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Official race photos

JulesJules Posts: 987
Does anyone ever buy these? Just looking at the Cheshire Tri ones, looking at my work colleagues who competed.



The cheapest one you can buy is Sixteen quid, which seems a bit steep. I note however that you can buy a 60 by 40 cm framed for two hundred quid.



£200 seems extortionate for a two foot high picture. Putting that to one side, who buys this stuff? Does anyone had a giant sized poster of them looking sweaty and knackered crossing a finish line in their living room?



OK if I did an Ironman, I'd want a photo I guess, but not a giant sized one on prominent display.

Comments

  • tomtristomtris Posts: 135
    I second that Jules, they do seem to be incredibly expensive! a 6 x 7 is around £8.99 from the compnay that did the tri i competed in at the weekend. Surely at these kind of prices they cant sell many? would think it was better to go for low cost high volume, especially in this digital photography world we now live in!
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    No way.



    I don't understand why they bother, and how they sell anything.



    There is the cost of the photographer - but I assume he only goes if he/she has nothing else to do on the day (a wedding or whatever).



    But no development costs as it's all digital now. OK, the photographer has to have a web site. But, they've probably got that already.



    For a good one, I might be prepared to pay up to 25p for a decent digital photograph. I might be prepared to pay up to a couple of quid for a glossy print (costs of these are quite high - in ink, paper + a bit for handling). If I was doing it, I would just whack all the images on a CD, and churn them out for a couple of quid.



    The photographs are vanity only - and I look so awful, that doesn't really apply - certainly don't help me in training etc. etc.



    I think event organisers should just bundle a photographer in with the entry, if they are so inclined - it would be a relatively small additional cost.



    I can see a lot of ripped off event photos used for peoples forum avatar images though.



    I don't believe the photographers do it for the money - I think they just enjoy action/sporting shots. Perhaps hope to sell some good ones to the local paper or something. I think they just but the images up for a bit of publicity - "ooh, they were nice, I'll use him for my Wedding" or whatever.
  • BARNYBARNY Posts: 157
    £10 for a print is quite resonable in my opinion.



    The phographers offer a service which requires expensive equipment (camera, computer, editing, proccessing). They then have to stand aroudn follwoing a race from early hours till end of the day. All this just to have most poeple going to have a peek at their website and not buy anything.



    All of us if we see a great picture (which they sometimes get) will probably buy it... whether it be 25p or £10... You wouldn't bother getting a crapy picture.... You will treasure a great one. My ironman pic is the most amazing thing and was wiorth every penny of the £20 I paid



    25p for a photo!!!!! yeah right! you are living before the time when even a can of coke cost that much!



    Everyone has the right to make money. You are obliged to buy nothing.



  • joolzdjoolzd Posts: 245
    hmmm...I bought some last year, but only at Windsor and for my mum as I'm such a caring / sharing kinda daughter!![:D] However they were rather large & I think they are now at the bottom of the oddsn'ends drawer in the kitchen..hmmpf...



  • gavinrigg06gavinrigg06 Posts: 176
    So why do photographers not offer an online charge, where you can buy cheaply and print the image yourself.



    I had this conversation at the weekend at my sister in laws wedding - since the age of digital cameras, the price of photography has shot up, yet the cost of publishing photos has dropped dramatically (I have several photographer friends)



    I agree that the equipment is expensive, but what kind of photographer would you be without it, that would be like a triathlete without a bike !!



    My afore mentioned friends have said they just keep up with the competition, so I guess whilst people are willing to pay the high prices, they will continue to be charged.
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    BARNY wrote:


    £10 for a print is quite resonable in my opinion.



    The phographers offer a service which requires expensive equipment (camera, computer, editing, proccessing). They then have to stand aroudn follwoing a race from early hours till end of the day. All this just to have most poeple going to have a peek at their website and not buy anything.



    All of us if we see a great picture (which they sometimes get) will probably buy it... whether it be 25p or £10... You wouldn't bother getting a crapy picture.... You will treasure a great one. My ironman pic is the most amazing thing and was wiorth every penny of the £20 I paid







    £20 no problem if I did an IM. £200 large size one, probably not! Where do you display your IM pic Barny?
  • md6md6 Posts: 969
    I am tempted to buy one of the photos from my tri on sunday - but the price tag has put my off. £10 for a normal sizxed print, or £15 (i think) for the digital image? it is more than I am willing to pay, which is a shame as I agree with what's said above, if they were less pricey then more people whould buy them - making them more profit overall but less per unit, it's basic economics (although i would hazard a guess that phototgraphers are not economists)
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    25p for a photo!!!!! yeah right! you are living before the time when even a can of coke cost that much!

    You're living before the time of the internet and the digital revolution. They don't use film any more. They don't develop them. The only processing is to stick a "watermark" on them, and bung 'em on the web site - that should all be automated. No discernable costs anywhere, for the individual photograph.



    How much do you pay for each email you send? I'll set you up with a system where you pay 37p for each one, if you like.

  • nicknofingernicknofinger Posts: 284
    I did blenheim last year and was shocked at the cost, I've entered the IM this year and (as long as I can do the swim) when I finish I'm hoping to wallpaper my house with pictures. But yeah they are a bit steep for a picture, does the money go to the photographer or the organiser???



  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    I think the idea of a photo included in the fee is good that way the photographer knows that they are going to get a set amount, e.g. 200 competitors at say £1.50 a go is a not bad £300. They can be displayed and downloaded from either their own or the promoters website so that the photographer incurs no printing or postage costs.



    The prob is that entry fees can be quite high and yet another thing to tag on. Trouble is mine are so awful on the run because I go flat out and look as if I am about to throw up and for some reason have not a shot of me on the bike in 2 years, except a cracking one at Norwich..



    Hey ho.
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Jack Hughes wrote:
    25p for a photo!!!!! yeah right! you are living before the time when even a can of coke cost that much!

    You're living before the time of the internet and the digital revolution. They don't use film any more. They don't develop them. The only processing is to stick a "watermark" on them, and bung 'em on the web site - that should all be automated. No discernable costs anywhere, for the individual photograph.



    How much do you pay for each email you send? I'll set you up with a system where you pay 37p for each one, if you like.





    Ok so we've jack hughes and barny but hmmm I wonder which one would win in a fight...........



    FIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT



    I'm backing Jack. I agree with you.

  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    I will admit to purchasing the odd race photo dependant on price and quality.Some now give the option of either a glossy copy sent through the post or the ability to download the ones you want.At St.Polten this year for approx 44 euros you were able to download the race photos from six different venues around the course,for me it was approx 20 photos,also incuded were a series of race certificates with your various race times on plus an assortment of other photos,compared to some photos that have been sold after the event,these seemed to be of good quality.

    Jack you will be pleased to know that at Ilkley last year you could download any of the race photos off this web site for free,hopefully they will do the same this year http://web.me.com/helenandtom/Ilkley_Tri_Photo/Welcome.html
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    I do think it is quite funny that people feel that these proffessional services, (offered by someone with a business to run and a mortgage) should be offered cheaply because of some sort of 'right' they have to them. Like anything of this ilk, you pay for the fact that this is a proffessional photographer and his/her time is expensive. You're right that the units themselves are cheap, but that is only a small part of the whole picture (pun intended). They have overheads, equipment and software upgrades (and maybe even some money for themselves if they are being really cheaky).



    At big events like Blenheim, there are 5 or 6 photographers at various places around the course. None of them are there for their health.



    If you don't like it, vote with your feet. I am in full agreement that they are too pricey. So I don't buy them.



    A photo in the fee is a good idea, though. But you're right that it will probably mean a more expensive race. And imagine the complaints from all of the people who are not happy with theirs!



    Re the question of marketing. I think they have their pricing strategy spot on. We're triathletes and are used to buying overpriced goods of dubious benefit! I bet they sell shit loads.
  • JonhinioJonhinio Posts: 289
    Only ones I've bought were from the London Marathon as a present for Wifey. We both ran it in 2008 as our first ever, and didn't get any photos of the day from anyone else.
  • diddsdidds Posts: 655
    nicknofinger wrote:


    does the money go to the photographer or the organiser???







    This is a complete guess, but I would imagine it works something like...



    * organisers sell the right to the photography business to take photos for subsequent sale (cf. burget vans, expo stores etc)

    * photography business is either a "1 man band" with a website, or a big business that then either pays a photographer £X for the day OR a % of the cost.



    Bottom line is the money you pay goes to a photography business not the organisers (unless the organisers also run the photography business!)



    didds

  • GGBGGB Posts: 482
    Am not one for purchasing Pro photo's from events due to the expense .. have been drag racing for the last 5 years and not bought 1 pro photo - but do like to look afterwards.



    I have completed 2 duathlons and didn't buy the pro photo's due to the expense, but I did buy the photo's from my first Triathlon :D .. it wasn't cheap at £28 for about 28 photo's that I downloaded (this been the cheapest method) - Usually about £12 for the first photo and then 50p or £1 for each one afterwards.



    I do now have a a full set of photo's from my first tri which I shall treasure ;) .. including 2 x exit photo's from the lake which are great - IMO it is worth it so long as you don't do it every time and you take only the photo's you require.



    If you want an actual print you are probably better off getting the downloadable photo's and then printing it yourself to get the costs down.



    Its how the photographers make a living and I would say they probably only sell about 5 or 10% of the photo's the put up online so have to up the proce in order to make that living.





  • BARNYBARNY Posts: 157
    I am quite happy with my own "free" e-mail thanks - I hope you don't own a bussines... or if you do you start selling us all shiney bike bits priced up using your pricing formula. :o)



    My 4 ironman prints are all in frames that cost £5 each from M&S...



    1) MY copy is framed with my medal and on the wall in my bedroom - Helps me get out of bed at 6am to go do some training.

    2) Mums copy is on her wall.

    3) Dads copy is on her wall.

    3) Sister copy is on the wall of her travel agency in the south of Italy.



    Get aroudn a bit dont they!
  • diddsdidds Posts: 655
    BARNY wrote:




    3) Dads copy is on her wall.



    (my italics)



    Is this something about your dad you really want to be sharing with the world ? [;)]



    didds



  • BARNYBARNY Posts: 157
    I truely am special...
  • aoneill69aoneill69 Posts: 206
    well have to say in the euphoria of finishing cheshire i did get the missus to buy a pic...however i justified it as it was my 1st tri....as to the prices... well very small when i think i what i have spent over the last 3 months[:)]

    , the cheshire folks did have a good setup so i guess a lot of costs to cover, think there were 9 screens where you could view the pics, camera time, general setup , printing etc....however can't imagine buying at any other events now, unless i step up into a different challenge...
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