The Importance of a Digital Hi-Res Color Photo

Your Monthly DIY PR Tip from Mike Farley

By Mike Farley, Michael J. Media Group

Gone are the days of glossy 8x10 black and white band photos, except to take on the road and sign autographs with, or to hang in bars they have played in for prosperity and bragging rights. But for PR purposes, it's more important to have good quality digital photos in your arsenal. That's what magazines, newspapers, and even online sources need to place a picture of you alongside any editorial copy.

But it goes beyond that. Here are some tips to make sure you are making it easy to have your photo get in front of as many of your fans and would-be fans as possible:

1. Make sure your photo is hi-res, meaning 300 dpi or larger. If you don't know what that means, ask a web designer or someone versed in Photoshop to get your photos sized properly.

2. I almost always am asked for a color photo, so even though black and white shots are cool, opt for color whenever possible.

3. Make sure your photo is in jpeg format, and easy to e-mail. If it's too large, you will have trouble sending it and they will have trouble receiving it. At the very least, have a link to your photo easy to download from your website.

4. Rotate your photos frequently. If you are a touring band, and you play the same markets every 6-8 weeks, your photo will have a shelf life of maybe two tours, three max. Give those newspapers a reason to use your photo in their calendar again and again, by changing it up.

5. Make sure your photo represents who you are. It should give anyone who sees it some kind of indication what you sound like. One of the bands I represent, Breaking Laces, does a spectacular job of this. Check out their shots at www.breakinglaces.com.

6. Remember that even if you can't land a feature story, calendar editors of dailies and entertainment weeklies are always looking for photos to run. And having a large photo like that placed is like free advertising for your show.

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7. You don't necessarily need a professional photographer (though it wouldn't hurt). Just a good digital camera should do the trick.

I hope this tip helps you or your band. Feel free to pass this along to your friends and fellow bandmates. And good luck out there! </p>

Visit www.michaeljmedia.com for more tips.