athletic event photography

I wondered if anyone has had experience with athletic event photography. I am shooting an event that will have about

8,000 participants. The participants will be competing in a number of different athletic events/sports. Past

photographers of this event have not had any success with making a profit. I have been told that onsite viewing and

purchase are most important. Does anyone have any suggestions for making a profit at this event? How can I make

viewing easier? Any suggestion for onsite printing and operations? Help!

So, if past photographers haven't been able to make a profit at this gig, and you don't know how to do it, why are you taking on the assignment? Sounds like your chances of success are slim to none at all.

 

<Chas>

Sorry, I don't have any suggestions either. Just thinking about the logistics of 8000 participants with on-site viewing and printing, you are going to need to set up a local network with many computers and several printers plus the staff (and space) to set it up, keep it running, and operate the systems. Then there is the matter of handling the sales and money, and all of this is after the photos are taken.

 

I once saw a photog do this at a youth soccer game. His network was a server and three systems for viewing, his staff was his family. They kept very busy and that was just for two teams.

 

I don't see how anyone could make a profit at it unless you can talk them out of the on-site viewing and printing.

Booth and website with online site access, ie participants/families/fans can log in at the event and choose photos for purchase. Website must have shopping cart and payment options. Ability to work at least 18 hour days in order to keep the photos and site updated during the event.

Australian photographer and photo.netter <a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=357551" ><b>Mark Newcombe</b></a> does what Cathy has described. Send him an e-mail (via his profile), he might be willing to share some tips.<p>

 

Check <a href="http://www.photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00Q97D" ><b>this thread</b></a> from July for a sample photo of Mark's usual working rig for sporting events.<p>

 

Other events and sports photographers will use online galleries with options to purchase and pay online for photos, posters, novelty items like coffee mugs and t-shirts, etc. Make it as easy as possible on the prospective customers, hand out lots of cards and brochures.

At many major sailing regattas, there is onsite viewing. This would be for a couple to few hundred boats with 1-16 crew members on each boat. There are usually a couple of photographers (besides the main one) and a few staff who organize all the photos and add boat names or sail numbers to the file names so that they can be found on one of the 5-6computers that they have set up.