Wanderlust 4x5 P&S

[plywood]

If only Pros were here on this forum, it would be a ghost town.

Enthusiastic amateurs are what keep any photo company afloat. Some of those hobbiest photographers are very technically and even artistically proficient (not me) but enjoy photography too much to turn it into a mere job.

[David Aimone]

Not a mere job, but a passion that I finally was able to do full-time starting a year or two ago, and things have really taken off. Couldn't be happier, except would really like to use this camera for mobile 4x5 before I die.

Enthusiastic amateurs are what keep any photo company afloat. Some of those hobbiest photographers are very technically and even artistically proficient (not me) but enjoy photography too much to turn it into a mere job.

[Larry Kellogg]

If only Pros were here on this forum, it would be a ghost town.

Agreed. I think it has always been hard to survive on the income from photography. I believe Paul Strand was able to devote himself to photography because of an inheritance from his father.

[Corran]

There's also a big difference between a pro commercial photographer and one who makes a living off of "art" photography. The full-time commercial photographer who uses primarily film is a rare bird, and LF doubly so. If you are doing that David, kudos. You must live in a market that supports that.

[plywood]

Not a mere job, but a passion that I finally was able to do full-time starting a year or two ago, and things have really taken off. Couldn't be happier, except would really like to use this camera for mobile 4x5 before I die.

Certainly not questioning your passion David. It's just that I've always thought that the bussness of photography is 90 percent bussness and 10 percent photography. Now, if one were fortunate enough to have someone else deal with the taxes, billing, accounts receivable, promotion, bonds and insurance, etc. then I'd think that would take the load off the artist/photographer to really do what they love.

Oh, I looked at your site, really nice work, both technically and artistically.

[Kirk Gittings]

Enthusiastic amateurs are what keep any photo company afloat. Some of those hobbiest photographers are very technically and even artistically proficient (not me) but enjoy photography too much to turn it into a mere job.

Absolutely. There are a lot of good reasons to keep photography a hobby and indeed some of the absolute best photographers I know don't make a living at it. Having said that I am in my 37th year doing photography full time (commercial, art and teaching) with no intentions to retire. I can't imagine doing anything else.

[mdarnton]

Enthusiastic amateurs are what keep any photo company afloat. Some of those hobbiest photographers are very technically and even artistically proficient (not me) but enjoy photography too much to turn it into a mere job.

I may have told this story before...... in the early 70s I worked in a small mall camera store. We had a customer, a doctor, who came in every time Canon brought out some new bit, and bought it. He had ALL of the F1 accessories and lenses. He barely knew how to load his camera, and I never saw a photo from him. One day I mentioned some resentment to the store owner, and he told me that I should be thankful for such people, since as a group they enabled companies to make so many of each item that the price could be low enough that even I could afford them. It was an excellent point.

[Kirk Gittings]

I may have told this story before...... in the early 70s I worked in a small mall camera store. We had a customer, a doctor, who came in every time Canon brought out some new bit, and bought it. He had ALL of the F1 accessories and lenses. He barely knew how to load his camera, and I never saw a photo from him. One day I mentioned some resentment to the store owner, and he told me that I should be thankful for such people, since as a group they enabled companies to make so many of each item that the price could be low enough that even I could afford them. It was an excellent point.

That is equally true of the workshop industry too.

[Tin Can]

Like the car biz, win on Sunday and sell on Monday.

[Drew Bedo]

No whining here. I do this for a living and I've been hoping to have a portable 4x5 for professional work and every project missed hurts a bit. Waiting on a KS that has moved and continues to move at a snails pace is frustrating, that's all. I'm glad it's a luxury that most here have no urgent use for.

David: If you have a commercial need foraTW type of P&S LF camera body, there is a Globus on e-Bay that has been reduced to $800 from a grand.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301618028419...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

As an amature enthusiast photographer, I cannot justify the extra $600 or so and I'll have to wait till the opportunity for a TW comes along. I would think that one or two commercial shoots would pay for the Globus . . .but business is not my strong suite.

As written exchanges often do not read as they are intended: Ppease take these remarks to be well-meaning, helpful and respectful.