James,
just read your Article on Westminster. First of all, congratulations on a successful show. I'm not sure I would have opted for the printer as a solution to your production needs but if that's where you're comfortable and you're happy with the results, then it obviously was the right choice for you.
The images posted are outstanding. Great work. You should be proud.
As for image theft: welcome to our world
. We show photographers have been dealing with this for the last few years and it only gets worse; not better. Trying to explain copyright law to people who only want to scan your prints for social media or for advertising is tantamount to talking to the wall. They don't get it; they don't want to get it; and they never will get it. I personally believe the only solution is to offer the market what it wants. And prints -- especially that old standby the 8X10 print -- may have gone the way of the Dodo Bird. IMHO.
As for specialty prints -- canvas wraps, metal prints, etc. -- I believe that is still a profitable area of business for us because most folks don't know where to get them and they are willing to pay a premium for them. But increasingly, the folks using EZ Prints, AdoramaPix and other consumer labs have access to those products as do the photo hosting sites like Smugmug and people will want to purchase your files so they can save money on the production.
For show pictures, the game is much simpler and the decision seems to be much more obvious. People do not want prints. They do not want to pay for prints. They want files and they'll pay for them if they can get them quickly (instant gratification is the product of social media and cameraphones) and cheaply. Most digital show photographers have been pricing their files like we used to price negatives in film days. I'm not sure that's relevant any more. I'm an exhibitor as well as a photographer and I often wonder why I have to pay more for a file when the photographer doesn't need to print or mail me a print. They can just deliver a file via email. And, yes, I do understand copyright law and usage fees. I just don't think they mean anything any more. Check out what Getty Images and 500px are doing if you want tangible proof of that.
Like you, I'm giving a lot of thought to both product and pricing moving forward. Not to mention whether or not it's really worth it financially to shoot some of the shows I've shot in the past. But that's fodder for another day. As for your Westminster experience, I'm delighted you had a great show. Now, let's hope you can feed that 7900 with enough paying work to make it a prudent purchase.
Great article. I enjoyed it and it gave me more to think about.
Jim