From an inside line angle,

I'd say Picman sets the standard from a photographic quality point of view too. I don't think I've seen quality like theirs from other TD snappers (and of course I have a vested interest in such work)..

As for me doing online ordering and buying £1500 of kit from Antonye etc....I'd love to do such things but it has to be put into context for me......

Since Feb.....I've earnt £700 from my photography. Don't get me wrong.. I'm ecstatic with that to say it's from all intents and purposes a hobby still....but that's turnover not profit...that's from back to back weekends away, 5 hour drives each way etc....4 hours per night for 4 nights editing pics/uploading after BSB events etc...£5k on equipment etc

As an ex-business person I know you have to speculate to accumulate, but earning £5 per hour in a furniture factory 5 days a week and working my weekends trackside means my wings are somewhat clipped in terms of branching out...

Watch this space tho'..I'll get there one day, but in year one, I'm pretty happy how things are 'panning' out so far.

Cheers for the thoughts folks.

Guy

[Edited on 12-7-2005 by Guido]

Guy,

Just wanted to point out that someone like Picman's (very professional) setup may not have been as expensive as you thought.

For less than £400 you could easily have a single machine which would be capable of displaying photos on the day and burning CDs too. This you could grow over time into 2, 3, 4 machines as the money starts coming in.

I appreciate completely what you're saying, so good luck with everything and well done for having the commitment to stick at it.

Antonye,

Cheers matey.

Believe me, I am looking at this option as I see it as he only way to maximise the output of shots from Race and trackday events.

From my own experience I see it that pics are more of an impulse buy (unless they're absolute stunners), and tend to be bought after you've had a great day and the adrenaline is still pumping.

I think I would sell 60-80% more images if I could have a trackside sales pitch. I have use of a laptop, tables and use of a genny. My main problem is getting someone to sit there all day with the combined ability to deal with human beings and edit, crop, sort, display and sell pictures.

Still searching, so watch this space...

See you all at Cadwell...(with bike, video and camera/s)

Guy

I'm pretty sure that Gary (picman) has to pay to be there though. Not sure how much, but its a few hundred quid I think??

Can anyone who has a press pass (no offence intended) turn up, take pics and covertly try to sell these to punters, without the need to pay for the pitch (as it were) - not sure how true this is, but seems logical to me. This is without any great overheads or "fees" - maybe?

Guy - if you were to setup with PC on site, would you have to pay this "fee" too? If you're adding a couple of hundred quid (estimated) to your day's expenses, its gonna require a lot more pics to be sold I reckon.

I'm not sure if my thoughts stack up, but there must be a lot more costs (and investments) to a set up like Gary's in order to make some money in the long term.

Tim

Yes you indeed do normaly have to pay if you are commercially selling at the circuits. As with anything nowadays, if there's a buck to be made, somebody wants their share of it.

I believe £150 is the norm'. You could also be required to have public liability insurance.

I could get a press pass for the day probably via my contacts but as it's not for a bonefide race event I would no doubt be asked what I need it for and when I say it's a trackday, then the cost/payment issue would undoubtedly come up.

I have looked at all the costs for doing this type of thing. If you look at it from the point of view that if you sell 10 CD's @ £20 then you've covered your pitch fee. I would assume that the likes of Gary @ Picman (with his good quality images) sells a helluva lot more CD's than that to the 100 or so riders you get at the average trackday. Yes he has a big rig and upto 3 photographers plus PC staff to pay for, but it must stack up if he's doing it, especially if he's doing it 5 days a week.

I just don't have the startup funds yet to a) get a van/etc, b) pay the pitch costs or c) pay for someone to help me with displaying/selling images whilst I'm out on track taking them.

Gc

Well when you do Guy, there's plenty enough nerds on here to help you set it all up for maybe the price of a beer (or seven thousand) and a curry.

If I can I'll help.

Curry menu on it's way to you Tony.........would you want the mandatory pickle tray and bum-burning green stuff in it too:D

well despite responding to one of the focused events advertising emails recently telling them why i WONT be booking and since being promised a few more times the "someone in photography dept" will get back to me............................................i am still waiting.

actually ive now given up................ they can stuff the photos

probably best mate....yer piccies were crap anyway..........:lol::P

fills me with great confidence i was looking forward to getting some photos of me at silverstone in 2weeks time