Is there any money to be made is track photo sales?

I searched the motorsports talk forum threads, but couldn't really find an answer. I have shot behind the fence for CCS for three years, which allows you to post picture to there website. I have gotten some interest, but no sales. Either don't have the riders, or the riders won't pay anything.

Both CCS and WERA don't deal with 'exclusive' track photographer deals, but as a single guy operation, I have seen how some of the other on-site photography set-ups work and it looks pretty involved - multiple 'togs, multiple printers in a big trailer,...

Can you really offset cost of travel, lodging, vending fees, etc. if you're not local to the track?

First of all they need to know that you are there and how to get in touch with you. Having a website where you can show off your photos from a race weekend and make online sales is another thing good to have.

There isn't much money to be made at the club racing level. Most of the guys racing would rather spend their money on tires or fuel.

However, if you are able to get inside the fence and are able to get some good shots of the racing action, you can make some money selling one offs here or there especially if you catch a cool pass or something else noticeable.

You could offer a package deal where you shoot a certain rider/s for the whole season and cut them a CD each round. But this commits you to shooting every round. Still might be doable.

You can make more money shooting car and bike trackdays. A good thing to do is partner up with multiple trackday organizers. In a lot of cases they want you there as a "value add" to the various services they offer aside from just the trackday, like tires, video, suspension services, instructors, etc.

Depending on your agreements, you may or may not get exclusive rights to shooting an event.

Like you've mentioned before, some mobile outfits have some pretty good setups with a dedicated trailer with multiple viewing stations and an assistant who will sort the days photos, cut CD's, make one off prints, while the photographer is out shooting.

This is probably the only way you would be able to send customers home with their photos on the same day of the event.

Without the trailer setup and assistant, you are forced to shoot the day, sort the photos when you get back to your hotel/home, and then upload them to your website. Then hope that people contact you for their photos. You would then cut a CD and mail it out. You lose the impulse buys.

You can start out small. A 12'x12' canopy, a generator, a laptop for sorting and burn CD's, and maybe 1-2 large screen laptops as viewing stations.

Pass out business cards during rider/driver down time between sessions.

Whether you decide to shoot club racing or trackdays or both, make sure you get permission from the organizer as well as permission from the track. Develop a good relationship with everyone from the organizer, to the track officials, to the corner workers.

Hope this helps you get started and good luck.

Also, I just looked at your website, and you have to eliminate all those OoF bike pictures. As I said on a different thread, you need to post only your best shots. Clients will see those OoF and over-exposed shots and not give you a second thought.

If the pictures in your personal galleries are what you are offering, there is a reason you aren't getting sales. To be honest, I am seeing very few good motorsport images there. Too many shots in the galleries are really blurry and/or over-exposed. This quality won't earn sales.

If you want some inspiration, try this: http://500px.com/RobKi​ng

So here's the thing, develop your skills first, start getting sales, then worry about tents and laptops and such. Keep shooting at your local track and club/trackday events. And then when you can nail most of your shots, then present them to the public, but you have to be able to nail the shot first.

I have made a nice little nitch market in my area shooting street race action. These folks love having professional photos of their vehicles and their runs. And if the cops show up, you are doing a project for a magazine or something.

Chris

I also looked at your web page and I have to agree with veritasimagerynw. You need to improve your skills. My experience in motorsports photography is that it is rare to sell images that aren't tack sharp and properly exposed. When you have achieved a level of proficiency that allows you to produce good images consistently, then my experience is that you will sell more pictures at the track with someone who can process and print while you shoot, but selling on line is gobs easier. In my case, the profit is about the same either way. Others' experience may vary.

Speaking as a temporarily inactive club race car driver, I will only buy two types of photo's.

Ones that tell a story, such as overtaking or a 'moment'.

And ones that tell me something that will help me go faster, mostly mid corner shots that show car and suspension angles etc.

Anything that just shows my car going in a straight line by itself had better be incredibly sharp and superbly lit cos I already know what my car looks like!

Simple answer: NO!

Audiracer wrote in post #17084797
Simple answer: NO!

Care to back up your statement?

Just do an internet search for "trackday photography" and you'll get a bunch of hits of guys making a decent living doing this.

My pessimistic cynical side says that if they are legitimate businesses filing and paying taxes, carrying insurance on themselves, their assistants if any and their gear and accounting for ALL expenses then they would more than likely be better off working at some $10.00/hour job.
I'm willing to be proved wrong on this but I'm not holding my breath for someone to post actual numbers that support "a decent living" when all the costs are included.

Maybe not for a loving at first but for a side line yes. I'm at my second year shooting motorsport and got for around 3000$ contract with race track / race series. Plus a couple hundrends selling prints or digital photo.

So if you work hard on your photography yes you will start some day being paid and if you dont stop getting better it may become more profitable. Just be wise and dont buy 5000$ in equipement the first year.

aphphoto wrote in post #17128747
My pessimistic cynical side says that if they are legitimate businesses filing and paying taxes, carrying insurance on themselves, their assistants if any and their gear and accounting for ALL expenses then they would more than likely be better off working at some $10.00/hour job.
I'm willing to be proved wrong on this but I'm not holding my breath for someone to post actual numbers that support "a decent living" when all the costs are included.

I personally know a track day photographer (legitimate tax paying business), who is a single provider for his family of 4, and is able to make "decent living".

By "decent living", I mean a 2800 sq ft home, 2 kids in private school, a customer trailer with all the bells and whistles that serves as mobile operations, a decent diesel tow rig, and 3 family cars. Track bike, track car (Miata), go-karts, among other big boy toys.

Not rich by any means, but definitely making what I would call a "decent living".

Also agree with veritasimagerynw, the pictures need to be pin sharp and correctly exposed before you worry about anything else like selling them, or upgrading equipment.

I have been the track photographer at a local 3/8 short track for the last 7 years. The first 3 years I depended on web site orders only and really didn't go anywhere. Starting the 4th year I tried something the track owner said he thought would work better. I picked out random shots from the race before and printed them in 8X10's at home, put them in a sleave and went from pit to pit. The first week as soon as I started selling them and news got around the drivers were lined up asking if I had a shot of them. Last year averaged around $500 a race. Since they don't race every weekend I picked up a 2nd track last year and averaged about the same. This is more of a hobby for me so not trying to make a living at it but have paid for all my gear including computer and printer from it.

Steve

There used to be a guy who set up a little trailer in the infield at the Rolex 24 in Daytona. He had two flat panel monitors running slideshows and he was lining people up six deep at the counter.

He sells shots taken at the track that day, and he's always busy. Always. While he's out shooting, his wife is running the sales at the trailer.

I assume he's still there; I last saw him there three years ago, and have seen similar operations at other tracks.

Is he getting rich? Probably not, but he was selling an 11x14" print for thirty of forty bucks, and a lot of people walked away from his trailer with them...

Road Dog wrote in post #17440581
Is he getting rich? Probably not, but he was selling an 11x14" print for thirty of forty bucks, and a lot of people walked away from his trailer with them...

You have to sell an awful lot of prints to make it at an event like Daytona. At a small local track you may get by giving the track some of your work but not with the big boys. Vendors at the big events pay as much as $2000 for their space. Add on travel, food and lodging and it is a very tough way to make any money.