“And maybe one of the bands would make it big someday, and they you’d have the exclusive photographs of them “in the beginning,” back when no one had ever heard of them, and it could be your cash cow.”
      -News Photographer, April 2015 issue, p. 6   

   And so the National Press Photographers Association says it: the photos with the real high payoff aren’t of, say, the Beatles after the Beatles were the most famous group in the world - and every shooter shooting them - but of the Beatles back when they were nobodies.  In its editorial this month, NPPA’s magazine says that those who became its staff shot countless “nobody” music acts that would let them shoot their photos - hoping that one would make it to superstardom.  I realized this long before that NPPA editorial - and planned accordingly.
   Sadly for the editorial’s writer, it didn’t work out; though he shot John Cougar Mellencamp, before he was famous - back in the film era - he lost the negatives!
   The general theme of the editorial, though, is correct: if you want to have the “before they were famous” exclusive photos - or, better yet, the photo that made a superstar world-famous, you shoot second-tier people in their field.  It doesn’t matter whether that field is entertainment, sports, or politics.
   And if you don’t think the author of that editorial’s sad mistake can happen to you, place your photos of possible coming superstars with a photo agency.  And back it up offsite.
    I specialize in politics. - and shot years ago, and own rights to, photos of two people touted for top political careers.  One so far has shunned urgings he go for politics.  The other is going for it with gusto; my photo was what made that one world famous.

I only wish this photo made Newt Gingrich world famous.
Here, he campaigns for president, Greensboro, N.C., April 14, 2012.