Auto Racing: Motorsports Photography, paper trash, ugly cars

Question
Hello there Dan! i have a racing question that im pretty sure has happened to ya before at some point. Ive just started Photographing motor sports and want to sell my photos. whats the best way to approach a racer and ask if he wants any pic to purchase? Should i have prints i hand or ask them if they want to be shot? any tips?

thanks alot. Man! shooting that stuff is fun!!..

Answer
I'vew been approached both ways.

There's a guy that comes too most of our races, shoots lotsa pix, then goes around with prints and sells them for $20 or so. He probably throws a lot paper away.  After I ran out of room on my wall I told him to hold off 'til I said something which he did.

There's another guy from the Atlanta area, a Gordon Jolly, who asks permission to take your pix, then in about a week, sends a few prints in the mail.  In my case, his were VERY good and I bought all but one of them for $25 each, and this was in 1998.

Since I havea little photographic background myself, here are a few hints.
]
       #1 use a LOT of shutter speed,
       #2 8 X 10 prints only, don't give an option or you'll spend  
          too much time selling $ X 6's for a buck
       #3 Pay close atention to the background, if the area   
          around the shot id dirty with paper trash and such , it's
          an ugly picture of a pretty car.
       #4 Only the very nice looking cars. People with sloppy and
          ugly cars usually don't want pictures of them .

That's about all I can offer

Good luck.


Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida