Turning Motorsport Photography into a Career?
Discussion
Good morning all. With this being a motoring forum I'm assuming there may be a some Professional/Semi-Pro motorsport photographers around to answer some questions or provide some insight and any information would be hugely appreciated.
I'm a huge fan of photography and motorsport, and would really like to become a professional Motorsport photographer, if it is indeed possible anymore. And I guess that is my first question. Is motorsport photography a viable career these days?
With so many people able to take a photo and a moments notice and share the image across the internet almost instantly, I imagine there isn't as much demand for Motorsport photos nowadays?
So how do you stand out amongst all of the good (and not so good) amateur photographers out there? Do you need to build a website to show off your portfolio as well as post images on social media sites in the hopes that by some miracle someone will spot your work and perhaps get your foot in the door that way?
Or maybe you need to attend events regularly and build a rapport with teams or organisations?
I'm sure I'll have some more questions as time goes by but if anyone could shed some light on the subject I would be so grateful.
I'm a huge fan of photography and motorsport, and would really like to become a professional Motorsport photographer, if it is indeed possible anymore. And I guess that is my first question. Is motorsport photography a viable career these days?
With so many people able to take a photo and a moments notice and share the image across the internet almost instantly, I imagine there isn't as much demand for Motorsport photos nowadays?
So how do you stand out amongst all of the good (and not so good) amateur photographers out there? Do you need to build a website to show off your portfolio as well as post images on social media sites in the hopes that by some miracle someone will spot your work and perhaps get your foot in the door that way?
Or maybe you need to attend events regularly and build a rapport with teams or organisations?
I'm sure I'll have some more questions as time goes by but if anyone could shed some light on the subject I would be so grateful.
As you may have noticed, there aren’t many places at circuits that allow for stand-out photography. High fencing and no-go areas are only going to get worse, so as a spectator I’ve all but given up.
You absolutely NEED a media/photographer pass.
You’ll need to start low. Do you have a circuit nearby? If so, try to get a pass for a low key event. You might need the support of a competing team for this, or better still, a local newspaper. They don’t hand out media passes to anyone that asks!
If you do get into a low key meeting with a pass: make yourself known and be EVERYBODY’S friend. You really need to sell yourself. You need to know the drivers and owners. You need to be endlessly enthusiastic.
If that goes well, you’ll then find your own way into higher level events, but it’s very unlikely you’ll make any money yet. As you’ve said, everyone is a photographer of some sort now, and many people give photos away for free.
When you say professional, do you mean you want it to be your only income? If so, you’re going to need to find a way of working almost continuously in photography. With most events only being at weekends, you’ll have a lot of time to fill once you’ve done editing and publishing and sending them out.
You’ll need pro level equipment. To keep sales going week in week out, customers will want the highest quality every single time. The pressure will be on, and it’s a lot to cope with. Lens or camera lets you down and you don’t have a spare? You don’t earn, and your competitors can take your customers in a flash.
There’s a world of difference between dabbling as a keen amateur and running a successful business.
I dabbled. Twenty years ago before everyone bought a dSLR, I could sell images quite easily. Now? Extremely difficult indeed.
A good friend who did it had a background in motorsport (family organised East African Safari, mum competed) and came over to the U.K. as a motorsport media guy. Long, long working days, endlessly selling himself to everyone (he was good at it) and not really getting anywhere.
He now runs his own Safari holiday company, competes in regional rallies, and his photography is almost back to being a hobby.
It’s tough. Newspapers and Motorsport magazines used to employ photographers. Not now.
Oh, and be very careful about treading on the toes of those already struggling to make a success of it at meetings: they won’t like it.
Good luck!
You absolutely NEED a media/photographer pass.
You’ll need to start low. Do you have a circuit nearby? If so, try to get a pass for a low key event. You might need the support of a competing team for this, or better still, a local newspaper. They don’t hand out media passes to anyone that asks!
If you do get into a low key meeting with a pass: make yourself known and be EVERYBODY’S friend. You really need to sell yourself. You need to know the drivers and owners. You need to be endlessly enthusiastic.
If that goes well, you’ll then find your own way into higher level events, but it’s very unlikely you’ll make any money yet. As you’ve said, everyone is a photographer of some sort now, and many people give photos away for free.
When you say professional, do you mean you want it to be your only income? If so, you’re going to need to find a way of working almost continuously in photography. With most events only being at weekends, you’ll have a lot of time to fill once you’ve done editing and publishing and sending them out.
You’ll need pro level equipment. To keep sales going week in week out, customers will want the highest quality every single time. The pressure will be on, and it’s a lot to cope with. Lens or camera lets you down and you don’t have a spare? You don’t earn, and your competitors can take your customers in a flash.
There’s a world of difference between dabbling as a keen amateur and running a successful business.
I dabbled. Twenty years ago before everyone bought a dSLR, I could sell images quite easily. Now? Extremely difficult indeed.
A good friend who did it had a background in motorsport (family organised East African Safari, mum competed) and came over to the U.K. as a motorsport media guy. Long, long working days, endlessly selling himself to everyone (he was good at it) and not really getting anywhere.
He now runs his own Safari holiday company, competes in regional rallies, and his photography is almost back to being a hobby.
It’s tough. Newspapers and Motorsport magazines used to employ photographers. Not now.
Oh, and be very careful about treading on the toes of those already struggling to make a success of it at meetings: they won’t like it.
Good luck!
Edited by Tony1963 on Monday 24th June 17:01
Hello Tony, thank you very much for your reply!
You're completely right about the difficulties of taking good photos from the spectator areas. Places like Silverstone are an absolute nightmare for photo opportunities, like you say tall fences and grandstands from great heights and a long way away from the action make the task incredibly difficult. Fortunately there are still some decent spectator areas at circuits such as Donnington (sp?) and Cadwell, which are much easier to shoot from. Nonetheless a photographer pass would still be a dream.
Fortunately for me I live in Northamptonshire so I am surrounded by racetracks within a couple of hours such as those mentioned above, as well as Brands Hatch, Snetterton and Mallory Park amongst others.
I'm under no delusions that I'll jump into photographing F1/MotoGP anytime soon, and am more than happy to shoot low key events. I'm a huge fan of any kind of motorsport and taking photos of the action is a great hobby of mine so it would be a pleasure to have a chance to photograph any event from the other side of the barriers!
We have a local newspaper that covers local events, I'm not sure how much they focus on Motorsport though but I suppose it is worth an ask. I also know a bloke at work who is part of a small drag racing outfit that frequently visits Santa Pod so perhaps I could have an in there too.
With regards to doing the job full time, that's ultimately the end goal but perhaps part-time is a more realistic target for the distant future. When it comes to equipment, it's decent but by no means pro level. I use a Fuji XT-100 mirrorless body and have both a 18-55mm for paddock stuff and when it comes to shooting vehicles on track I use a 50-230mm. Like I said it's decent kit and great for practicing with and posting stuff to social media and the like but it's by no means pro level.
Thanks again for taking the time to reply, it's very much appreciated.
You're completely right about the difficulties of taking good photos from the spectator areas. Places like Silverstone are an absolute nightmare for photo opportunities, like you say tall fences and grandstands from great heights and a long way away from the action make the task incredibly difficult. Fortunately there are still some decent spectator areas at circuits such as Donnington (sp?) and Cadwell, which are much easier to shoot from. Nonetheless a photographer pass would still be a dream.
Fortunately for me I live in Northamptonshire so I am surrounded by racetracks within a couple of hours such as those mentioned above, as well as Brands Hatch, Snetterton and Mallory Park amongst others.
I'm under no delusions that I'll jump into photographing F1/MotoGP anytime soon, and am more than happy to shoot low key events. I'm a huge fan of any kind of motorsport and taking photos of the action is a great hobby of mine so it would be a pleasure to have a chance to photograph any event from the other side of the barriers!
We have a local newspaper that covers local events, I'm not sure how much they focus on Motorsport though but I suppose it is worth an ask. I also know a bloke at work who is part of a small drag racing outfit that frequently visits Santa Pod so perhaps I could have an in there too.
With regards to doing the job full time, that's ultimately the end goal but perhaps part-time is a more realistic target for the distant future. When it comes to equipment, it's decent but by no means pro level. I use a Fuji XT-100 mirrorless body and have both a 18-55mm for paddock stuff and when it comes to shooting vehicles on track I use a 50-230mm. Like I said it's decent kit and great for practicing with and posting stuff to social media and the like but it's by no means pro level.
Thanks again for taking the time to reply, it's very much appreciated.
The drag racing might be your best bet to test the water. If you can get in with that team, they might be able to get you a team ticket. That will (unless things have changed) allow you to get onto the start line, but only for your team.
One of mine. And via Alamy this sold and appeared in a book
One of mine. And via Alamy this sold and appeared in a book
As others have said its relatively easy to casually sell a few photos as an amateur (as I do, along with probably quite a few others on here) as a sideline to a regular job, but it would be a whole other game to turn it into your main job.
I mostly shoot rallying these days, but did a bit of circuit stuff in the past. Rallying tends to be much easier than circuit racing to get close to the action and find good angles and light etc, and I think easier to get interesting action photos too as the cars move around and slide a lot more.
One thing I would say if you are looking to sell photos to drivers/teams, don't neglect taking photos of slower competitors further down the field! The top contenders with established teams probably already have relationships with existing photographers, I find its the lower level amateur competitors that are most likely to make contact and buy photos from a freelance or newer to the scene photographer.
All the best for the journey and progression of your photographic skills.
I mostly shoot rallying these days, but did a bit of circuit stuff in the past. Rallying tends to be much easier than circuit racing to get close to the action and find good angles and light etc, and I think easier to get interesting action photos too as the cars move around and slide a lot more.
One thing I would say if you are looking to sell photos to drivers/teams, don't neglect taking photos of slower competitors further down the field! The top contenders with established teams probably already have relationships with existing photographers, I find its the lower level amateur competitors that are most likely to make contact and buy photos from a freelance or newer to the scene photographer.
All the best for the journey and progression of your photographic skills.
Thanks again Tony. Is that a Top Fuel Car? I bet that was an experience standing near one of those 
.
Cheers also for the reply Ben, I'm not too sure if there's much rallying going on around here, I'll certainly look into it.
Focusing on the smaller teams has crossed my mind, like you mentioned I bet there's people queuing up to hand there work over to the larger outfits in Motorsport and they'll already have their own trusted photographers I'm sure.
Thanks again guys.
.Cheers also for the reply Ben, I'm not too sure if there's much rallying going on around here, I'll certainly look into it.
Focusing on the smaller teams has crossed my mind, like you mentioned I bet there's people queuing up to hand there work over to the larger outfits in Motorsport and they'll already have their own trusted photographers I'm sure.
Thanks again guys.
I had a few press passes to motorsports, twice at Le Mans, once for LMES and once for the 24-hours. I had a couple to English circuits. I got them through a car club magazine I edited. I supported a couple of contributors' applications for passes, although demanded first serial rights in return. I also had press passes to other events: launch of a computer game, motor shows, Goodwood FoS, so press passes are not out of reach to the amateur.
I found them very useful for images. People would willingly move out of the way if asked, or stand in a particular position. I wanted the bonnet off a pre-war Auto-Union and, with my pass displayed prominently, I asked, and the owner complied, smiling his thanks as he did so. The only pits that didn't seem happy to see me was Ferrari's. Actually pushed me out.
I was on the grid at Le Mans. That was great. It was at a time of grid girls and I got to talking to one standing by a car I wanted to feature. I asked if she wanted a name check, and she refused, saying she was only making money to help her through medical school. One stereotype dead. It was a cold November, and when changing memory cards I dropped one onto the hallowed tarmac. She bent down to retrieve it. I thanked her and said that I was trying to appear as if I was a professional photographer - it was my first press pass. She said I should have touched her arse as she bent down then.
I make no comment. Lovely woman.
The good thing about a press pass is that most of the people there have no idea where it gives you access. So just walk in as if you have the right to. Some officials are depressingly official, but most are rather laid back. Great things, press passes.
I found them very useful for images. People would willingly move out of the way if asked, or stand in a particular position. I wanted the bonnet off a pre-war Auto-Union and, with my pass displayed prominently, I asked, and the owner complied, smiling his thanks as he did so. The only pits that didn't seem happy to see me was Ferrari's. Actually pushed me out.
I was on the grid at Le Mans. That was great. It was at a time of grid girls and I got to talking to one standing by a car I wanted to feature. I asked if she wanted a name check, and she refused, saying she was only making money to help her through medical school. One stereotype dead. It was a cold November, and when changing memory cards I dropped one onto the hallowed tarmac. She bent down to retrieve it. I thanked her and said that I was trying to appear as if I was a professional photographer - it was my first press pass. She said I should have touched her arse as she bent down then.
I make no comment. Lovely woman.
The good thing about a press pass is that most of the people there have no idea where it gives you access. So just walk in as if you have the right to. Some officials are depressingly official, but most are rather laid back. Great things, press passes.
The main obstacles to getting media accreditation is the requirement to have had a series of relevent photographs printed in recognised publications over the past 12 months, and a letter of accereditation from the editor of the publication you are working for. Some websites are accepted.
Media passes are there to aid journalists and photographers to report the news via publication. Its not really for selling photos to competitors.
If you're good and can deliver what the publication asks for on time (eg by midnight Sunday if you are Motorsport News) in all weathers then maybe you could be invited to join an agency which may offer a wider remit and a more secure income. Trackdays are another income stream.
but don't give up the day job...
Media passes are there to aid journalists and photographers to report the news via publication. Its not really for selling photos to competitors.
If you're good and can deliver what the publication asks for on time (eg by midnight Sunday if you are Motorsport News) in all weathers then maybe you could be invited to join an agency which may offer a wider remit and a more secure income. Trackdays are another income stream.
but don't give up the day job...
Edited by andrewcliffe on Tuesday 25th June 11:22
My first professional photoshoot was for Ford in the late 80s – photos capturing the company’s motor sport activities for dealer promotions across Europe. Over the years, I have covered F1, BTCC, LeMans and WEC, mainly for marketing rather than journalistic purposes though some of my stuff has found its way into various media.
Some good advice already provided, particularly Tony 1963.
A few others that may be of use to you:
Motorsport journalism has become somewhat of a closed shop, thanks to the US giant ‘Motorsport Network’ hoovering up all media outlets for the sport over the past few years – including some of the leading photo agencies through which it was once possible to flog your shots.
There are still some avenues but these are hotly pursued by the many who have similar ambitions so to make a dent, it’s as much about networking, promotion and hustling as it is about taking photos.
Next, you need to be different.
You need to be developing a style that is uniquely yours so that when someone sees one of your shots, they go ‘ahh – that’s a Kneedreagger95 photo’.
Do a bit of research on a photographer called Bernard Asset. French photographer who made his name in the 80s. He developed a very unique style which he still uses to this day.
You can do this now from the public areas by looking for interesting places to shoot from that few others have spotted. If you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll give you and example...
On the run towards Pilgrims Drop at Brands, there’s a service gate. There’s a small gap between the posts. If you lay flat on your front, you can aim a 600mm lens through another gap in the armco to catch the cars as they power out of Surtees. For example...
(Second one has had a little Photoshopping to separate out the background. Photoshop is a good skill to acquire as some clients like to see a sponsor name accentuated or something removed that may not align with their brand)
Couple of other things...
Press passes. Very difficult to get hold of these days but don’t bust a gut trying to get one. Health and Safety being what it is these days have rendered many of the favoured spots for pro-toggers no-go areas (the top of Druids at Brands for example). They’re still handy to have but getting one will require you to have business insurance (Public Liability, etc.) as well which may not be cheap. For the smaller clubbie type meets, you can wander pretty much anywhere apart from the actual circuit anyway.
And you will at some stage need to invest in pro-gear – particularly glass. Before then, what ever you have needs be reliable and you must carry plenty of storage and batteries.
Beyond all that is just to get out there and hone your skills. Be self critical of your work and push yourself all the time.
One thing to be aware of is that when you attend a race for professional purposes, your enjoyment of it suffers. Actually, suffers isn't the right word... 'changes' is more appropriate. You're not there to enjoy a Sunday afternoon supping warm beer watching the racing but are there to do a job of work. There's a burden of responsibility that can weigh heavy at times and the enjoyment comes from a good day's work which has yielded pleasing images that have commercial value.
I've always enjoyed the pro-assignments but having been a while since I've had any, I have rediscovered my love of supping warm beer and watching the racing without having to worry about deadlines or if I got the shots I needed.
HTH
Some good advice already provided, particularly Tony 1963.
A few others that may be of use to you:
Kneedragger95 said:
Is motorsport photography a viable career these days?
Motorsport is more a speciality amongst others these days, rather a career in its own right. Most of the Toggers in Tabards you see on a Sunday will be shooting weddings, product shots or doing PR shoots during the week. Motorsport journalism has become somewhat of a closed shop, thanks to the US giant ‘Motorsport Network’ hoovering up all media outlets for the sport over the past few years – including some of the leading photo agencies through which it was once possible to flog your shots.
There are still some avenues but these are hotly pursued by the many who have similar ambitions so to make a dent, it’s as much about networking, promotion and hustling as it is about taking photos.
Kneedragger95 said:
So how do you stand out amongst all of the good (and not so good) amateur photographers out there?
To stand out from the amateurs, your photos must be to professional standard. Technical proficiency is of course a given but you need to think about the context in which a photo may be used and shoot accordingly. Will it be used on a backdrop in a dealer’s showroom – is the resolution going to be sufficient? If you’re going down the reportage route, you need to think about the photos as a sequence of ‘story-telling’ – not just cool shots of a racing car. Will it be used on a double-page spread where accommodation for text overlay may be required? Example:Next, you need to be different.
You need to be developing a style that is uniquely yours so that when someone sees one of your shots, they go ‘ahh – that’s a Kneedreagger95 photo’.
Do a bit of research on a photographer called Bernard Asset. French photographer who made his name in the 80s. He developed a very unique style which he still uses to this day.
You can do this now from the public areas by looking for interesting places to shoot from that few others have spotted. If you promise not to tell anyone, I’ll give you and example...
On the run towards Pilgrims Drop at Brands, there’s a service gate. There’s a small gap between the posts. If you lay flat on your front, you can aim a 600mm lens through another gap in the armco to catch the cars as they power out of Surtees. For example...
(Second one has had a little Photoshopping to separate out the background. Photoshop is a good skill to acquire as some clients like to see a sponsor name accentuated or something removed that may not align with their brand)
Kneedragger95 said:
Do you need to build a website to show off your portfolio as well as post images on social media sites in the hopes that by some miracle someone will spot your work and perhaps get your foot in the door that way?
You absolutely need a website. And Instagram. And Fickr. You need to learn the art of hashtagging and tagging. But you cannot rely on this alone. You need to drive the right people to the site and give them a reason to get in touch.Kneedragger95 said:
Or maybe you need to attend events regularly and build a rapport with teams or organisations?
And this! Become a ‘face’ at your local circuit. Follow a championship around the country. Show people the photos you took the previous week. Couple of other things...
Press passes. Very difficult to get hold of these days but don’t bust a gut trying to get one. Health and Safety being what it is these days have rendered many of the favoured spots for pro-toggers no-go areas (the top of Druids at Brands for example). They’re still handy to have but getting one will require you to have business insurance (Public Liability, etc.) as well which may not be cheap. For the smaller clubbie type meets, you can wander pretty much anywhere apart from the actual circuit anyway.
And you will at some stage need to invest in pro-gear – particularly glass. Before then, what ever you have needs be reliable and you must carry plenty of storage and batteries.
Beyond all that is just to get out there and hone your skills. Be self critical of your work and push yourself all the time.
One thing to be aware of is that when you attend a race for professional purposes, your enjoyment of it suffers. Actually, suffers isn't the right word... 'changes' is more appropriate. You're not there to enjoy a Sunday afternoon supping warm beer watching the racing but are there to do a job of work. There's a burden of responsibility that can weigh heavy at times and the enjoyment comes from a good day's work which has yielded pleasing images that have commercial value.
I've always enjoyed the pro-assignments but having been a while since I've had any, I have rediscovered my love of supping warm beer and watching the racing without having to worry about deadlines or if I got the shots I needed.
HTH
Edited by StevieBee on Tuesday 25th June 13:52
I have a mate who is a pro photographer and as a side line does motorsport etc and has all of the media passes for BSB events etc.
He's pretty much given up that stuff as there is just isn't any money in it, MSV dictate which photographer stands where and who they want them to photograph, obviously you can photograph anyone, but he was only getting paid for the specific shots requested unless something amazing happened at that corner.
He did do trackdays also, but again there's a hell of a lot of admin, taking photos most of the day from various points, uploading them to a laptop in the pits for people to view, burning CD's or hosting them on-line for purchase etc. It just seemed too much effort for not a lot of cash at that level.
He's pretty much given up that stuff as there is just isn't any money in it, MSV dictate which photographer stands where and who they want them to photograph, obviously you can photograph anyone, but he was only getting paid for the specific shots requested unless something amazing happened at that corner.
He did do trackdays also, but again there's a hell of a lot of admin, taking photos most of the day from various points, uploading them to a laptop in the pits for people to view, burning CD's or hosting them on-line for purchase etc. It just seemed too much effort for not a lot of cash at that level.
I briefly ran a photography business selling photos to people at Supercar experience days.
It was a lot of hard work, but it generated a reasonable amount of money after setup costs. In the end I just didn't fancy standing on a windy airfield every weekend all day. And as FreakUK says, there was a lot of admin processing tons of images at the end of the day and sending out prints. However this might be a good way to develop your skills and earn some money to get pro level equipment.
It was a lot of hard work, but it generated a reasonable amount of money after setup costs. In the end I just didn't fancy standing on a windy airfield every weekend all day. And as FreakUK says, there was a lot of admin processing tons of images at the end of the day and sending out prints. However this might be a good way to develop your skills and earn some money to get pro level equipment.
Freakuk said:
He did do trackdays also, but again there's a hell of a lot of admin, taking photos most of the day from various points, uploading them to a laptop in the pits for people to view, burning CD's or hosting them on-line for purchase etc. It just seemed too much effort for not a lot of cash at that level.
I was going to mention this but never done it myself. I've an Elise and do a Club Lotus day at Castle Coombe each year. The photographer does some good stuff. I worked out between stints that there were 72 cars taking part in track activity during the day. A package of 5 photos costs something like £50. If half of them made a purchase, that's £1,800 income for the photographer. Not a bad day's pay but as you say, there's a lot of effort gone into that and you'd need a least three a month to make a living from it (assuming fewer track days during the winter).
The money can look enticing, but…
I had a chat with someone who does a variety of photography and I was blunt about asking the big question: £?
Before she ditched her old job and went pro, she was on about £50k/yr working for a company. After a few years as a photographer, she estimated that to equal that pay, she needed to pull in £150k/yr.
Scary.
But once she took into account pensions, travel costs investments in equipment (ongoing) etc etc, that’s what she came up with. I certainly wasn’t in a position to argue.
So, £150k divided by 48 weeks (four weeks for holidays?) is £3,125 per week. Every single week.
Her big money spinner was commercial/industry photography. Paid well and paid on time.
I had a chat with someone who does a variety of photography and I was blunt about asking the big question: £?
Before she ditched her old job and went pro, she was on about £50k/yr working for a company. After a few years as a photographer, she estimated that to equal that pay, she needed to pull in £150k/yr.
Scary.
But once she took into account pensions, travel costs investments in equipment (ongoing) etc etc, that’s what she came up with. I certainly wasn’t in a position to argue.
So, £150k divided by 48 weeks (four weeks for holidays?) is £3,125 per week. Every single week.
Her big money spinner was commercial/industry photography. Paid well and paid on time.
Track Days - Some organisers employ the photographer for a day and give the photos to the drivers FOC. Photographer gets regular income rather than the uncertainty of maybe not making any sales at all for a long days work from dawn to midnight. There is still a lot of admin that has to be done, sorting into albums, and whilst there are some computerised tools that can be used (number plate recognition / AI photo recognision) , those aren't free.
For those paying, I'm not certain how many drivers buy a photo or photo package - unless its a circuit new to them, or a new car.
Press photography - very little money in it. Magazines - a little more but they pay on usage and you're not sure whether the magazine will use one photo or 4. Payment comes possibly 60 days after the event.
I can't comment on BSB as I don't shoot bikes, but I shoot at all MSV circuits and apart from specific red zones, provided there is a physical barrier between myself and the circuit, I am able to go most places. MSV don't pay you for your photos - they provide the tabards but you are not shooting to their brief, you are shooting to you employers brief.
For those paying, I'm not certain how many drivers buy a photo or photo package - unless its a circuit new to them, or a new car.
Press photography - very little money in it. Magazines - a little more but they pay on usage and you're not sure whether the magazine will use one photo or 4. Payment comes possibly 60 days after the event.
I can't comment on BSB as I don't shoot bikes, but I shoot at all MSV circuits and apart from specific red zones, provided there is a physical barrier between myself and the circuit, I am able to go most places. MSV don't pay you for your photos - they provide the tabards but you are not shooting to their brief, you are shooting to you employers brief.
Thanks to everyone once again, every reply has been really helpful and I'll take everything on board.
Especially thanks to those who have painted a realistic picture of what the photography world is truly like in terms of effort and income, I think it's important to try and go into this with realistic expectations about the dedication required to make any money from Motorsport photography.
Instagram is something is used quite a bit in the past, Flickr I've dabbled with and a website of my own is completely new to me. I'll get to setting up Instagram and Flickr as soon as possible, is there anywhere else anyone would recommend uploading images to?
Especially thanks to those who have painted a realistic picture of what the photography world is truly like in terms of effort and income, I think it's important to try and go into this with realistic expectations about the dedication required to make any money from Motorsport photography.
Instagram is something is used quite a bit in the past, Flickr I've dabbled with and a website of my own is completely new to me. I'll get to setting up Instagram and Flickr as soon as possible, is there anywhere else anyone would recommend uploading images to?
Tony1963 said:
The money can look enticing, but…
I had a chat with someone who does a variety of photography and I was blunt about asking the big question: £?
Before she ditched her old job and went pro, she was on about £50k/yr working for a company. After a few years as a photographer, she estimated that to equal that pay, she needed to pull in £150k/yr.
Scary.
But once she took into account pensions, travel costs investments in equipment (ongoing) etc etc, that’s what she came up with. I certainly wasn’t in a position to argue.
So, £150k divided by 48 weeks (four weeks for holidays?) is £3,125 per week. Every single week.
Her big money spinner was commercial/industry photography. Paid well and paid on time.
I would work it out as 'How much money do you need to live on?' Then allow for the times when you don't get any work and earn £0.I had a chat with someone who does a variety of photography and I was blunt about asking the big question: £?
Before she ditched her old job and went pro, she was on about £50k/yr working for a company. After a few years as a photographer, she estimated that to equal that pay, she needed to pull in £150k/yr.
Scary.
But once she took into account pensions, travel costs investments in equipment (ongoing) etc etc, that’s what she came up with. I certainly wasn’t in a position to argue.
So, £150k divided by 48 weeks (four weeks for holidays?) is £3,125 per week. Every single week.
Her big money spinner was commercial/industry photography. Paid well and paid on time.
OP, I would regard this as a pocket money hobby. A few hundred a year, low thousands if you're lucky, because everyone with a camera who likes cars is after it. The main thing is - enjoy it
Kneedragger95 said:
Instagram is something is used quite a bit in the past, Flickr I've dabbled with and a website of my own is completely new to me. I'll get to setting up Instagram and Flickr as soon as possible, is there anywhere else anyone would recommend uploading images to?
I use Pixieset A good range of tools including a platforms from which you can sell your photos, invoice clients, set up client galleries, etc. Has a very good and nice looking website option too so you can integrate everything into one place. Here's my site using the Pixieset platform: https://www.mobiusphoto.co.ukZenfolio is another. Does pretty much the same thing but personally I prefer the 'feel' of Pixieset.
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff