A press photo has to work at two sizes: a thumbnail on a ticket page and a full page in print. That is why a promoter asks for the original file instead of taking a screenshot from Instagram.
What to supply
- The full resolution file, at least 3.000 pixels on the long side.
- A wide crop and an upright crop, because posters and web banners need different shapes.
- A version with space around the artist, so a designer can put type on it.
- Two or three options, not twenty.
The credit
The photographer holds the copyright. What the artist buys is a licence, and its terms decide whether the image may run in print, in paid advertising, and for how long. Agree that in writing when the shoot is booked, and pass the photographer's name with every file. Most publications require the credit and some will not run an image without one.
Naming
Name the file so it survives an inbox: artist-name-2026-photo-credit.jpg. A file called IMG_4471.jpg gets lost, renamed, or published with no credit at all.