Is LF a leisure class pursuit?

[Struan Gray]

To me, and my wallet, 8x10 Portra has always seemed like a Veblen good.

[Drew Wiley]

Leisure class? Yeah, it's fun. But just lugging around an 8x10 system most of your adult life is real work, besides the day job per se. And as far as having a lot of "disposable income" goes, there are plenty of welfare rednecks out there who spend more on speedboats, beer, cigarettes, and lottery tickets, than most of us spend on our gear, film, and travel expenses. And as for geeks and techies, plenty of them spend more on their daily Starbucks habit than I spend on large format
film each year. I like good coffee, but brew my own. It's all relative.

[Heroique]

I think in a national park the answer is always yes.

If only this had been my reply, for I think you're right.

Except that we were at lonely no-fee trailhead in Wenatchee Nat'l Forest – not Olympic NP, North Cascades NP, Mount Rainier NP, or Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.

But let's call this a distinction without a difference. ;^)

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I'll add that Struan's "Yes" reply would have made immediate sense to them, even if they'd never heard of 8x10 Porta.

[Jim Jones]

I ain't got no class of any kind, but do make time to enjoy photography or to support the local school with pro bono coverage of events. On rare occasions there's even enough time to watch a feature on TV.

[Dennis]

The definition of leisure class is wealthy with time and money to do whatever they want. Not part of the working classes.

For me photography is a lower middle class pursuit. It would be a totally poverty class pursuit if my spouse didn't have a good income.

[Jody_S]

Definitely middle class or better. I struggle because I'm disabled and can only work part-time, which means for much of the year I have all the time in the world for it, but I usually can't afford to buy a lens just because I want it. Much less proper film. Thank the Invisible Pink Unicorn (BBHHH) for X-Ray film.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

I have several income streams, one of which involves photography (print sales and workshops).

But primarily my photography is an artistic pursuit.

I have a day and a half left of "work" left before I retire after 24 years working for the university (halftime position)...and a prior 12 years with the US Forestry Service (fulltime seasonal). My three boys are 18 and off to college, etc. The house is paid for (doing foundation work right now...then a darkroom!). No pets, divorced. A bar next door and a brewery/taproom five minutes walk away.

So lots of leisure ahead -- and I'll do it with as much class as I can muster.

Well, I'm not far behind you Vaughn. I put the boys through college, boy that set me back, bought and paid for a house in Vancouver Washington and working till October 30th and then I'm done. My photography hobby will expand along with woodworking and teaching. The wine fridge will be full! So I'll be leisurely doing my thing.

[Wayne]

Abundant denials notwithstanding, yes it is mostly a leisure class pursuit.

[Vaughn]

Well, I'm not far behind you Vaughn. I put the boys through college, boy that set me back, bought and paid for a house in Vancouver Washington and working till October 30th and then I'm done. My photography hobby will expand along with woodworking and teaching. The wine fridge will be full! So I'll be leisurely doing my thing.

The Columbia Gorge will be your backyard playground! Most excellent! I hope you'll have a parking place for my van so I can play, too!

Two silver gelatin contact prints (11x14) and a 5x7 carbon print...all from the Gorge!

[sun of sand]

I honestly don't know how much e6 costs to buy process and print
So it is pretty damn close

I took two rolls of b&w 35mm to praus productions to get developed and printed as I didn't want to do it
Processing not that expensive
But with him doing custom printing of negatives it would have cost over $200 for like 10-15 prints I had chosen

Who the f pays that except for the working professionals
Not me I took those mfing negatives and booked

I printed them and with all the custom work I did I'm sure
Positive
That level of customization would have cost 500-1K
If he would even have the time to take that on

So certainly paying for any higher quality custom printing of any size or process is for either the money making pro or the rich


B&w on your own is pretty cheap till you get into largest sizes of film/ prints and matting and framing
If you do that you'd better be selective, well off or have sales routinely cover costs
Or keep photography as your sole pursuit in life

With that said film costs just rose 1.3% while typing this post