Direct competition at an event

[nhfirefighter13]

So I'm shooting a trackday tomorrow and I just found out that another photographer is going to be there. This guy is very well known and has been published in the likes of Sports Illustrated many times over.

This will be the first time I've done an event with another photographer there and I'm kind of curious as to how things will play out. He's quite a bit more expensive than I am and better known with a well established business.

Should be interesting.

[rjgleason]

So I'm shooting a trackday tomorrow and I just found out that another photographer is going to be there. This guy is very well known and has been published in the likes of Sports Illustrated many times over.

This will be the first time I've done an event with another photographer there and I'm kind of curious as to how things will play out. He's quite a bit more expensive than I am and better known with a well established business.

Should be interesting.

Expensive is not always the best............Confidence always brings talent to a new level........Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent..........

........Best of Luck.

[Shawn]

I know it is late, but if you have time in the morning, check out the latest magazine to see his style & see what other pros are shooting & what sells, than try to use that knowlege to your advantage. Sometime all pros flock to the same curve & shoot the same shot, unless a wreck is happening, why not try something different. Often shooting shoulder to shoulder with pro probably will bring out the best in you. Good Luck

[nhfirefighter13]

I've checked out his website and his trackday shots aren't any better than mine. He does have some remote trigger set-ups that give him some shot possibilities that I can't get right now but overall, I'm his match at normal trackday stuff. I think he tries harder during races and bigger events.

I've never met him but I hear he's a pretty nice guy. *shrug* I'll give him a run for his money. :D

[Shawn]

Don't forget to post your images. Seems like you are avoiding his name, mind sharing the name, so we can check out his site too.

[nhfirefighter13]

I didn't want to give any the idea that I was bad-mouthing him. His website: http://www.owensracingphotos.com/

I met John today and talked with him for a bit. Very nice guy. He even offered me a "job" for the upcoming Nascar race at NHIS although I had to turn him down because I'll be in Canada that weekend. :(

He shoots Canon, so he must be alright...right? :)

[Kevin Sadler]

You'll do fine. That shows a lot of character to meet and talk with him. You're right, the difference is usually not in the photos, but in the running of the business. By that I mean establishing yourself as a known reliable commodity and not a flash in the pan. That charges a fair price and delivers every time. Sounds easy but that's the hard part. There's no question your that your photo skills are more than adequate. Good luck and have fun. Maybe shooting for him and learning more about how he runs his successful business isn't a bad idea. Later, Kevin

[digitalmediatech]

So, how'd the day turn out?

[nhfirefighter13]

Overall, pretty decent from a shooting point of view...from a sales perspective? Horrible. John's set up completely dwarfed my own and the vast majority of people there thought I was working FOR him.


Oh well. Given time, I'll have a more prominent display and people will be able to see me better.

[Shawn]

Can you enlighten us of his techniques, equipment, marketing.... Your summary of why he is so succesful, because nothing like learning from a pro by observing and shooting side by side with him. Did you pick up some pointers, just by observations. It sounds like he had multi camera setup with remote wireless release?? Thanks.

[nhfirefighter13]

While he does have remote trigger set-ups, I've only seen him use those during races. He wasn't doing anything that much different from me as far as shooting goes.

"Marketing" for lack of a better word he had 6 eMac display stations set up in one of the paddocks so that people could come over, view, and then order photos. It drew a lot of attention.

When I go to trackdays, I tend to take a minimalist approach to what I take with me. For example, yesterday I had a book of 8x10 prints and a couple of 11x14's as samples along with my cards and pricing sheets. Normally, just having people see me shooting and chatting with people tells them that I'm there and that yes, they can buy photos. It's a very relaxed way of doing business (part of the reason I enjoy it so much) and has always worked well for me. John, just attracted more attention than I did.

Eventually, I'll have a trailer set up with multiple LCD viewing stations, printers, and whatnot....with BIG signs that scream "Hey! There's a photographer over here! Come take a look." :D