I just had to share this little brag.

[~Stella~]

I took a bunch of photos of my 3yos first soccer game last week and some were ok, some were pretty lousy, so I fixed up what I could and sent the album to the parents on the team thinking they might be interested in the ones featuring their own kids.

At today's game, someone told me, "Hey did you see the photos that the photographer got of your kid? They were really good!" I was thinking...we have a photographer? Turns out they were talking about my pictures. :lmao:

 

[Keith Gebhardt]

Make sure you make $$ of them. even if its $10. that was your time, your equipment, and if you made prints for them, your ink and paper.

Gotta think of all that ahead of time. Another good thing to do is have a agreement paper that states the persons in the image give right to you to host or sell those images to others that might be interested. especially if you start dealing with larger companies (not saying you will for 3 year old soccer) but some companies will buy them for there brochures and things of that nature. and before they do they need a signed agreement stating the persons in the image are agreeing to have there image printed or hosted.

 

[Patrolman Pat]

Well done Stella. I've done some of my 10 yo soccer team, today is presentation day. I hope I get the same response that you did.

As for Keith's reply, some things you can't put a price on, charging friends (I'm assuming they are friends in a 3yo soccer team) for photos is not something I would even consider.

 

[~Stella~]

As for Keith's reply, some things you can't put a price on, charging friends (I'm assuming they are friends in a 3yo soccer team) for photos is not something I would even consider.

I wouldn't for these, unless they wanted prints or something, but I sent them out on shutterfly, so they can order their own, if they like.

I don't think they are fantastic at all, they are just much better than the ones the other parents took, in part because I took a ton of pics and edited the 30 best while they probably took only a dozen, if that, with a limited-zoom camera (or god forbid, a camera phone). Also, there are some 8-10 parents on the field at any given time, so a lot of the action is blocked.

Determined

White Shirts

Goalie on the loose!

Pep Talk

 

[Patrolman Pat]

Nice shots. I might upload some of mine, after I've got permission from the parents. I've put about 90 on a DVD out of 400-450 I took.
That's the beauty of using digital,you can just shoot away.

 

[MikeR]

Charging is a personal issue but I have to agree that it's sweet when you hear parents talking about "the shots the photographer took" and their talking about you! As time goes on they will be asking you if you will be at certain events and then they will start to call you when they need a photographer for portraits ,etc..

I now have agreements with 2 high schools, at one, I cover all sports and give a portion of the proceeds back to the booster club. At the other school, I cover their varsity football games, but they contacted me and I don't give them any "kickback" The second school was given my name by the first school (different towns) and I have picked up additional work from both of them. Neither has questioned what I charge for my prints, some people have even commented that I am very reasonable. I'll remember that next year. No one has ever asked for a discount.

 

[rmh159]

I would think you go to a soccer game like that and take pics... then the following week show up charging $10 for prints and asking that parents sign releases for the shots of their kids you'd probably end up with few friends. There's a time and place for everything.

 

[Keith Gebhardt]

Yea its only friends for now, but before you know it, now the value of what you do has been depreciated because you contributed to the steady downfall of the career of a professional. If you are a true professional, ot persuing to be one, you would never recommend someone doing work for free because not only is he/she undercutting your ass, but now a future client believes that the work should be done for free, or next to it because anyone and their dog can do it. Why should they pay a specialized professional? Why should their friends do it either? You know what i mean?



Thumbs up to anyone who does that, and works off there own income winding up costing them more money.

And i understand there 3 year old pictures. so yea charging for prints is good. But for the 10 year olds. thats when parents are interested in prints. and so on and so forth. Thats where yo need to draw your line