In the future for Ron Hawkes Photography

So Saturday and Sunday I had fun, though worked my butt off, working at Spruce Head Pizza. It was nice to go to someplace where I worked and got paid, not something I have done for awhile.

For the past 11 years making a living has been accomplished via covering games based on the speculation that I would sell enough photos to survive. For many years I managed to get by, but this past year has been horrible, forcing me to rethink my photography business and what I am going to do with it in the future.

As a photographer for Ron Hawkes Photography, Maine Sports Report, The Camden Herald, Village Soup and the Herald Gazette I have covered probably more games with my camera then any other sports media business in the state. 90% of that was sports being shot on speculation. That has now come to an end for me.

I will still cover some games from time to time, to write about on the Daily Midcoast Sports Report. But I will cover it with my pen not my camera. Effective today, June 18, Ron Hawkes Photography will only be shooting sports games and matches when hired to do so.

The cost will be the same for every game or match except championship games.

CD’s with all the photos, up to 100, $100. Championship games, 75 photos minimum, $150. 100 photos minimum, $200.

Want your own son or daughter, $150. per game all photos of your favorite athlete, up to 75. Championship games all photos $3. each with a minimum of $200.

These CD’s are for your personal use only.

Those prices are what it cost me to shoot a game. Every game is 5+ hours of shooting, editing and posting. My prices are very inexpensive, but what I need to make it worthwhile financially.

All games must be booked and paid for at least two days in advance. CD with your images will be ready for pick up on the following day.

While I love shooting sports, especially the stuff I am shooting right now, Little League mostly, but I can know longer continue to do it. I am in need of new cameras and lens and I refuse to buy on credit. Every piece of equipment that I own is bought and paid for. I can no longer use my equipment to work for 5+ ours, wearing out the equipment and not only not make enough sales to survive let a lone pay for the cost of doing business.

For the first 10 years it was great, I had many times where I thought about how lucky I was that I was so supported by so many local people. With the economy the way it has been and with all the Mom’s and Dad’s With Camera’s taking hundreds of shots and posting them on facebook for anyone to take free of charge, I don’t stand a chance. Free is always better then paying for something. I have had some wonderful customers over the years and I will miss taking photos of your children knowing how much you enjoyed them. But it is time for me to move onto a different focus, a paying focus, to try and keep my photography business alive and running.

Ron Hawkes Photography will continue to do Senior Portraits, Portfolio’s, Weddings, Family Shoots, and Commercial photography along with the best Team & Individual Photography in the area.. You can contact me at ron@ronhawkes.com or call me at 975-2311 to book a date.

This entry was posted on June 19, 2012 at 11:01 am and is filed under RHP News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.