race photos (Read 1793 times)

    I've paid for mine (although not the one in my profile), however it's taken me a long time because I think their prices are excessive.  Everyone has to make a living, but they're charging more than companies who do individual touch ups (ie wedding photos).  They sit the camera down and click it, there's no additional special attention other than that.  They just have a niche, so they charge what they like.

     

    If you have 3000 people in a race and every person buys one $12 photo (the cheapest I've ever seen), you're making $36k in one day. 

    Elly.


      It's still theft. 

      http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/


      Marquess of Utopia

        This is the problem I've seen these photographers try to sell ONE digital photo for anywhere from $29 - $80. I just want to upload to photo to facebook or email it to friends and family.

         

        The model it outdated because most people don't always want a printed photo for every race. BUT it seems like if they sold a small low quality digital image for posting on the web at a low price everyone would buy one. Think about this: $1 per photo x 10 photos x 50,000 runners for about a 300px by 200px would be a lot of cash. Plus they would still be able to sell high quality digital and the old printed products too.

          oh I'd spend a few bucks for each digital photo, don't get me wrong, and I do agree that sharing a pic with their logo across it is stealing.  I'm not disagreeing with you.

           

          Many years ago after signing the 'you can take photos of me and do what you like with them' disclaimer as part of the 'if I break my neck I won't sue you' disclaimer, I found myself on TV running along with my bib on a paint commercial as part of their 'marathon runout sale'.  That wouldn't have got my permission.

            The model it outdated because most people don't always want a printed photo for every race. BUT it seems like if they sold a small low quality digital image for posting on the web at a low price everyone would buy one. Think about this: $1 per photo x 10 photos x 50,000 runners for about a 300px by 200px would be a lot of cash. Plus they would still be able to sell high quality digital and the old printed products too.

             

            This seems to be the way to go. The race promoter pays for everyone to get one digital picture with some kind of advertising of the race. Win/win for everyone. They already send you the packet/email with all the pics they took, if you didn't like the "free" one.

            Get off my porch

            AmoresPerros


            Options,Account, Forums

              It's still theft. 

               

              Are you sure it's not copyright infringement, rather then theft?

               

              I think that started out as a civil issue, but was then criminalized at some point? In some federal law, so it is a federal crime, I think?

              It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.

              Elly.


                Think about this:  How many photographers would it take to cover 50,000 runners.  How much would you pay them per hour?  How much would it cost to get the image recognition software to sort all those folks?  The people to put all this stuff together (please add in the benefits required to hire them), the software to process said photos down to itty bitty low res photos.  The cost of a current Photoshop program is around $650.  The cost of a service to collect said $1 itty bitty low res photos?

                 

                Get some friend to take your picture for Facebook.  Don't buy from the big companies if you don't like your photo.  Do buy it to post if it's a fine photo ... but pay for it.  But no one is getting rich in photography. 

                 

                That is the bottom line. 

                http://www.ellyfosterphotography.com/

                  ...They just have a niche, so they charge what they like...If you have 3000 people in a race and every person buys one $12 photo (the cheapest I've ever seen), you're making $36k in one day. 

                  See, here's the problem.  They don't charge what they like.  Like everyone else on earth, they charge what they think they can get.   Of course, if I could make $36k a week, you bet your kangaroo I would try my darndest to be photographer. Show me an instance of 100% of a 3,000-person field buying photos.  

                   

                  A girl I know is going to college and wants to be a photographer. I asked a photographer I know for advice I could give her.  He said she should major in business, since most photographers are poor business people. 

                  "If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus

                    Are you sure it's not copyright infringement, rather then theft?

                     

                    I think that started out as a civil issue, but was then criminalized at some point? In some federal law, so it is a federal crime, I think?

                    Some copyright infringement is classed as criminal.  Compare 17 USC s. 501 (civil) with 17 USC s. 506 (criminal).

                    "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

                    -- Dick LeBeau

                    L Train


                      The model it outdated because most people don't always want a printed photo for every race. BUT it seems like if they sold a small low quality digital image for posting on the web at a low price everyone would buy one. Think about this: $1 per photo x 10 photos x 50,000 runners for about a 300px by 200px would be a lot of cash. Plus they would still be able to sell high quality digital and the old printed products too.

                       

                      This could also be bundled with race sign up, couldn't it?  Sort of like races say they are $29.99 or $39.99 if you want the shirt.  You could elect at sign up to pay $2 or something to have access to low quality digital images. 

                       

                        Personally, I don't like the notion of adding $X to the race entry fee and including small, low-res digital images "for free".  I rarely buy race photos, not because they cost a lot but because they're usually terrible pictures of me.  I got two reprints from a HM last summer and one from a HM back in 1983.  Honestly, I think those were the ONLY good race photos of me I've ever seen.

                         

                        (In one HM finish photo, there's a woman right behind me in an Elastagirl costume (from "The Incredibles").  Honestly, do I want a photo memorializing that I barely beat a woman in a superhero costume?  And she did not look nearly as good in it as Mrs. Parr.

                        "I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."

                        -- Dick LeBeau

                        Trent


                        Good Bad & The Monkey

                          Why do the images need to be low res?

                            Show me an instance of 100% of a 3,000-person field buying photos.  

                            Well shoot, this is why I dropped my 10 year dream to be a hairdresser, I learned they earnt $25k. 

                             

                            Anyway, you can't bet my kangaroo that you would do something, bet your own kangaroo.

                            L Train


                              Why do the images need to be low res?

                               

                              To ensure that I was using them to simply share on line or whatever vs. trying to print my own high quality picture without paying.  And Clive, in your case, you would just elect to not pay the $2 (or whatever price).

                               

                              Trent


                              Good Bad & The Monkey

                                To ensure that I was using them to simply share on line or whatever vs. trying to print my own high quality picture without paying. 

                                 

                                What is the right cost for low res?  What about high res?  $40+ is too much IMO for high res, but I'd very likely pay $5-10 per race for the full res shots.