Joe the Plumber? ehr the Photographer?Originally Posted by Leonard Peterson
Joe the Plumber? ehr the Photographer?
I wish you well in your plans Ben.
My advice is to get a good business advisor and write off your equipment as rapidly as possible because it depreciates faster than an automobile. The challange you have before you is how are you going to differentiate yourself among the masses that have similar objectives? The weak economy has shown that a lower margin (sometimes well below reasonableness) is the customers objective and while this is an unfortunate set of circumstances, it is and has always been a rather cruel world. I have heard that over the last few years many had taken work at ridiculously low rates just to give them something to do and/or make the equipment payments.
Cheers!
As far as I am concerned, 35mm puts the bread on the table, however I feel that having large format work allows me to stand (a bit) apart as well, as offer mural reproduction sizes, and this does have some business value. Something to consider.
In a previous thread, I also asked for names of high-end "reverse switchers", but apparently it turned out that those photographers are so intelligent that they don't let the world know about the switch. Of course, there are some who revert to film for personal work (eg. http://marktucker.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/some/), but this does not mean they do so for their commercial work.
Pardon the bump -- I found this thread randomly on a search.
Just wanted to say this... I also caved in and got a Canon 5D Mark II. A little later, I developed my first batch of 8x10. Conclusion: the 5D sure is a fun point and shoot!
In all seriousness... I am not a commercial photographer, but if I were, I would make LF my niche. It would help you stand out from the L-lens toting masses. After all, it's working pretty well for Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.
Ben, "different strokes, different folks". I just purchased a 5DII and unloaded it after 2 days. Nice point and shoot that looks and feels like a $300 digicam in use.
Robert, I agree completely. The user interface is obviously NOT where they spent their development resources.
I still say the 5DII is the best point and shoot on the market... But for anything other than snapshots, I'll be reaching for my 8x10...
Darn, and I thought that when it came to Digital, LF people were die Hard Nikonians.
Maybe if Nikon made a 24mm f/1.4
What's a f-stop between friends
I use a Kodak SLR/c, full-frame EOS mount camera for any commercial work that I do. I'm very comfortable using this camera on my 4x5 capable tripod just as I would a view camera. I use a 24mm TS-E and an Olympus 35mm MC shift lens. Evenutally, I want to get both the 45mm and 90mm TS-E lenses. Not there yet, though.
While I really like the flexibility that 35mm digital offers in post-processing, I see a role for film. For example, exterior photos taken with 35mm digital in overcast situations are terrible. All the light bouncing around in that small 35mm chamber degrades the image. (Even with lenshoods, which I always use.) Plus, my camera has no anti-aliasing filter. While this improves color fidelity and resolution, I end up with terrible magenta fringing in overcast situations.
So in exterior overcast or similar situations, I can use medium format film with my 4x5 and get great results at reasonable cost. I also use my 4x5 for personal work. And, I doubt that I could bear to part with it, anyway.
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