<p>Hey there,<br>
<br />I had a large race buy-out the photography side from me, and this definitely isn't out of the question of sales. You have to figure in all your costs and expenses first then mark it up, to what it's worth. Sometimes you will make out ahead quite well, but in the worst case scenario you will make a little profit above break-even. I had a code that I emailed all the runners which enabled them to download a small resolution jpg for free, then they had the option to purchase other images, prints and products. It was actually very financially beneficial for me because there was no gamble, no risk since I had the RD company pay out for the photos. However, if the event is very large (rock n roll marathon, Boston marathon) they expect photography companies to compete for the rights to shoot their events. Money is power, well in this case, runners = power. I think one company paid Boston Marathon $30K to shoot the most prestigious running event in the world. But, the made 8 times that back in sales. If I was smart, I would be an RD, that's where the money is. Those guys are making it hand over foot, especially since they get tons of sponsorship from local business in exchange for tax right offs and advertising. The only form of payment I give to RD's is a percentage of profits after expenses are taken out. 10%-20% should make them happy if they greedy. But Eitan, I think that one gentleman sent you a link to an Israeli company that is doing exactly what you suggested. However, I'm not sure that they have the ability to print, and offer different printed product packages. I use Candid Color Systems, they are pretty solid and take out between 18%-20% of sales and handle customer service, printing, shipping. You still have to ID all the photos, which can be quite time consuming, but you can train your sister, cousin or friend to help you outsource it. </p>
