In the last few months I have participated in a couple of community events where photographers where there taking shots of all the action. Each of these events uploaded their pictures to a website from which you can see the picture. The site allows you to create a variety of prints, cups, plaques, key chains, etc. with your photo on them. Most of them will also let you crop the photo to keep the best part of it for your print or object.
Each also offered the original full size digital photo as a download and this is where my rant comes in. One sight wanted $20 for that download and the other one was asking for $50 – yes $50 for that shot. Are you kidding me?
The service that these sites offer is a good one. Both of the events I was shot at were motorcycle rides/rallies. It is hard for me to take a picture of myself on the bike so it is nice to be able to have access to a picture like that and I would very much like to have them for personal use, etc.
However, your not going to get $70 from me for two digital photos file downloads. Period. Full Stop.
Now someone must be paying this type of money for the shots otherwise I can not imagine them being offered for that price. Maybe they are not being bought – maybe that is pure hope on the part of the company/vendor.
Hey by the way – one company charges shipping and handling for your digital photo download. I am not kidding!
I would venture to say that if those digital shots were offered for say $5 they would sell many more of them. By the way – leave off the shipping and handing charge would ya?
So what would you be willing to pay or not pay to get a digital copy of your event picture?