Learn how to sell more sports pictures with these 3 key tips

If you want to sell more sports pictures, it’s not enough just to take good photos. It’s essential that you also have your digital photography business set up properly. And while this sounds logical, we know that in practice it can be more complicated than it sounds. Among the many concerns that a sports photographer may have, there is one that is often repeated: how to generate recurring income that allows you to make a living from your passion. Because yes, photographing sports is exciting, but if you don’t have a professional system that helps you to show and sell your images on the Internet, that passion is unlikely to become a profitable project.

Therefore, in this article we are going to share with you 3 fundamental keys that, if you learn to implement in your digital photography business, will allow you to sell more sports pictures in a simple, structured and, above all, effective way.

 

Learn how to sell more sports photos and take your digital photography business to the finish line.

What is holding you back from sell more sports pictures?

 

When a photographer works capturing images of the sporting world and is looking to sell more sports images, he faces numerous challenges in his day-to-day work. These obstacles can make the difference between having a profitable business or just an expensive hobby. Some of the most common are:

• Establish appropriate contacts with sponsors and organisers to obtain accreditation to cover relevant events.
• Availability to travel to training camps, championships and competitions, often at short notice.
• Coping with extreme weather conditions, especially in outdoor sports.
• Find the ideal place within the venue to capture the best shots without interference.
• To have the appropriate technical equipment, adapted to each sporting discipline.
• Be agile with the camera and have the experience to anticipate key plays or moments.
• Protect the copyright of photographs published or sold.
• Stand out from the competition on the Internet, in an increasingly saturated market.
• Maintain agile and direct contact with potential buyers interested in your images.
• Ensuring a good loading speed on your website is key to a smooth user experience.
• To have a professional website, where you can present your portfolio in an attractive and organised way.
• To have an online sales system, which works automatically and allows images to be sold at any time.
• Offer advanced features such as facial recognition or bib recognition, so that athletes can quickly find their photos.
• Collaborate with a reliable printing laboratory, which ensures the final quality of the printed images for your customers.
• And, of course, many more.

Now, among all these challenges, there are 3 key concerns that directly influence a sports photographer’s ability to sell more sports images online.

Let’s look at them in detail.

I don’t have a system for selling images integrated into my website and I spend too much time managing orders

Many sports photographers focus their efforts on making deals with organisers and sponsors in order to be able to attend more competitions, and that is fine. Without the necessary accreditations, it would be impossible to cover certain events and therefore sell more sports images. However, nowadays, thanks to the visibility offered by the Internet and the professional business solutions that Arcadina offers you, sales opportunities have multiplied, and it is essential that you also take advantage of them.

Because beyond the agreement with the organisers to deliver a selection of official photos of the event, in each competition there are many more people who may be interested in your images, for example:

• The participants themselves.
• Their families and friends.
• Attendees and the general public.
• Fans of the sport in question.
• Local and specialised media.
• And many more.

The big challenge is that, during the event, you won’t have time to show your photos and contact them all directly. This is where the importance of having a professional website for sports photographers comes into play.

With a well-designed website, where you can present yourself, show your work and, above all, offer an online image sales system, you will be giving all these people the possibility to buy your photos quickly, easily and securely, even days after the event.

The result? You will sell many more sports images and significantly increase the profit you can earn from each competition you attend.

I do not have a solution that allows athletes to easily identify their images within the online gallery

When you cover a sporting event, such as a half marathon, it is very common for the number of participants to be high. This means that you will be capturing hundreds, or even thousands of photographs throughout the event. And while that may seem like a great sales opportunity, it can also become an obstacle if you don’t know how to organise and display those images efficiently.

Even if you then create sub-folders within the galleries on your website (e.g. by sorting the photos according to the time slots of the race), the search experience can still be tedious for participants. They are often confronted with a huge number of very similar images, with dozens of runners in each shot, forcing them to go through them one by one to find theirs. And if finding their photo becomes a time-consuming or frustrating task, they are likely to abandon the search without buying anything.

Therefore, the solution is to integrate an intelligent identification system on your own website, which allows each athlete to locate their photos quickly, easily and automatically, either through facial recognition, search by bib number or specific filters. Having this type of technology not only improves the user experience, but also considerably increases the possibilities of sales, turning what was once a sporadic sale into a recurring and professional source of income.

I want to sell printed photos, but without having to take care of the whole process manually

Another of the most interesting ways to increase your income after covering a sporting event is to offer the option of buying printed photographs in different formats. Not only on high quality photographic paper, but also in more exclusive presentations such as canvas, methacrylate, aluminium or even personalised frames. These types of products have a great emotional value for athletes and their families, and can become a very profitable source of additional income.

The main problem, as mentioned above, is direct communication during the event. It is practically impossible for you to talk to all the attendees to explain that you offer this printing service. Added to this is the fact that in many competitions, especially in the most relevant ones, people from other cities or regions participate, so it is unlikely that they will be able to come to your studio or meet you to pick up a printed copy.

This is where the potential of your professional website comes into play. If you reach an agreement with the event organisers or sponsors to promote your website on the official channels (event website, social media, posters, bibs, etc.), you will be multiplying your sales possibilities. Ideally, once on your website, participants can easily find your images and have the option to buy them already printed in the format they prefer, with direct delivery to their home. This way, you eliminate all geographical and logistical barriers, and you can sell without the need to manage each order manually.

An automated sales system, integrated into your website, with a connection to a professional printing lab, can make the difference between selling a few photos… or turning every event into a real business opportunity, don’t you think?

Arcadina helps you to sell more sports photos in an easy, fast and professional way

 

If your goal is to cover the world’s biggest sporting events and make a living from it, you need more than just a good camera and a passion for sport. It is essential that you build a solid digital photography business that allows you to generate income even while you are travelling, editing photos or planning your next coverage.

At Arcadina we offer you a set of business solutions designed to make your work easier, adapting to your pace and daily needs. These tools not only allow you to work more efficiently, but also to automate your business and increase your income in a sustainable way.

Some of the key functionalities that you can integrate into your website with us are:

• Online shop to sell your sports photographs at any time, from anywhere and to any customer.
• Private galleries where your customers can access their photos, download the agreed images and purchase additional images.
• Integrated artificial intelligence system, which allows quick searches by facial recognition or bib number, making the shopping experience as easy as possible.
• Connection with Arcadina Labs, which allows you to offer professional prints in different formats: photographic paper, canvas, methacrylate, aluminium, etc.
• Advanced security systems to protect your images from unauthorised downloading.
• Integration with WhatsApp Business, to maintain fast and direct communication with your customers from your own website.
• And many more features designed for photographers like you.

Next, we will delve into the most relevant functionalities to help you sell more sports images. But first, we invite you to learn about some real cases of sports photographers who are already successfully using Arcadina to manage and scale their business. You can see them in the following article of our blog.

>> 12 sports photographers who have mastered the art of making an impact with each image

Online galleries for sale and direct download of your photos from your website

 

 demotokyo.arcadina.com

Private galleries for clients

One of the star business solutions that we offer at Arcadina is the creation of a private area for clients within your website. Thanks to the private galleries you will be able to offer your customers, as do the organisers of sporting events, an exclusive, comfortable and secure space where they can view, select, download and buy all the sports photos they want.

This type of private galleries are ideal for working with organisers and sponsors of competitions, who will usually hire you to cover the event and with whom you will previously agree to deliver a certain number of images in digital format. Thanks to these galleries, they will be able to access their photos directly from anywhere and at any time, without the need for mail exchanges or face-to-face meetings.

What can you do with these private access galleries?

• Allow the full display of the photo report (e.g. all photos of the race day).
• Offer the option to download pre-agreed images (e.g. 100 photos included in the agreement).
• Enable the option for the customer to purchase additional images easily, with customisable prices.
• Offer the sale of physical prints (paper, canvas, methacrylate, etc.) for promotional uses or personal souvenirs.
• Set up automatic discounts when a minimum number of selected images is reached.
• Create customised packs and set specific download or purchase conditions for each customer.

All this, integrated directly into your website, without the need for external platforms or manual processes. The system will work for you while you continue covering new events or editing reports. With Arcadina’s private galleries, you take another step towards a professional, automated and profitable sports photography business.

Public galleries with access for everyone

Another valuable option that you can incorporate into your business area are public galleries, also known as an online shop. In this space, anyone interested can have free access to purchase your sports photos, without having to contact you directly. This means that not only event participants, but also fans, family members, media or simply collectors will have the possibility to purchase your images quickly, conveniently and securely.

In the digital age, online shopping is becoming more and more common and expected by users. The simpler and more accessible the shopping experience on your website, the more likely you are to increase sales and generate additional revenue without extra effort. Can you imagine the economic potential of a competition if only a portion of the participants and attendees purchased two or three photos each? By doing the maths, that extra income from selling more sports images can become a significant source of profit for your business. Therefore, implementing an automated and efficient online sales system for your sports images is an investment worth serious consideration.

To help you make the most of these opportunities, we invite you to read our next article, where we share practical tips and recommendations to sell more and better photos through your photography website.

>> How do I sell my photos online and keep 100% of the profits?

Automatic face and back recognition using artificial intelligence

 

 demonewyork.arcadina.com

Offering the sale of sports images through your website is a big step towards professionalising your photography business, there’s no doubt about it. However, having an online shop is not enough: the checkout process must be fast, intuitive and effective. If it is complex or slow, many users will abandon before completing their order, which will directly impact your sales.

One of the most common challenges facing sports photographers is the sheer number of people that can appear in a single image. At events such as marathons or cycling competitions, it is common for hundreds of athletes to appear on stage at the same time, which makes identifying themselves in the photos a tedious task for the participants. This is where a smart solution comes into play: artificial intelligence applied to face and bib recognition.

At Arcadina, we have developed an advanced system that allows users to search for their images automatically, simply by using a photo of their face or their bib number. Thanks to this tool, customers can find their images in a matter of seconds, without the need to review hundreds of images manually.

The result?

• More convenience for your customers.
• Less work for you.
• And a higher sales volume without additional effort.

If you want to discover how this technology can help you sell more sports images and improve the shopping experience on your website, we invite you to read the following article of our blog, where we tell you in detail.

>> Did you know that you can now search for images by selfie? Find out about this new AI feature

Sale of prints in high quality professional formats

 

 demobangkok.arcadina.com

Another very interesting option to increase your income and add more value to your sports reports is to offer the sale of printed photographs in professional formats. Many athletes not only want to have their photos in digital format, but also love to keep their best moments on high quality photographic paper or on media such as canvas, methacrylate or foam.

If you provide them with this option directly from your website, you will be creating a new revenue stream with little additional effort. With us you can activate Arcadina Labs, an automated system that connects your online shop with a trusted professional photo lab. Thanks to this functionality, your customers will be able to:

• Access your gallery (public or private).
• Select your favourite photos.
• Choose the print format you like best.
• Order and pay directly from your website.
• Receive your images at home.

And best of all: you don’t have to be involved in any part of the process. Once the order is placed, the lab takes care of everything: printing, packaging and shipping. In just a few days, the customer will receive their printed photos at home, without the need to contact you, without any manual work, without any complications. This option not only improves the customer experience, but also helps you scale your business, generating revenue even when you are covering another event or editing the next shoot.

Do you want to know more about how Arcadina Labs works and how to integrate it into your website? In the following blog article we answer the most frequently asked questions and tell you how to get started step by step.

>> 10+1 questions that photographers ask about Arcadina Labs

 

 

 Selling more sports images has never been so easy: find all the tools at Arcadina

As you can see, if your goal is to become a great sports photographer and make a stable living from it, it is essential that you identify and overcome the obstacles that can hinder your progress. Aspects such as managing your website, managing to sell more sports images or automating certain processes will make the difference between a simple hobby and a profitable business.

Nowadays, having a well-structured and sales-oriented photography website is key to increasing your income and growing your personal brand within the world of sport. And with tools like the ones we offer you at Arcadina, making that professional leap is much more within your reach. Do you want to keep learning and improve your strategy as a sports photographer? Then don’t miss the following article that we have prepared especially for you, full of practical tips and recommendations that will help you continue to grow.

>> Master sports photography: Tips and tricks for spectacular images

At Arcadina we specialise in providing solutions to all types of photographers and after more than 20 years working with you we know how to solve most of the concerns of a sports photographer. If you still don’t know everything we can offer you, we encourage you to try our business solutions for free.

 

 

Today we want to share with you the interview of Manu Boutureira, a great sports photographer who trusts Arcadina.

>> Manu Boutureira and his opinion of Arcadina

And finally, here’s the question of the day. As a sports photographer, how do you sell more sports images? We’d love to read your comments.

 

Arcadina goes with you

Fulfil your dreams and develop your career with us. We offer you to try our web service free for 14 days. And with no commitment of permanence.

Arcadina is much more than a website, it is business solutions for photographers.

If you have any queries, our Customer Service Team is always ready to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We listen to you.