Action Photo Prices!

[Eldron]

Am I the only one who thinks they are WAAAAY too expensive?

 

I don't normally opt for photos (I don't use the little orange sticker) but on the 94.7 mtb ride they used he race number boards to ID you. What the hell I thought - I might as well buy a photo or two...

 

R50 for the digital image and R60 for a photo!!! Maybe I'm scottish but holy hells that's expensive.

 

Given the ease that digital convergance has afforded digital photogrpahy I reckon a digital pic should cost around R5 (radndom guess). I reckon I'd be happy to pay up to ~R25 per pic. R50 is just stupid. I simply don't believe that the manpower and infrastructure around digital photography can cost R40 per photo (with R10 profit - I'm guessing).

[Danger Dassie]

You reckon hey?.... Digital capture is actually more expensive than the old film days bud.

Wether it's a digital image or a print, the camera equipment and cost of usage is exactly the same, the 10 rand extra is actually just to cover print costs.

 

Luckily I'm not involved in that specific line of photography though. The margins are just too low. Don't how it's a sustainable business model, which could be why AP and MP merged.

[wisecrack]

 

I was quite happy paying R160 for my 6 photos @ the OFM.

 

Paid online and had them four days later.

 

Good quality and a nice reminder of how much sweat i lost in Bloemfontein.

 

I would agree buying only one works out quite expensive.

 

wisecrack2008-11-20 04:08:41

[Bateleur1]

I think their overheads are just too huge.  Especially when it comes to printing pics, sending it to you and if you don't want them then you simply tear the pics up and send it back.

 

Maybe they should move to a online business model only and therefore reduce the costs.  Especially if I can order the original pic and have it e-mailed and then print it myself.

[skipperw]

Photography as a whole is a low margin business with many fly by nighters under cutting the true professionals. Danger Dassie is right, equipment is insanely expensive and needs to be updated every year (year and a half).

These guys definately aren't ripping us off. It's unfortunately the price needed for them to make a profit.

 

[Francois]

While I personally don't buy pics of myself cycling (he he, I've actually got to ride an event to ge a pic taken, hey!!!), I don't think the price is too bad at all.

 

One has to consider the staff, equipment and expenses involved in the set up.  Compared to race entries and the cost of living I am sure that the price of these photos has risen very little over the past ten to fifteen years.  I remember years ago thinking they were expensive, but then I seem to remember that the cost was around R 25 per pic - I think that was about 20 years ago when I was still a competitive athlete.

 

 

 

[Eldron]

 

You're in a better position than me to make that call...

 

It just doesn't sit well in my personal "value for money" curve.

 

That said - I have a R1,500 carbon bar on my mtb...I guess value is in the wallet of the beholder

 

Suffice it to say Action Photo will probably not see any of my money - unless of course the photo is superb!

[Eldron]

I think their overheads are just too huge.  Especially when it comes to printing pics' date=' sending it to you and if you don't want them then you simply tear the pics up and send it back.

 

Maybe they should move to a online business model only and therefore reduce the costs.  Especially if I can order the original pic and have it e-mailed and then print it myself.

[/quote']

 

I think you're quite right - I've never understood the idea of printing and sending photos on the off chance of someone buying them.

 

Web based is the way to go - the way I look at it - if we've got enough money to buy bikes and enter races there is a very, very god chance we have internet access. Hell most races can only be entered on-line.

 

Each to their own I say - it's always nice having a pic of yourself racing - especially so if you're a 94.7 & Argus only racer. Like I said value is in the wallet of the beholder

[Wallee]

I think my CD from the Hill2Hill was a steal for R160. 10 high quality digital images @ R16 each! Plus the calendar frames included are awesome to print  a calendar with yourself on it.

[dman2]

The issue is that the photos don't contain any "action".

 

They're nearly always boring photos taken at the near the top of a climb.

If the photos contain me dominating a rock garden or flying through a  corner in break away, for example. Then R60 would be nothing!!

 

[markStockton]

Wait, the experience gets better. You get to have them chasing you for payment and sending vaguely threatening letters for a year after the event. Even though you took the photos and paid for them. Oh, and when you bring this to the MD's attention, you won't get so much as a "thank you" let alone and apology.

 

If these clowns send me pic's this year they better be prepared to come and fetch it back, because they will not see another cent of mine .... ever.  

[Danger Dassie]

Photography as a whole is a low margin business with many fly by nighters under cutting the true professionals. Danger Dassie is right' date=' equipment is insanely expensive and needs to be updated every year (year and a half).
These guys definately aren't ripping us off. It's unfortunately the price needed for them to make a profit.
[/quote']

 

Stuart ? ... Dino here

[skipperw]

Hey Dino!!

[Trackz]

Photography is expensive full stop! So we expect the photographer to just be there at his own risk & cost with equipment worth around R100,000 to get the images we are demanding? And then we only want to pay him R25 for a pic? And then after pressing the little button he still has cost to go download, crop, perhaps do some basic post processing, upload to a website that costs him money and pay a commission for online payment processing. There is no money in photography and the guys do it for the passion. It's why you don't see many of them around.

I am a cycling nut and a freelance photographer. If you are looking for the action shots you want ... I'll happily do a private shoot to give you a life size poster for your wall that looks like a Bicycling Cover or a FHM spread if you are female. But I ain't doing it for R25 a photo :-)

[Thug]

The Bull of Africa hired some freelance photographers and each team paid R 200 upfront for a DVD of all images they shot. I received ours a couple of weeks ago and it had over 2 850 photographs.

 

What cameras did they use ?  Canon EOS 30 & 40 D's

 

 

[Pickled]

Ok, fine, I understand the cost. It can be expensive, equipment, staff, etc... i understand. But if you chase people for money, at least have a system that makes it easy for people to order. I tried for a week to order a photo. At the end i got told, hey don't you want to phone back tomorrow, seems we can't do that for you now. There is actually a photo I want.