"Film is cheap"
Remind me of that when the wife sees the charge for ten boxes of Type 55 on the credit card statement.
"Film is cheap"
Remind me of that when the wife sees the charge for ten boxes of Type 55 on the credit card statement.
i think the "film is cheap" mantra comes from commercial photographers ... everything is cheap if you can bill it directly to the client. it's even cheaper after you take you pro kickback!
"Film is cheap."
There speaks someone who hasn't had to choose between paying a bill and buying a box (or even a couple rolls) of film...
There speaks someone who has not the tiniest clue about whether I've faced such decisions.
Perhaps, before you spout off with such arrant nonsense, you should actually get some information.
Film is cheap eh. Maybe someone who feels that way would like to buy me a whole whopping 100 shots of 8x10 Ilford, because I cant afford it. You should be able to get it to me for just under $400 with shipping. Still sound cheap? I'll send you my address.
$4 per sheet sounds cheap relative to the other photographic costs incurred. Gas, lodging, meals, equipment, etc. seem to swamp my film costs for just about any photographic project I've done and I don't see that changing in the future. And, I'm not particularly stingy when it comes to using film.
Perhaps, if you were to promote and sell your work, you'd find that the income it generates would help defray the expenses. A web site is a relatively inexpensive and very effective way to promote and sell work. If you're not willing to put in the effort required to build and maintain your own website, you still might steal a page from Jorge Gasteazoro's book, and auction off prints on Ebay. If you clear $70 per print, selling off six prints would buy you that box of 100 sheets of film.
$4 per sheet sounds cheap relative to the other photographic costs incurred. Gas, lodging, meals, equipment, etc.
True. I am blessed with a wife who doesn't mind camping or sleeping in the vehicle, living tough. We put our 4x4 RV into storage because of the mileage issue, and now use a station wagon with a tent extension. Of course, that's no help in urban situations and my work is going in that direction.
A PJ colleague who shoots all MF returns from each of his trips with at least 400 rolls of 120 film. We have a big project to begin next year. I suggested that I shoot LF. Color! That idea flew like a lead balloon. However, I am working on an interesting approach to do it regardless. I'll start a pertinent thread on this in a moment.
Whether film is cheap or expensive is relative to the individual and really is all about priorities. Film is cheap for me because of what I get with my purchase; a negative that I can reprint many times and keep for years. I have spent way too much moola on camera equipment to complain about film prices, in fact right now I am selling some of my less used equipment and in turn buying materials. Compared to a new lens, a new camera, or that lighting equipment that I so lust after, film is cheap, and more important for my photography. I'll gladly give up my cable bill, or my cell phone bill to pay for film, but I'm not giving up imported beer for some cheap imitation.
Yeah, I know I should put more effort into selling prints, but after 3 years of doing it I learned that I genuinely hate trying to sell myself. Hate, hate, hate it. If I had been more successful I might have a different attitude, but right now I'm enjoying it much more just for the love of it. I'm thinking about the website though, because I really miss the tax deductions...At least when I was tryng to sell I could deduct all sorts of things, even if I couldnt recover the cost.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks