[Chewy734]

Well... it's happening now. Prices have gone up at B&H and Adorama for lenses, flashes, etc. Damn the US dollar

[Ali.K_BMW]

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[UdubBadger]

oh well. buy used

[hipnotic]

everything is so expensive

[Chewy734]

I know, it sucks... sadly the spring rebates that'll be out soon will probably just bring lenses down to the original pre-hike rates.

[Litos]

all i really need to complete my lens collection is a sick wide and a macro.

14-24 !?!?

105 Macro !?!?

i already got the 70-200 VRII and the 24-70 2.8 - the 14-24 would complete the trifecta, but i have two cars to mod in the process, HAHA !!!!


decisions decisions........

[M_Six]

I just hope the price increases take a couple of weeks to filter down to Amazon so I can grab the 50 1.4 at its current price.

[BMW F22]

I'm tired of all the price hikes. It's been going up and up and up. The lenses that I bought a year or two ago have gone up $200-300 each. That's pretty crazy. I might just stop buying new things all together.

[Litos]

Originally Posted by BMW E90

I'm tired of all the price hikes. It's been going up and up and up. The lenses that I bought a year or two ago have gone up $200-300 each. That's pretty crazy. I might just stop buying new things all together.

just make the lenses work for you

for the most part, all of your equipment should be paying for itself ten times over.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by Litos

just make the lenses work for you

for the most part, all of your equipment should be paying for itself ten times over.

I realized that if I sell my lenses, I can actually make a profit on each one. However, if I'm the buyer (old or new), I would be paying more for everything. It's a double edged sword cus photographers always buy new things.

[Litos]

yeah, but luckily i have found some extra income by shooting different things in the last 4 years.

for example, i got hired "under the table" by a construction company here in Houston to take pictures of their jobsites for a portfolio they are making - they build, paint and renovate schools, shopping centers, businesses, etc.

in December i made $3000 alone. not a bad gig, HAHA !!!!

that's aside from all the other stuff i do that a typical photographer gets paid for

camera equipment should work for you, my friend......

[UdubBadger]

that'd be a sweet gig

[Litos]

Originally Posted by UdubBadger

that'd be a sweet gig

it was a one time deal - had 20 sites that needed to be done.

$150 each site for 5 pictures lol.

after i turned the pictures over, the HR lady sent me an email advising that the owner of the company would like to keep me around and give me work on a "quarterly" basis. they now want before and after pictures of some of their sites.

i told them i'd be ready whenever they needed me, but i DID tell them that i work 60 hour weeks and that the best time for me to shoot would be Friday afternoons and weekends.

this gig shall support my car modding fetish

[BMW F22]

^ niiice.
Perhaps I shouldn't have called myself a "photographer" as I only do it as a hobby. I don't get paid for anything. Funny thing is I can probably take better pix than many pro photographers. hehe

[Litos]

yeah, the term "professional" is used rather losely.

i don't claim to be a professional, but i know my way around professional camera equipment and people love the pictures i take for them.

i get paid here and there, but up until this construction company paid me 3k, i would get a handful of shoots every 6-8 months.

typical portrait shots are @ $100 so i don't go out and gouge people lol.

i already have a full time job - photography doesn't maintain my family

[BMW F22]

Oh for sure. From what I understand 85-90% of full time photographers (i.e. pro photographers) don't make that much. They would actually make more if they just have a regular full-time job. And then there's that other 5-10% that make good money (i.e. just like a regular job) and then another 5% that makes great money ($150K +). It's all about marketing...or so I've heard.

[Litos]

i got 200 business cards made about 2 years ago - i still have @ 150 of them, HAHA !!!!!!!

most my work comes from coworkers. i send pictures out of the things that i did over the weekend and people ask:

"...do you do graduation pictures !?!?..."

"...do you do portrait shots !?!?..."

"...can you shoot my niece's wedding !?!?..."

"...how much you charge for blah blah blah..."

like i said, i don't think i'm the best at what i do, but people want an affordable photographer with a great personality. my coworkers all know me and i'm a real personable person.

my customers definitely get their money's worth.

[kamek]

Originally Posted by Litos

camera equipment should work for you, my friend......

[The1]

the first word in professional is profession, If you make money from it, you are a professional.

unfortunatly there are a lot of people out there that shouldn't be paid for the work they do.... like the girl that took pictures at my dads wedding this summer

My old man used more of my photos then he did of hers on his wall. And i was just goofing around with the 50mm 1.8 on my camera knowing that there would be a wedding photographer and i would be needed for other things.

should have left my 24-70 on and actually worked for shots...

Live and learn.

[UdubBadger]

Originally Posted by The1

the first word in professional is profession, If you make money from it, you are a professional.

unfortunatly there are a lot of people out there that shouldn't be paid for the work they do.... like the girl that took pictures at my dads wedding this summer

My old man used more of my photos then he did of hers on his wall. And i was just goofing around with the 50mm 1.8 on my camera knowing that there would be a wedding photographer and i would be needed for other things.

should have left my 24-70 on and actually worked for shots...

Live and learn.

sad isn't it? my best friends wedding was the same story. I was the best man and still came up with 20 shots, all on a 20D, that came out better than anything the hired photographer shot. not to mention she lost their wedding bands (most likely stolen) after shooting them. he paid her $1500 and every time I go visit him he tells me he would have rather given me $1500 for the 20 photos I gave them than the 200 she shot and had printed at walmart.

[Chewy734]

20D for the win!

[Litos]

Originally Posted by UdubBadger

not to mention she lost their wedding bands (most likely stolen) after shooting them.

Holy. Crap.

That is unacceptable in any realm...