Ever dreamed about photographing your favorite band from the front row? How does a $150 fee plus the uncertainty of ownership rights sound? A band called Hawthorne Heights seems to be in a bit of a debacle for charging their fans for this kind of all access pass... not necessarily because they've been beating a dead horse with their music and are charging that much, it's because photographers are up in arms over the terms, or lack thereof. Here's what the original posting stated:
"Are you an aspiring photographer? Come take pictures of us all day at Warped Tour! We will provide you with the access, and experience you need. We will also take your pictures and put them on our Instagram page, and give you full credit for it. This is a great package for anyone who loves taking pictures, whether its for a hobby or professionally."
Obviously people had no qualms with the band pimping themselves out for a VIP hang out session, private acoustic serenade about being angry with your parents, or getting the chance to make a fool of themselves in front of a massive crowd of equally questionable asymmetric haircuts (sorry I'm just not a fan, could you tell?) However, once you step foot on photographer's rights, you get the internet army after you. The problem with this "deal" is that the "lucky" fan would be paying to work for them essentially. You're not really gaining experience by shadowing another photographer and besides bragging rights there's no clear terms about whether or not they're technically your photos after you take them. It does say that you get credit, but basically you're paying them to take their pictures that they will use to promote their name...and who knows if you'll ever have rights to them later on. Internet response: Raise ye pitchforks! Band response: Apologize and retract the original page:
"I wanted to say thanks to all of the photographers out there for sharing their point of view, and helping us understand where they are coming from. HH would never intentionally offend anyone, as we work really hard to stay in contact with our friends and fans. We were really just trying to give a fan a very unique experience. See the band from stage, hang out, and document it with your camera. I think the term INTERNSHIP was inappropriate for what we were offering. It should have just been an experience. And for that, we apologize. We work really hard to keep our prices low and keep our contact with our fans at a constant. Once again, sorry for the wording, and misunderstanding. Thanks again for showing us your viewpoint. It helps a lot to understand the situation. Thanks. JT and HH."
Ah, the ol' "Sorry you misinterpreted us guys/Learn better English losers" tactic. I'm just kidding, sounds like they were generally (didn't say genuinely) apologetic and were just following orders from whoever's trying to squeeze an extra buck out of them. Attempting to be positive about it: Paying for the experience and exclusive access is maybe something that people wouldn't mind shelling out for...after all how often do you get an opportunity to see/shoot a show without the cold obscuring glow of a million Instagraming phones? The punk ethic in me says it's kind of lame, but to each their own. Either way, I guess the message of the story is to not mess with photographers, don't work for free, and listen to better music.
Cover Photo- Rolling Stone Story PopPhoto