for any length of time with benefiting in some way for themselves.  It is your responsibility to provide others, willing to help, the tools they will need for your advancement. This is particularly true in a market incredibly rich with top quality talent such as Nashville.

As a working act you are a business, a creative service provider and just like any other business a band, a photographer, a record label, a plumber, a guitar manufacturer, or anyone else selling a product or service must advertise to be seen and must be prepared with materials on hand when opportunity knocks.

Fortunately the Internet makes a lot of this possible without a lot of expense. As you know your presence on MySpace is invaluable for providing information about your act for just the price of a computer and an Internet connection. Unfortunately for many this is a two edged sword. While a presence on the World Wide Web may be inexpensive and easy to start, it will require an investment of your time and capital to be helpful and not hurtful. A low budget, poorly thought out site is a direct reflection on the act. Very often, your Internet presence is that most important first impression to many who may have an interest in you. Perhaps a show or some "buzz" generated some interest but the Internet is where industry professionals and fans are going to gather additional information to form their opinions as to your professionalism, experience and frankly your worth.

It is to your benefit to be prepared when they arrive. Your press kit should be attractive and designed to drive traffic to your website or MySpace pages. Here you can provide a wealth of additional information minus printing costs. Remember a PDF and other downloaded items don't have reproduction costs. Also, interested people will take the time to read all the copy, views all the pictures, and listen to all the samples they can find. The fact that you are still reading this article should be proof that others too will do research when interested.

Our industry is a visual industry. Pictures in your press kit and website should be provocative and reveal the message of your image. This is important for building a fan base as well as being booked by those who stand to gain by your performance. Photography helps the interested party to visualize your importance and often provides fodder for a fruitful imagination. People always fantasize to their own benefit. We will take what we see and use our imagination to make it even better. For example, for most men, viewing a picture an attractive female scantily dressed in a negligee is more provocative than the same women entirely nude. Why? It is because the imagination will always fill in the blanks to our own advantage.

Often we only see what we want to see. Therefore well designed press photos and energetic live action concert shots go a very long way in selling your talent while during the times you are not performing and are crucial in advancing your career. Quality photography is also a profit center during the performance right along with your CDs, Tee shirts and other memorabilia.

It is not recommended to use fan pictures to build your gallery. Remember to most fans, stars are bigger than life. It is a let down when surfing a talent's website only to find pictures they could have taken by a cell phone or developed at Walmart. It's much better overall to invest in your career with other professionals who will enhance and highlight your qualities and credibility rather than risk guilt by association on a poor quality image.

There are cost effective ways to get high quality images on your website. A cost effective solution I offer my clients is to shoot a live performance and create a slide show for posting on their MySpace band profile. The large captioned slideshow on my profile is the sample I use to market this service to other artists.

To sum up image vs. sound, both are required tools to achieve success. Without a rock solid tight sound that speaks to your image, you have no image. Very few if any have reached stardom by just their music alone. Your sound and image are not mutually exclusive but rather a symbiotic relationship in which each part is made stronger by the whole. Just as your music required an investment in time, training, equipment, and capital, so will your image and marketing. While you may reach national prominence with only marketing and image, you will not earn and retain stardom without both.

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