Becoming a celebrity photographer or working on the red carpet at an event is the goal for a lot of people who are starting out in photography. There are a few, little known secrets about how you can get on the red carpet without being associated with a television show or major news organization.
The People Who Send the Invitations to Photographers
You need to introduce yourself to the publicists that are sending the red carpet invitations. You will find them in the public relations office for the venue, with the production company or as celebrity managers. The easiest way to break in is to focus on the venue. So, email a publicist in the public relations department of the venue where you want to attend red carpet events.
What to Say in an Email
To get on a publicist’s invitation list, you need to send them a short email. You need to ask to be added to their mailing list and also say who you are and who you represent. This email is best kept extremely short without going into a lot of explanation about who you are. Present yourself as a busy person that is approaching an even busier person.
An Email Example:
Hi, Jane Doe,
Please add my email photographer@yourdomain.com to your mailing list. I’m a photographer for Pixel Magazine and would like to cover your events.
Thanks!
That is all there is to getting added to their list. If they add you then you will start receiving emails announcing the red carpet events. If they do not add you, you probably won’t hear anything from them. If they need more information then they will give you a call or email you back to find out more about what you do.
What to Do If Your Are Freelance
If you are a new photographer and working freelance then you won’t have a magazine, newspaper or television station to associate yourself with. Typically, it is the news agency that acquires your press pass for the events. If you are a freelance photographer then you need to do this yourself. So, if you don’t own a magazine or newspaper, then what do you do? You start one on the Internet, that’s what you do.
You need to start an online magazine that is dedicated to your photography and the events that you want to cover. There are plenty of beautiful WordPress templates that make a great web only magazine. This is going to be an undertaking, but it makes your work instantly available to publicists and your potential clients. This website makes it a lot simpler to get started than just stating you are a freelancer without any credentials.
Getting Started as a Red Carpet Photographer
How easy it is to get started depends on many factors like your professionalism, your talent and your location. Probably the most important factor is where you are located. It is a lot easier to get a start in a smaller city like Las Vegas, NV, than it is in New York City or Los Angeles.