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DPChallenge Forums >> Business of Photography >> On the spot business
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 10/26/2007 04:24:56 PM · #1
I just had a great idea that i think may work in the area that live. Being young and new to the business I thought this could be a great start.

The idea is to roam around to youth sporting events in the city, and offer photographic services for that particular event. I would bring a portfolio with me and simply have a flat rate.

If the target (the parents) agree I would then get their contact info. And offer to deliver their photos by hand to their door.

Now my question to you is, has anyone here done something similar to this?

If so, how did it workout? Did you make a profit? How much did you charge?

If not, do you think it could work?

Please reply with your thoughts or criticisms.
 10/26/2007 04:53:10 PM · #2
A geologist I work with has children who play "Rep" soccer (high-level) here in Ontario. It's common for photographers to show up and shoot their games. Immediately after their games, parents can go to vans and watch the monitors, which rotate throught the photos, and choose which ones they want prints of.

Very high-end equipment, from what he tells me, and he's a photography-buff too.
 10/26/2007 05:01:36 PM · #3
It is an old post but this guy is selling his on location setup. A
link here for the lazy:

Dgrin
 10/26/2007 05:20:21 PM · #4
Originally posted by rex:
It is an old post but this guy is selling his on location setup. A
link here for the lazy:

Dgrin


That is a sweeeeeeeeeeeet set-up.
 10/26/2007 05:43:08 PM · #5
Ya that seems good, but i really don't have much money.

My plan is to get them printed at the local shop and deliver them or mail the next day. Limited funds, and limited experience.

Any other thoughts?
 10/26/2007 05:45:33 PM · #6
Originally posted by faidoi:
Originally posted by rex:
It is an old post but this guy is selling his on location setup. A
link here for the lazy:

Dgrin


That is a sweeeeeeeeeeeet set-up.


Yeah if I had an extra $15,000 or so sitting around I would buy it now. Sure you can make your money back super quick on this thing. Maybe in the future sometime I will buy one.
 10/26/2007 05:48:58 PM · #7
Originally posted by rex:
Originally posted by faidoi:
Originally posted by rex:
It is an old post but this guy is selling his on location setup. A
link here for the lazy:

Dgrin


That is a sweeeeeeeeeeeet set-up.


Yeah if I had an extra $15,000 or so sitting around I would buy it now. Sure you can make your money back super quick on this thing. Maybe in the future sometime I will buy one.


Man that looks like my retirement or even my next job! :-P

That is great! Wonder what his margins were and how long it would take to recoup the investment?
 10/26/2007 06:08:04 PM · #8
back to my questions please
 10/26/2007 06:09:23 PM · #9
Originally posted by Mfresh:
back to my questions please


We were and this is the same question I just asked...

"If so, how did it workout? Did you make a profit? How much did you charge? "
 10/26/2007 06:46:37 PM · #10
Originally posted by Mfresh:
back to my questions please


I gave you an option. You want a cheaper one. My advice is to go out and get your name out there. Don't just show up and start asking to shoot their child because they will only think what kinda freak wants to take pictures of my kid.

IMO you need to make ap[pearences and be professional. Have yourself a professional looking website. Then start talking to people and see if they would buy photos and give them your web address.
 10/26/2007 07:13:03 PM · #11
We do this. Sorta.

We don't just show up. We get contracts with the leagues to be the "designated photographer" for the games. Then we show up. So we're not just some "guy" off the street shooting just anyone's kid.

In spite of this, I did have one occasion where a coach came up to me and asked "are you one of the parents", I said no and told him who we were and what we were doing there. He asked, "did any of the parents on this team ask you to take pictures", I again replied no. He asked me to leave and I obliged. (that was the day I shot 12 games, totally over 7200 pictures, there were plenty of other games to shoot, so I didn't even argue when he asked me to move on)

Anyway, my point is ... people will be suspicious if you "just show up". Especially if you are shooting kids.

So my recommendation is to talk to the league owners. Don't just show up, but make contacts first. Get permission to be there. And then shoot and sell to the parents. We don't make a terrific amount of money (it could never bee anything like a full time job for me) ... but I do enjoy the "extra" cash it brings in.

10/26/2007 07:47:45 PM · #12
good call dwterry, and thanks everyone for your input.

Message edited by author 2007-10-26 23:48:07.
 10/26/2007 07:54:33 PM · #13
Agree with dwterry 100%. I do volunteer photography from time to time for the local Girl Scout council, and until the council finally relented to my pleas for an official nametag, the parents would often at first be suspicious. And I'm a woman - it's worse for men.
 10/26/2007 08:06:59 PM · #14
People these days and their crazy suspicions.

The few creepers ruin it for the rest of us.
 10/26/2007 09:40:48 PM · #15
Originally posted by Mfresh:
People these days and their crazy suspicions.

The few creepers ruin it for the rest of us.

Yeah I know what you mean - I tried a few times showing up to little kids events with my camera - even made a little puppet on my shutter finger to lighten things up...



I suppose I need to work on my presentation skills. :/

Good luck to you Mark - take DW's advice or just print yourself up a namebadge and show up at Rebecca's girl scout meeting. ;-) That van looks like a decent investment with a good plan! Any of you who expressed interest in it and are serious but don't have the money should check into SBA resources for funding. Seems like you could get the capital for it with a good plan especially if you have some experience. I could see a setup like that being used for everything from event photos to a mobile classroom giving digital photography, computer, or photoshop workshops.
 10/27/2007 05:52:47 AM · #16
On a budget, I would show to events, make sure to have business cards and portfolio. Shoot your shots, if you see someone eyeing you approach them, give em a card and tell them (print it on card ideally) where they can look at your images online and purchase prints.
 10/27/2007 06:53:20 AM · #17
Yeah, it's called EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY.
Issues: you may need permission from the field, school or organization that is running the event to take pics that you want to sell. some will want a commission. some have a contract with a photographer (schools certainly do) and most of these contracts will not allow what you want to do.
Some may want you to prove you have liability insurance - in case you get hurt, run into by a player, etc.

You can sell on-site or via the web. instaproofs.com doesn't charge for uploads so your costs will be low if not much sells.

get a nice shirt with your name and website on the BACK so people in the stands can see it. have cards to hand out.

it takes a while to get going on this - you have to take EVERY kid's picture cause you don't know who will buy. you have to go to several games to get known, but unless it's a big rivalry or a playoff very very few will buy more than once - unless maybe it's the top players, but even then how many action touchdown shots do they need?
 10/27/2007 07:05:15 AM · #18
Originally posted by Mfresh:
Ya that seems good, but i really don't have much money.

My plan is to get them printed at the local shop and deliver them or mail the next day. Limited funds, and limited experience.

Any other thoughts?


If you want to start a business then do some research.
Where will you shoot, how much, how often.
What gear is needed - to get top quality images. People won't pay much for crap photos, and better gear makes your job getting the images easier.
What do you need for marketing - a website, shirt/jacket, cards. How many cards? got a logo, something identifiable to you?
Do some research- anyone in your are do this? If so , who? How do they sell? What do they charge for a print? what size prints? Do they sell things besides prints?
where are you getting your prints? What are you delivering them in- envelopes? what size? (a 11x13 fits all prints, but is costly and overkill for a single 4x6). remember to put a card in every envelope.
Delivery - what is your time worth? Mailing works but talk with the post office on sizes, thickness and 'bendable' or not - affects the cost to mail.

Done all your research? good!
Now make a list of what you need - 1000 cards, 100 envelopes, a website, a shirt and jacket w/ your name on the back, a 1D mk3 and 400 2.8 lens for outdoors, a 135 f2 or 70-200 2.8 IS indoors, a backup body - well, you want the best gear. You can use a D40 but the focus speed is slow. you can think this up on your own or ask those that shoot sports for a living (see sportsshooter.com - check my spelling) on what gear is needed.
If you can't have the $300 or $30,000 to get started, then you'll need to get it.
Your research should show about what you can expect to sell - go ask parents at games if they'd buy photos of their kids playing,in action. Find out.
If 100 parents will buy at every game and spend $9 each - go for it! However if only 3 will buy $4 4x6 prints, well, $12 is not enough to keep a business afloat.

Research.
Plan.
Evaluate the lieklyhood of success.
 10/29/2007 04:52:18 AM · #19
From the looks of it around here, this is kind of a dying business, with how inexpensive parents can get a dslr and a zoom lens. There are ways to make it work, but it just seems that a lot of the competition that was in my market is now dropping out because its more work then it is profit. It would be a good segue way into doing other photography for the league, but don't expect to make much off of the "event" photography portion. But I guess if you got the free time, and don't have something more profitable in place to do, then why not.

Also - way in the cost of driving everywhere to get the pictures to the parents if you are going to deliver by hand.

Youll find very few parents willing to pay money for pictures they haven't seen, and it would be quite a wasteful trip if you get out there with $50 worth of prints that they don't like.

Message edited by author 2007-10-29 08:55:00.
 10/29/2007 04:53:24 AM · #20
Also - for this, just use a sams/costco/bjs for your prints...too expensive other wise, fast turn around time and you can check them on the spot.
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