Should I be annoyed?

basegreen

basegreen

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I've been taking photos for the last 6 months or so at particular sporting events in the local area. These are attended by around 300 competitors per event, and I've uploaded a selection of pictures to photobox. I've been selling them slightly above cost price. I've made about £25 of credit on photobox so not exactly high income.

Someone has noticed I've been doing this, and has set up a rival photobox site covering exactly the same events, same prices, products...everything.

Of course, there's no exclusivity, and they are completely within their right to do this - but there's virtually no point in spending my time taking/processing photos if someone else is going to take the exact same shots and duplicate effort.

Thoughts? (and you can tell me to stop moaning, that's allowed ;))
 
Sadly thats life what you need to find now is some way to make your work stand out it seems you can't beat him on price so you only options are quality and customer service.
 
If the price is the same it's going to come down to whoever's got the better photos/quality I guess. The only other advantage you have is that people might show some loyalty to you if they've been getting their prints from you over the 6 months.

Probably not a lot you can do, other than nudge his camera every time he tries to press the shutter! ;)
 
You are right to be slightly miffed, but people are always going to try and make money, and just copying what someone else is doing is one of the 'easiest' way people can think of sometimes.

The joy of photography though is that it is the photograph that sells! so aslong as you shots are better than theirs you shouldnt have too much to worry about :)

EDIT: Ok beaten by pretty much everyone else :p
 
I guess my shots are a bit better, composition wise. I try and do more interesting things. I REALLY don't do it for the money, as the £25 in 6 months suggests.
 
This is the sort of thing I have been selling for £1.99
2185480662_73d144c073.jpg


Just reduced mine to 1.79. Bring it on!! ;)
 
Ok, firstly.... Stop moaning! ;):D

Now, take a good look at the product you are producing. A REALLY good long look and work out how you can make it better. You will no doubt have improved over the time you've ben shooting these events but I bet there is still room to polish them a little more.

Next, take them on straight. Personally, I'd put my prices up a bit right about now. Not enough to make a large difference between the two of you but enough to send out a signal that you will not be drawn into a price war. Show the world that you believe you have the better product.

Make sure you are recognisable at these events as the person that is uploading/selling the shots. Become a real person to your market, let them feel comfortable telling you what they want to buy and react to the needs of that market.

If you do your thing well enough, you will get the pleasure of running this newbie out of town. :D:D
 
Thats a cracking shot!! Well worth £2 I would say!
 
Then maybe it will be down to advertising to increase your profits and make sure that those people are purchasing from you and not others.

I would be guessing that your customers are the competitors themselves at these events, so you may want a high visibility vest on when taking pictures with something striking or wording saying it is you selling the prints they are buying.

That could come in the form of website address or Name of you as the photographer.
 
basegreen said:
This is the sort of thing I have been selling for £1.99


Just reduced mine to 1.79. Bring it on!! ;)
Click to expand...

Jeepers you can't be making much at all at that price, looking at your pic I'd say your selling yourself to cheaply at £1.79 a go.
 
Perhaps so - but then, I only have pretty average/poor kit (one above taken with 55-200 Tamron cheapy).

I only started the photobox thing because people showed interest in getting the images from me. I figured it was as easy to charge a couple of quid and they could get them printed out (as that's what the end aim is really anyway).

I also reckon the price the pros charge at big events is OTT (I totally understand that it's their living etc, thus justifying it)... but frankly it's out of the reach of a lot of people that would love their photo of the event.

I'm also more interested in creative shots -- taking a "snap" of each runner is very boring!
 
Don't get into a baked bean war over the pricing, in the same situation I'd put my prices up and let the other guy look cheap.

Do these events have official photographers? If not get in touch with the organisers and see if they'll put a link to your photobox gallery alongside the results, that will generate a lot more traffic :thumbs:

If the event does have a photography outfit working it most of the traffic will be going to them, they'll be charging a lot more for prints and it's probably set up so people can search for photos via their bib number.
 
basegreen said:
I also reckon the price the pros charge at big events is OTT (I totally understand that it's their living etc, thus justifying it)... but frankly it's out of the reach of a lot of people that would love their photo of the event.
Click to expand...

It is pretty expensive but the costs in doing it are high. The number of people who want a photo, even a cheap one, is quite a low percentage of those running. Let's say out of 300 runners only 50 will buy a photo at £7 each, that's £350 income from sales.

Now take away the £100 fee paid for the rights to the event, £80 for a 2nd tog, about £50 for prints, postage, etc.

That leaves £120 for the pro who covered the event for his time, admin costs, webspace, etc. :(
 
pxl8 said:
Don't get into a baked bean war over the pricing, in the same situation I'd put my prices up and let the other guy look cheap.

Do these events have official photographers? If not get in touch with the organisers and see if they'll put a link to your photobox gallery alongside the results, that will generate a lot more traffic :thumbs:

If the event does have a photography outfit working it most of the traffic will be going to them, they'll be charging a lot more for prints and it's probably set up so people can search for photos via their bib number.
Click to expand...

There's no official togs there. I send the gallery URL to the official site organiser who puts it up. This week's event he posted this other link as well. It's okay though - not like I'm making a living from it.

For those who do - I totally understand why the prints are the price they are.
 
Top tips for race photography.

Find a location where the pack had spread out soon after the start (before they are sweating like mad) and they'll be running straight towards you, at a bend for example. Make sure the background is clean, tree lined is better than a bus garage as a background. Shoot from a crouched position so you're looking up slightly, it will make the runner seem more powerful. Take the shot when the runner is on the up of their stride so the forward leg is high and bent at the knee, the trailing leg is extended back just about to leave the ground. This is when the runner will look their best, if you catch them on the down phase of the stride all their muscles/fat will wobble and they'll look a lot worse.

Generally the shots you like best with contorted faces, etc. are the ones they won't sell. People want photos that make them look like super-fit athletes.
 
pxl8 said:
Top tips for race photography........
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Boy that takes me back some. The guy I used to work for/with always wanted to set up as near to the end of the course as possible. I spent months arguing with him that unless it was the finish line itself, that was just a waste of time.

Apart from the reasons already posted, you get to pack up sooner shooting near the beginning. :D
 
have to stick around til the end anyway as I am a runner's lift home ;)
 
I had to stick around too to shoot the presentations but there's doing it in the warm with a cup of coffee knowing you've done the job.... and there's sat in the freezing cold being rained/hailed/snowed on. :)
 
The finish line is always good if there's a clock and you can shoot wide angle to get the runner and the time in the frame. It works well for the front runners but get's a bit messy when the bulk of the runners start coming in :D
 
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