Marathonfoto! (Read 358 times)

I've run plenty of races where marathonfoto was the "official" photo partner but where there were also other photographers taking photos and posting them on smugmug sites or whatever where people could buy them. I don't think there is any legal way to restrict who can take photos and sell them when an event takes place outside in public spaces.

Since marathon photo is not the only photo company I've seen as the "official" photo partner at marathons (Capstone comes to mind) I would say that there is at least some competition.

I think the primary reason there is not a lot more competition in that space is that there is not much money in it.

Two things that could be making such a business dwindle:

--people's families take pictures and vids with smartphones, and the "selfie"

--I reached a point long ago where I said "okay that's enough pictures of me running. I think I'll collect pictures of me bathing in various soft-drinks instead and call it art " (see recent art thread for more on how to think about art).  I figure others get bored with themselves eventually in the same way, and switch genres, mediums, or interests.

Just a few theories. Don't mean nothing.

I don't think there is a really lucrative business model for race photos no matter how you slice it.

Most people go to the official race site or results list, and follow the link for race photos to get them.  I imagine that it's definitely plausable for a race event to designate an official photographer and make it a violation for any/all photographs outside of this group, but it would be a tough thing to enforce and likely not even worth the cost given that, as Mikey said, it's probably not very lucrative.

I've seen "official" photographers get upset when another crew "bandit shot" "their" race. Not much can be done about that.  Since there's not enough business to slice I suppose there should be a gentleman's agreement not to do it as nobody is going to make much.

Having just run Disney I can say Marathonfoto has an easy exclusive there since the course is mostly, if not completely, on private property.

 

I disagree.  This is a somewhat-free country...and a capitalist society at that.  If someone feels they can produce a product as good or better as another at a better price, they have every right to do so.

I'm confused. What part did you disagree with?

The part that said not much can be done about another crew showing up? Here I implied it's a free country and people can't be stopped from economically competing? In that case I think you actually agreeing with me.

Did you disagree with the part where I said nobody is going to make much? I think that's pretty much a fact, unless someone innovates a new business model around race photography. Shooting a bunch of shots and posting them online for sale at any price isn't a new business model.

Or did you disagree that Disney is private property and the mouse can bounce your ass if you try to take photos for business under Cinderella's castle? If you do I'd like to see you try it and undercut marathonfoto's price.

Yeah.  I bought the pack for my first sub 30 5k last fall, because a couple were good and it was a special race to me.  The only other photo I bought was one where they had a special deal where you could get the first photo in electronic form for $4.  (Neither were Marathonfoto.)  But if I'm going to run a race a month, on average, I don't need photos from every race, especially when they cost more than the race fee.

Maybe they make money on all the "one and done" marathon runners that want the soup to nuts experience?