Youth Sports Action Shots vs T&I profits?

[movingex]

Every year I shoot a few team & individual shots for a few youth sports teams in my area but I am not the official league photographer (nor do I wan to be). The sports include soccer, baseball and basketball.

I get approached to shoot action shots during the game for a team that also wants me to shoot the T&I shots.

I have not figured out a way to make this a profitable endeavor for myself so I have been saying that I would be glad to shoot the T&I but not the action. Most of these teams will pass on that.

Just wondering if anyone does action and T&I and if so how do you make it worth your time to shoot the game and the posed shots for the individuals? It's like you are doing double work without any assurance that they will buy any of the actions shots.

Thanks for any insight.

[LSCSN.com]

I would think that if a team is "requesting" action shots it's probably going to be worth your time and effort to shoot the event. Now if it's just one parent then it may or may not be.

I find that on those "individual" requests the majority of the parents don't end up buying or if they do they don't buy much.

But we don't do T&I shots yet. Hopefully next year we may break into that market. Not sure yet.

[Matt_G]

Well I have found the opposite... I gladly except T&I and push for covering some of the game as well. I have found if you provide unique images that show action and emotion they sell very well. I would say on a typical team sales that 60% would be action and 40% T&I

[AndrewCCM]

I charge a per game fee for action shot coverage (Usually costs the parents about $5-$7 each) + receive prints by ordering through my site (nothing is edited until order placed sans some quick cropping)... BTW: I do not shoot T&I.

[movingex]

Originally Posted by Matt_G

Well I have found the opposite... I gladly except T&I and push for covering some of the game as well. I have found if you provide unique images that show action and emotion they sell very well. I would say on a typical team sales that 60% would be action and 40% T&I

Is that not taking away from what you would have already made on the posed shots? Are they not buying the posed shots because of the action shots?

Then you consider the extra time to shoot the game and then process/present the extra images from the game.

How much additional profit have you really made?

[LSCSN.com]

Personally as a parent I would rather buy action shots, but my wife likes having the posed shots.

[Matt_G]

When I just do team shots my average order is around $25. When I add the action shots it hits close to $45 with almost always one major order. I have found it to be well worth the time.

Also, by covering the action shots it opens up the potential for sales and a new client from the other team. All I do is hand out flyers to the opposing team.

I have not found it necessary to charge a fee for the action as of yet. The teams order plenty for me to avoid this so far....with the economy the way it is I might have to evaluate this soon.

I will say if you are not providing unique action images they can not get on their own then your sales will not be that high. I am not saying that is the case but somethig to think about.... outdoor sports make it much easier for GWC's to get a decent image. Indoor sports is another story.

[movingex]

Originally Posted by Matt_G

When I just do team shots my average order is around $25. When I add the action shots it hits close to $45 with almost always one major order. I have found it to be well worth the time.

Matt,

Sounds like you've got a formula that works well for you.

If you don't mind me asking - How do you present the action shots and at what point in the process? Do you print out contact sheets and take this with you when you do the T&A?

Thanks

[Wes]

Originally Posted by AndrewCCM

I charge a per game fee for action shot coverage (Usually costs the parents about $5-$7 each) + receive prints by ordering through my site (nothing is edited until order placed sans some quick cropping)... BTW: I do not shoot T&I.

Yup. This is pretty much how I handle it, too. For me, it all started when some of the parents from my kid's baseball team would say something like, "My daughter also plays soccer. You could really clean up if you'd come shoot one of her games." Out of the goodness of my heart, I'd go along and shoot the game only to not sell a single print. Not even to the parents that requested me. I kept hearing the same old story, "We love your work and we're going to get around to buying some prints....." I finally got to the point where I said, "Sure, I'll come shoot your kid's soccer game. This is what I charge...." Funny how very few of them ever actually hired me.

I don't do T&I, either.

[Matt_G]

Everything is done online.

[Matt_G]

Out of the goodness of my heart, I'd go along and shoot the game only to not sell a single print. Not even to the parents that requested me.

Never had that happen and I cover 100's of team a year

[terrtwins]

I did some T&I photos last fall, it was quite easy and they all bought photos.

[movingex]

Originally Posted by Matt_G

Everything is done online.

So the parents don't pay as you shoot the T&Is, they log into your site later and order the prints at a later time?

If I did that in my area I would probably never make a dime.

[Wes]

Originally Posted by Matt_G

Never had that happen and I cover 100's of team a year

I probably cover about 50-60 games per year. It happened 4 times before I changed my tactics.

[Matt_G]

So the parents don't pay as you shoot the T&Is, they log into your site later and order the prints at a later time?

That is correct. Parents want choices and when given the opporunity most cant pass up a good pose.