The running costs of taking running photos
Last weekend I ran a 10k race as part of the Davis Stampede. If you have ever run an organized race (5k and upwards) you will probably know that various photographic companies take pictures of you which they then try to sell to you afterwards. This is one of the unavoidable consequences of having to provide an email address when you register. Often these pictures capture you in a state of near death, with a pained expression on your face. However, today I received the following example pic in my inbox:
I quite like how this looks. This captures me crossing the finish line, which was the only time in the race that I actually sprinted. I really like how the photographer from brightroom.com caught me with both feet off of the ground. So for once, I was actually intrigued by the possibility of buying this photo. Being someone who lives very much in the digital age I am less interested in getting a framed print, but much more interested in buying a digital copy so that I can use it however I want. So how much does a single digital print cost?
$28.99
Wow. I was shocked. Nearly $30 to email me one picture!?! If I actually wanted to receive the same picture on a photo CD, then the price goes up to $49.99...though as this is less than the $100 minimum for free shipping, I'd also have to pay shipping. If I wanted an actual hard-copy of the picture, the cheapest option starts from $13.99 for an unframed 5" x 7" print. I don't begrudge that brightroom.com has a right to make money from providing this service, but I don't think I would ever consider spending so much for a single image. Presumably they take thousands of photos at every event and these all need to be stored, backed-up, digitally processed etc. But even then, it just seems too high a price for a single picture...even if it does make me look more athletic than I actually am. Would you pay for a photo like this (not one of me obviously), and if so, how much?
Comments 2 Comments
60.00
original file
Royalty-free commercial use, 2592 x 3872 px
30.00
high resolution file
Royalty-free commercial use, 1829 x 2732 px
15.00
medium resolution file
Royalty-free commercial use, 1417 x 2116 px
7.50
low resolution file
Royalty-free commercial use, 818 x 1222 px
since they are all allowed for commercial use. The problem is that barley anyone buys these pictures, so they have to break even with the sale of 3 - 4 pictures out of all the hours they spend there.