Help please from the Pros - Where did I go wrong?

[Christie Photo]

...what file size would be good if they wanted to buy a 11x14 at the maximum .. ?

ummm.... are you uploading files for printing, or just for the buyers to preview?

– Pete

 

[ottor]

Uploading to my website, managed by Smugmug, for ordering and for them to have Bay Photo print and distribute.. That FastStone program looks exactly like what I'm looking for - THANKS!! I dont' think anyone would be ordering anything large than 11x14 but just want to cover my bases .. . Can't imagine I'd need any more than a 240 max DPI, do you?

 

[KmH]

Uploading to my website, managed by Smugmug, for ordering and for them to have Bay Photo print and distribute.. That FastStone program looks exactly like what I'm looking for - THANKS!! I dont' think anyone would be ordering anything large than 11x14 but just want to cover my bases .. . Can't imagine I'd need any more than a 240 max DPI, do you?

For online there is no DPI (and its PPI for photos). PPI is only for printing. Bay Photo has professional printing software that will take care of the PPI of any prints ordered.

Have you considered the differing aspect ratios of prints? 2:3 (4x6, 6x9, 10x15) , 5:7 (5x7, and wallets), 4:5 (8x10)?

 

[Many Hats]

As I said, I had the same results at a tournament with 3 photogs and a booth set up with info. Now I'm going back to my original plan which seems to be working. I shoot end of the year team and individual pix. THEN I offer set up action shots if they want. Going well so far. Have kids run drills and you get a shot of each one with the ball and no other kids in background which could present model release problems. Yes it's staged, but so far the parents don't give a hoot. They want good pix they can't take themselves. Could do the same thing with all sports. Staged live action.
Good luck!
Laura

 

[gravity0]

I do this sort of thing in the UK, first off you need to get the shots better in camera so there is hardly any editing they need to be cropped tighter in camera,sharper, and peak action shots which i don't see in the 3 shots you posted. There needs to be a wow factor
This is from my last event i know it's not football (staight out of camera)

Did you cover this event on your own ? I would say it needed 5 photographers minimum

Wow, great pic, I love this.

 

[smn_xps]

So let me tell you what I did and observed...

my son swims in age-group swimming (not unlike youth soccer) and he qualified for a large invitational meet at the university of minnesota. I expected to be stuck in the bleachers and not get to shoot but took my camera anyway. (BTW I am very much a beginner, bought a canon xsi to shoot my kids events at christmas) Well the coach sees me in the stands and waves me over to the coaches entrance where she met me with a deck pass for caoches so i got to go and shoot. 500+ frames of my son and his teammates.

on my way through the venue i see a photo service which is offering to shoot your kid and make an 8x10 collage with 2, 3 or 4 photos for $30, $40 or $50 pay in advance, refund if no usable shots are taken. they had two shooters literally running for two days to fill the appoitnments that sold.

so i get home and had a number of good shots of all the kids except my son (figures) and so i made a set of collages for the teammates like this one of my son:

I GAVE them to the other parents along with some $.15 4x6s of their kids. the box on the lower left includes each kids events times and awards. the background is a shot of the pool taken from the far corner.

the one parent who bought shots of her kids for $40 each told me that mine were just as good but they had fancier graphics/backgrounds.

this seems to match what some other posters here said. specifically give them something they cannot do for themselves!

so you could go their route, parents pay for the shoot in advance and you mail the product the next week. It might work for you. at least when you are running you are being paid (provided you get the shot!)

good luck
jerry

 

[mrsifuentes]

Hey Ottar. Why don't you just set up the shoots? Get 3-5 soccer players to come for the weekend and do some sports editorial style shoots, like the ones you see in sports magazines. Might work out better than a live game. Plus you can take your time setting up some cool shoots. Just my 2 cents.