59$ Really? But I dont want that...

It's their business and if they want to toss good money away, so be it. I also think there should be a pay grade vs resolution (or even having their logo in the bottom or something) but obviously some are buying or they wouldn't do it. I'm not going to pay 80 bucks for a sprint package but 10 bucks for a few snaps for facebook, sure.

$59 is a steal!  What are you complaining about.  Should these people do their job for free?  Do you know what it costs to purchase photography equipment?  To run a business?  To pay a handful of photographers to work that day?  To go through images and edit them after the fact?  Pay for websites and software to display images?....

Sorry, but as a professional photography it irritates me that people expect this stuff for free or expect us to do stuff dirt cheap.  You wouldn't do your job for free, or next to it.

Yes, you can get a print done for a few cents, but photographers don't sell paper, they sell images.  It takes time and a lot of equipment to product these images.

I think he's saying that he's willing to pay ($10 is a lot for a low res image if you ask me)... he just doesn't want to be forced to buy the entire photo package. Which seems to be the only option Brightroom is giving.

I agree that they could possibly make a ton more money if they opened options to purchase individual electronic images.

$59 for one electronic image is a steal.  Getting a package of them is outstanding.

$59 for one digital image is a steal?  I hope you forgot your sarcastic font because that's just crazy.

Brightroom did my 1st tri & pics of FOP racers were great.  For MOP-BOPers (liek me)- not so much. There were no swim pics, a few questionable quality run shots, but 2 or 3 bike shots I might still order.

Generally, though I gotta agree with OP- $59 is a bit rich if all you want is low-res avatar-type image or 2.  Seems Brightroom might be able to expand sales by offering a low-cost option.

So when you come in to a car showroom and say you want a 20K economy car, and they only offer you a Ferrari 430 (but it's 10% off which is a STEAL) you'd be ok with that?

If the package is valued at 60 dollars and includes high res 3200x2400 copies etc, then why on earth shouldn't I be able to pay 5 or 10 bucks for a single low res 640x480 print? The photographer is going from 0$ to 10$ and losing nothing. Historically the only reason was the hassle of making the print for a low sale but now it's all automated who cares. In my experience photographers are usually terrible businessman.

I can tell you I wouldn't go into a Ferrari dealer and expect to pay 20K for a car.

Do you go the mall and see a designer three piece suit and ask them to split it because you only want the vest?

I want a nice Ferrari, but will only drive it 70 mph tops.  The car can goes what 210 mpg?  Does this mean I should only have to pay 1/3 of the cost?

Bottom line is these people are offering a product for you to purchase.  You either purchase what they have or you don't.

Edited by JC5066 2009-08-13 5:08 PM

What something costs to produce doesn't always match what someone is willing to pay for it. I think race photographers might want to explore alternative packages or purchase options to optimize revenue.

x2

How much does the photographer make if no one buys their pics because they cost too much and are not in a format the supposed audience wants or can use?

What you believe they're worth is irrelevant. What people will pay for them is the only consideration. A LOT of people, me included, want lower res pics for web use and just don't buy them from the pro photogs because of their expense. Allow that as an option. 100 people buying something for $10 is more than 10 people buying something for $60.

I trust capitalism will prevail! The fixed costs are basically the same with today's equipment unless they have to hire additional staff etc for bigger races. With 500 athletes in a race, they take up to 5,000 or more photos. If 10 or 100 people order product, does it change there costs?

Someone will figure this out and increase their cash flow. I agree that the business has the right to do what they want and charge how they feel appropriate. Being deaf to suggestions doesn't help either party. Just less money to photographer and unsatisfied potential clients.

No.  That's not necessarily true.  There are other costs of business such as transaction costs.  The person to fulfill the order, taxes, etc....

There should be more options in packages, I agree. I think what they are doing must be working or it seems like they would have changed it. I think for all the photos this is a good deal bc photography equip. is very expensive-not to mention their time at the event, the costs of mulitiple photographers, print prices, and the time to sort/edit photos. I bought my pictures of my first tri...cheaper than hiring someone to take some for me! 

There are a number of threads already on the price of race photography.  All I an say is photogs are at every race, the prices always seem high, but they don't go out of business (and they don't get a lot of competition either, maybe that's why prices are high).  Either way, the fact that they are humming along tells me the business model is fine.

I haven't ever seen a race where you couldn't buy individual photos.  That does seem kind of odd.

Clearly SOMEBODY is buying them or they wouldn't be doing this business at all.  If you believe the market is large enough for a $10 (or whatever) package, then I suggest you go into business and capitalize on it before somebody else does.  But perhaps these businesses have already considered the math and decided that more $10 sales would mean fewer $59 sales.

Personally I don't know the answer.  I would be happy to do the $10 option now & then.  But, of course, they got me for well over $50 (can't recall what it was, but definitely more) for my shots from IMLP.  Maybe I would have gone with the $10 option if it had been there.  Could they sell me $10 prints 5 or 6 or 7 other times to make up for that lost sale? 

It's not as simple as sale or no sale.

I had the same experience with Brightroom and my 1st tri. NO swim pics, a few lame bike pics (all 4 were at the same location) and 1 run pic about 1 min after I crossed the line. It's almost like the photographers get bored and lose interest by the time the MOP and BOP roll around. It was my first Tri and I was planning on buying the photos. I don't expect Brightroom to make me look 15 lbs lighter or appear to be a professional athelete, but just my opinion, the composition and quality of the photos being offered was less than professional and didn't warrent the asking price. I didn't purchase any and I'm extremely disappointed.

you can buy individual prints 4x6 (to be mailed to you) for 19 bucks
I am not trying to get something for nothing, I would pay. I just dont want physical prints much less wait on them to be mailed to me.

I see this as similar to the music industry- let me decide how to use the product and dont make me buy more than I want. The distribution costs are zero. ITunes offers albums and singles. They dont make you buy the whole album if you just want a song. Offer a low rez smaller digital file and a high rez and package deals and people will self select and you can capture all elements.

In business you should make some pricing decisions on the margin. Since working a race has fixed costs you need to determine the variable costs for one extra unit and look at that to capture the most you can.

I am showing them an opportunity. They can price how they want. I will buy at my point. They are marketing a product that, aside from IM and maybe a first race, probably has low value, especially in a sprint or olympic distance that people race multiple times a year. It doesnt bug me. I am 10 dollars richer and will soon forget about these race photos. This is checkout line stuff. Put your gum and candy and 10$ digital pics here. Otherwise I am through the line and I have another race in a few weeks.

true, but as JohnnyKay posted, a $10 option may attract some of the people that were all ready willing to spend $60. both effects ought to be considered from a business perspective. only they (Brightroom or whomever) can play around with their pricing and know for sure.

Let's be honest.  If you are doing a lot of races and looking for avatar sized photos you are not these companies main market.  They are selling to the people that are completing races or at least that distance race for the first time or first time in a while.  There is no price low enough that they could sell to every person they take a photo of.  I do 5-10 races a year that have photos.  Even if they were a dollar I'm not buying them all.  I might pay $59 once to get a good pic but I'm not paying $10 every race to get average ones.  If they had a $10 option they would lose $49 on me and many others.

That's a poor analogy. If I want the vest I go to a store that sells vests. If I want a 20k car I go to a dealer that sells 20k cars. If I want a single $10 low res digital image from a race I go to...wait, I got no place to go. That's the point.

<--------My avatar is a Brightroom photo...I print screened the photo, took it to the paint tool and cropped all the excess.

I have no problem with the $59 package and will absolutely take advantage of it when I do my first HIM next year and, in a few years, my first IM.  However, I completely agree with others that they'd be best served with different packages, some low res photos in the $10-$20 range, maybe a mid-level package and then the full $59 package.  In the end they must make money charging that amount or they wouldn't be doing it (or won't be around for long).  And quite frankly, I have no problem with them charging that amount, it's their prerogative.  But I ain't paying for it. 

Photographers make money because they are artists.  That said, I don't know how much artistry goes into race photos...My 3 meathead friends can take pictures of me swimming/ biking/ running with their iphones that come out just as nice as any low res picture a photographer can offer.  For that matter, my $300 Cannon Power Shot takes photos as good as any SLR I used in photography classes, and it has all the same options (great camera by the way). 

Be honest, you are paying for the service.  If the race pictures had some nice filter work, or some play with the shtter speed, or a cool lens effect I would say that $59 may be worth their time and effort.  But when all pictures are done the same, rapid fire style,you can save yourself some cash and have a buddy take the picture with your own digital camera.

FYI the cost of 2 top of the line SLR cameras and all the memory you need is still less than I paid for my wedding photographer. 

All that said, I work in insurance and I don't own my own business.  Im sure this is not their first rodeo.  Im sure there is some overhead that no one is concidering.... 

If you think its too expensive, don't buy it.  Easy enough.