Lee, I completely agree with everything you've said and I am a little more than insulted especially considering that I know the VP of this league personally and bent over backwards to provide them quality products and great service. The worst part of this is that I was asked to shoot photos for the parents' day game since they were in a bit of a bind. I was already committed for another event so I hired a friend of mine to do the job. He has 30 years experience shooting sports and action and always does an great job. He shot the event and I paid him a fair day rate for his efforts. The league then informed me that they wanted a 4x6 print of each parent/athlete to give to the families at their banquet. I quoted them a fair price which was my normal 4x6 print rate minus a small discount for volume. They balked at that but then asked how much to have the images burned to CD. Again I quoted them a greatly discounted price pointing out what the normal full retail cost would be, basically covering my expenses for the other photographer and just a bit extra to bank. They balked again. I finally told them that since they had already indicated that they would be using me for T&I services for this fall I would sell them the digital images at cost, again pointing out the amount of discount they were getting. They were very happy and appreciative. They then turn around and award the T&I contract to someone else. Lesson learned.
I ways more than prepared to really work this league, its board members, and parents this year hoping I could turn things around for 2010. I was even prepared to shoot a few games on spec when my scheduled allowed just to keep the door open because, as you said, these contracts can be very lucrative. However, after what they did they get no further consideration.
This is very unfortunate. That league would get nothing from me...let the board members see what a year without your style of action coverage will do.
I have adopted a policy for youth leagues and schools that reads " No teams and individuals, no action!"
If the officials-in-charge know that they can keep the portrait studio happy by giving them the "guaranteed high-dollar" team photo contract and then open up the "on-spec chicken feed" action business to other photographers, their bases are covered.
With some of the leagues and schools I deal with, the team photo contract alone can be worth from ten to thirty thousand dollars or more...with the action sales counted in the hundreds of dollars.
If they can keep the "posed-only photo" parents happy and the "action-option photo" parents happy, their job is easier. Make sure they know, up front, that your services only come with the entire package.
You can see why the photgrapher holding that contract for the team photos is sitting in the driver's seat and why the leagues want to make sure they keep that income stream flowing all the way into their bank account.
I'd begin an immediate search for new leagues or schools ASAP...you never know when a photo contract is open for renewal or up for bids.
I'm a fabulously wealthy photographer / artist making money hand over fist. Here's what I need:
A mechanic to overhaul my custom '57 Chevy.
A maid to clean my house on a regular basis
A doctor to perform some minor surgery on me.
A band to perform theme music for me where ever I go.
A carpenter and electrician to build an extra wing on my sweet house in East Austin.
A nanny to watch my spoiled kids.
Of course there will be no pay involved. In return for your services you will get FULL CREDIT on my website, AND you can add all of this work to your PORTFOLIO! If you ask me, this is an absolutely awesome deal!
There is a reason that there is a minimum wage. To avoid the rush to the bottom by desperate "scabs" that would make it impossible for most to earn a living wage.
There is a great history of the fight for the unions at the turn of the century through the 1940's (Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, et. al.) Unfortunately the unions are largely irrelevent today.
There is also a reason why merchants can't sell below the cost of goods sold. To prevent them from driving competitors out of business, then monopolizing the local market.
No such rules in photography. No licensing. And I am pretty certain that the "scabs" don't even understand the concept of the cost of goods sold = cost of doing business.
Restraints are intended to buffer the brutality of "unfair competition" and an unchecked social-Darwinist "survival of the fittest" philosphy that is incredibly destructive to society and stability in the end.
The hard question is: when does competition cross the bounds? No clear answer in our industry.
But because the players are all small, and the consequences not horrific, there no real expectation that there are any reasonable corrective measures.
So the low end and medium tier niches that are required to allow people time to grow into higher-end professional photographer are disappearing. Big changes for our profession.
It will be interesting to see what the busiones looks like once all of the previous generations of professionals "die off."
mmurph wrote:
Restraints are intended to buffer the brutality of "unfair competition" and an unchecked social-Darwinist "survival of the fittest" philosphy that is incredibly destructive to society and stability in the end.
Know one thing ..there is no "unfair competition" in business. Period. The strong survive, and the weak do not.
Mike Mahoney wrote:
Know one thing ..there is no "unfair competition" in business. Period. The strong survive, and the weak do not.
Mike:
Nicely put...and I might add...the best photographers don't always survive....the best business person is the one left standing...or with all the work thus making it impossible for the competition to be profitable.
I've seen many a very talented and creative photographer with the finest equipment get out of the business altogether because they couldn't handle the competitive aspects of this business...especially those who lost accounts to other photographers they viewed as inferior.
...some are better off working for someone else or just taking pictures as a hobbyist.
leewoolery wrote:
I've seen many a very talented and creative photographer with the finest equipment get out of the business altogether because they couldn't handle the competitive aspects of this business...especially those who lost accounts to other photographers they viewed as inferior.
Happens every day .. and I shed no tears .. but will buy their (largely unused) equipment from them at 30% off retail.
Many (most?) photographers are poor businessmen, the effect of their not being aware of the simple fact that they are businessmen first, and photographers second. I can tell by the tone of their posts who are succeeding and who are failing in this business.
A competitive nature with some basic business acumen trumps talent any day. As for me, I have an extensive background in business and marketing, and am an excellent photographer as well . But more important I have no pretensions about me .. I understand that I will lose some business that I should have won and will win some business that I should have lost.
I remember what's it like to go three months with only two contracts and $1,200 income. With a family. And I hated every moment of it and swore to take steps to ensure it never happened again. So I don't muck about .. whatever it takes to be busy and profitable is what I'll do. Every day. And I'm not alone .. as the economy tightens you can expect to see more fierce competition from shooters who want the business and are not afraid to simply go out and get it.
Mike Mahoney wrote:
Happens every day .. and I shed no tears .. but will buy their (largely unused) equipment from them at 30% off retail.
Many (most?) photographers are poor businessmen, the effect of their not being aware of the simple fact that they are businessmen first, and photographers second. I can tell by the tone of their posts who are succeeding and who are failing in this business.
A competitive nature with some basic business acumen trumps talent any day. As for me, I have an extensive background in business and marketing, and am an excellent photographer as well . But more important I have no pretensions about me .. I understand that I will lose some business that I should have won and will win some business that I should have lost.
I remember what's it like to go three months with only two contracts and $1,200 income. With a family. And I hated every moment of it and swore to take steps to ensure it never happened again. So I don't muck about .. whatever it takes to be busy and profitable is what I'll do. Every day. And I'm not alone .. as the economy tightens you can expect to see more fierce competition from shooters who want the business and are not afraid to simply go out and get it....Show more →
Mike:
I certainly don't like to see anyone go out of business...even those who I compete against for sports contracts, events and senior portraits. I've seen too many photography companies fold in the last two years and my heart goes out to anyone losing their livelihood....no matter what the circumstances.
I've been very fortunate to have increased my market share every year for the last 6 but I have to work at it and drive myself never get too comfortable, confident or complacent.
I play to win...nothing dirty or underhanded...and very seldom do I lose a job or contract to another studio or photography company. Given today's tough economic times, the sports photographer has to approach their business very much like the teams they are photographing.
Much success,
Lee Woolery
Speedshot Action Photography
Edited by leewoolery on Jun 23, 2008 at 02:17 AM GMT
Mike Mahoney wrote:
Know one thing ..there is no "unfair competition" in business.
Do you support what Enron did then?
It will be the end of civilization if we endorse that type of massive greed and fraud. Might as well go into the street with an Uzi, it amounts to the same thing in the end - theft.
Good luck Steve! Hang in there.