Mountain Bike Photography

bikeparkphoto.com is a project I have been mulling over for a few years, one which would allow me to combine 2 passions of mine, mountain bike photography and ecommerce.

The project finally came to life in 2022 during a season in Morzine. My focus is photographing riders shredding the bike park while the website provides a user-friendly platform allowing riders to effortlessly access and download their photos. Although the concept is not exactly groundbreaking, I noticed areas where it could benefit from significant improvement.

Pay What You Want

I wanted to give riders a choice of how much they pay for a photo, from nothing up to £10 for a single shot. The Pay What You Want pricing model allows riders to decide the value of the photo based on its significance to them and their individual circumstances. Riders have the flexibility to pay what they feel is appropriate and within their budget.

The unexpected success of this pricing model has revealed that people are truly appreciative of well-crafted mountain bike photography. Riders are, more often than not, willing to pay for a good photo even when presented with an option to download for free.

Same-day Downloads

I strive to ensure that my photos are made available to riders on the very same day they were taken. The task of transferring hundreds of photos to an online platform posed a significant time burden which could often leave riders waiting several days for their photos, prompting me to build a custom app that could automate this process.

The app utilises EXIF information to categorise and tag each photo, generating a unique product within Shopify with multiple variants for various price breaks. This automated system expedites the addition of photos onto the site, allowing them to be available for purchase within a matter of hours following a shoot.

User Experience

I wanted to make the website as simple to use a possible. With a minimalist design and a primary focus on mobile users, riders can quickly locate their photos. I also added several express checkout options, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, allowing riders to purchase an image with just 2 clicks. When riders have successfully purchased a photo, they receive an email containing links to the high-resolution, un-watermarked photos.

I've been blown away by the feedback I've received so far and overwhelmed by the support I've received from bike parks and riders. I'm stoked to witness the project's evolution as I continue to refine and polish every aspect, and can't wait to see what lies ahead for bikeparkphoto.com.