Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Hire a photographer?

Well, she really has no business telling you how to pay for it. It's sounding more and more like she's not a professional photographer.

If you're in the mood to be her charity, then give her $50 to take pictures for your website and let her hand out business cards so parents can order prints. Otherwise, I'd steer clear.

Just what I was thinking--- studio shots, at the piano but outside the actual recital. They could be supplemented with ambient-light shots during the recital, with the camera, tripod, and photographer out of the way at a distance. The audience, by the way, is sometimes more worth photographing than the performers.

It can do no harm to have the parents' approval for posting to the website; even if it is not against the law in your state it shows the parents that you are careful for their kids' protection. If your site (or that area of it) is password-protected, so much the better although I'm sure you would post nothing unseemly, and I'm pretty sure the law does not envision rounding up and charging piano teachers.

Explain that it is a pilot program in your letter introducing the photographer, and let her take it from there with pricing, formats, photo finishing, etc. You might poll the parents before, to find out what they want, and after, to find out if they got it.

Personally, I do not much care for group photos. Unless your photographer can hang from the ceiling and shoot something a la Busby Berkley, the tiresome, time-consuming, nerve-wracking genre is hardly worth perpetuating.

Can you quote a source for this? I've done a bit of research and I don't see where that is the law in my state.

To be safe, I include a release in my studio policy which all parents sign...I say that photos will be used on my website unless the parent specifically asks that they not be posted.

Thanks for the feedback. She's trying to be a professional photographer, but doesn't yet have much experience. Yes, I agree it's a degree of chaos I don't want at my recital.

Studio shots at the piano but outside the recital is a possibility. I could let her leave a portfolio here and flyers, then let parents know when she will be at the studio (at the Steinway dealer) to take individual photos.

Freelancing has two components: mastering your craft (music, photography, accounting etc.), and mastering the business end of things. Often our downfall is in the second. Might your friend benefit from contact with other professional photographs, a photographers' guild of some sort, or similar?

Yes.

Our local branch was advised by our state association's attorney. Take a cue from your public schools. If parents have to sign a release in the fall, then it is likely the law in your state.

http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm

In the US this will vary from state to state. In the UK there is, as far as I know, no specific law that prohibits putting pictures of children up on web sites. It might well irritate their parents to do so without permission, but I've never really understood why it should.

I wouldn't bank on it! Here in the UK, media-led panic over anything that came within 100 miles of paedophilia prompted many schools to adopt a "no photography" policy. It's easier to give in than to argue the point. Last year a government spokesperson felt the need to announce "Don't be so silly, of COURSE you can photograph and video your child's Nativity Play!"

To give our government credit, they also released a series of posters debunking the wilder propaganda of the "Health & Safety" industry. While emphasising the need for safety, they made it clear that common-sense was largely sufficient, and expensive "certification" procedures were not compulsory.

The U.S. is much more litigious.

I'm chiming in late here, but I'm glad you're deciding against it, Ann. My son for many years was involved in sports leagues at the local Y. We had something like five separate seasons each calendar year across the various sports. At each season, there was a photo day where you could order individual and group photos. It rapidly became very tiring (and expensive!) to buy those photos, but I felt a sense of obligation from both the organization (which made it clear it was a fund-raiser for the Y) and my son (who felt it was absolutely necessary to have photos from each season). Now I have a bunch of similar looking photos of my son holding onto various pieces of sporting equipment that I quite honestly could live without.

When my children did recitals for school events, what I *really* appreciated were professionally made videos of the performance, and I loved it when the school would announce they were having a videographer record the event with DVDs available for purchase. The videographer inevitably did a much better job of recording the event than I could have (just having a tripod made a huge difference), and it was well worth the price. I especially appreciated that it meant that all the parents could sit down and enjoy the performance rather than being obnoxious and crowding the aisles or standing up to get good shots on their own.

It may not have been practical for everyone to use a tripod on this occasion. But it's amazing how many people buy expensive video equipment but DON'T see a tripos as being the default accessory! Filming without one is like playing piano standing up. It CAN be done, but you'd rarely want to.

Thanks for chiming in Monica. My recitals are professionally videographed and families get a DVD at no charge (a perk that GIST piano center offers). I think everyone is thrilled to get a DVD, and there has never been a request for professional photos. Everyone is happy with their snapshots.

I think that just knowing someone may not like my posting a recital photo on my website is enough reason for me to get parent permission first. When you're in business, you want to keep your customers happy.

I personally like a lot of privacy. The permission forms come home each year and I always refuse to allow the public school to use photos/video of my child.

Indeed. And specifically a circular was sent to all state schools instructing them to desist from hiding behind the Data Protection Act as a way to give effect to their stupid policies.

The reality is that schools don't really know what it is they're afraid of, and nor do the parents. Photo-phobia is just one of those stupid things that seems to have caught on.

I, at least, refuse to give in, and try to make a point of challenging these stupid policies whenever I can. Unfortunately, while I can challenge schools, etc., it's harder to challenge individual parents without making myself deeply unpopular.

Thanks for the source! I never put last names with my pictures, but I still collect the release just to stay safe.

It's the law in California. That comes right from our attorney.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

This photo made it worth the effort of the photo shoot and the emotional turmoil resulting from it. The photographer messaged me to say a CD of photos is in the mail to me. And so far I've had no further pressure from her about photographing my students.

I have color also, but like B&W. I never would have scheduled a photo session for a picture of me with the piano (if she hadn't offered me a free photo session). But it's worked out great and I could use this on my website if I got the nerve up, and if I got the tech help.

That's a great photo, Ann. You definitely should add it to your website!

Ann, what a great photo!

Thanks Monica and Stanny. I admit I was hoping for a compliment.

I'll look into uploading it to my website.