MLeeK
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2011
- Messages
- 6,761
- Reaction score
- 1,380
- Location
- NY
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
Sweet, is there actually paying customers for sports photography besides the obvious college and pro sports?
Not really. I work for a multitude of payers. Like fjrabon said there are a few schools who do pay for coverage, there are parents and sports booster groups who pay for coverage, if you work for the local papers you'll get some gigs for that. Mostly I get paid here and there for the main coverage which doesn't come anywhere near covering costs. Then I sell to the parents which makes it up.
It started as a marketing thing for me. I wanted to get more visible and more into the senior market, so I started shooting more than just my kid's sports. Then I ended up with a few paying contracts and parents buying from me, so I kept it up. I got picked up for some staff work on various different things for the local papers (we have 2 in the county-north and south-both owned and operated by the same company.)
At this point this part of my marketing plan pays for itself. I am covering my minimal costs and making some peanuts on the side. So, in the end I am making out. I love the sports, I love shooting the sports. I break even, but I get SEEN and in contact with the parents, seniors, administrators, etc. Those are the people who I want to book me for something that REALLY pays-and they do, so my marketing piece is working with 0 out of pocket expense.