Anyone make money with their cameras?

[doubs43]

My job in real estate requires that I take photographs of homes for our web site. (You can see my pics at: www.billandcarolphelps.com )

I use a Sony F-828 digital camera that has an equivilent wide angle of 28mm for 35mm cameras. I almost always use bounce flash and for that I have a Vivitar 283 flash unit. It's new enough to permit use on a digital without fear of burning anything up.

All pictures used on the web site are resized to 9 x 12 inches and then a thumbnail of 1.875 x 2.5 inches is also made. I use Corel Photo-Paint 12 to work the images.

I designed and maintain the entire web site. I use MS Frontpage 2003.

Walker

 

[wblanchard]

Bill

Just an hour ago, Sharona and I finalized another wedding shoot. That's another $500.00 in our pockets. We've got three upcoming weddings "in the books" for the upcoming wedding season. It's easy money. And I am always conscious to do a very good job. Every single client has always been very pleased with the price and the results. 95% of it is done with SLR's and a varitey of popper's (flash units). The Vivitar 285 has been my tried and true popper for over twenty five years. However, I give Sharona the Viv 283, set on auto f/8 mode, and she blasts away. Lately I've been using the Viv 285, Sunpak 433D TTL and the Nikon SB-24 popper's, with very good results. I burn Fuji NPH @ 320, then have the negs printed onto 4x6" proof prints and onto photo CD format. The clients love it. I have two upcoming wedding shoots where they want B/W also. The Fuji Neopan 400 and Neopan 400CN, are perfect for this. I burn it @ 250 through a deep yellow (#15) filter for the most amazing flesh tones. A touch of diffusion on the lens for the "Ladies" snaps. They love that too.

I'll call you in a bit. Time for dinner and focusing fluid!

Russ

Russ...I'm actually retiring my Vivitar 283 and replacing it with the new Metz 54MZ3. I used the new Metz on my EOS 3 with one of Gary Fonds Lumispheres..and the results are AMAZING. When I shoot film, I always use Kodak Portra. That film uses the same color palatte. It looks good in a albums when all the colors seem to be in harmony. :angel:

 

[g0tr00t]

Just out of curiosity, how much would a professional charge for something like this?

Depends on their income. I would say $200 a photo is good. It sounds like you are giving them "grant of rights" to the photos.....so $200 is not that high at all.

What if one if these band makes it big and uses your shots for their multi-platinum albmus? $5 for that shot? I say they made a great deal 🙂

 

[g0tr00t]

Oh, and as far as making money doing this? Yeah, unfortunately all the income is from the digital side. On the upside, I have made enough for a pair of WL1600's, a D100 w/various lenses, Canon 1D and now a 1Ds with various lenses and other accessories. So yeah, its a great little gig on the side 🙂🙂🙂

 

[choozart]

Just curious if anyone uses the photography for their main job and what's your main camera set up. Three months before my layoff at a computer company I was a second shooter at weddings with my camera. Now with support from friends on this site...I'm throwing all my chips in and starting my own business with my existing portfolio.

I'm a wedding / special event photojournalist who specializes in black and white photos, but will do color. My main set up is my Leica Digilux 2 with a Vivitar 283 stroboframe mounted flash with Wein SSHSHS Safe-Sync Hot Shoe to Hot Shoe.

I've recently shot two events with this set up and have been amazed by the results. I've had the Vivitar for years and the thing never lets me down.

My backup camera is my Conax G2 kit. Soon to be joined with my R3A.

I shoot weddings mostly with an Olympus E1, and sometimes I will shoot with my Fuji GA645 Zi, if I can get them to pay a little extra for the development costs.


Why a 283? I have two of those, plus a 285, and the 285 is better, and it has a sync voltage of only 7 volts, you wouldn't need a wein with one.


Good luck to you. Also, you can get a lot of business just by contacting other photographers, -- when their calendars fill up, have a few send some leads your way, i.e., those they cannot book because they are already booked on a given date.

That's one of the many things I did when I first started.


Patrick

 

[Russ]

Why a 283? I have two of those, plus a 285, and the 285 is better, and it has a sync voltage of only 7 volts, you wouldn't need a wein with one.

Patrick

I have been using the Vivitar 285's for over twenty five years. And even though I now have more advaced poppers (flash units) Sunpak and Nikon TTL units, I have no plans of retiring the Viv 285's. They're just too good and reliable.

Russ

 

[wblanchard]

I have to agree that the Vivitar flashes are pretty amazing...after so many years, they are the best I have used and always reliable. They are the Leica of flashs. IMO.

 

[kbg32]

I am a stock shooter and exhibit as well. Lately my main cameras have been the Contax G2, Canon 20D, Powershot Pro 1, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC LC1.

Good luck!!

Keith
www.pbase.com/keithbg

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Working in a Lab, photography is part of the job for documentation and presentations. I use a Nikon D1x and Polaroid SLR690 for most of the work. Use mostly Micro-Nikkors. The thing that I dislike most about the D1x is that it cannot be used in TTL mode with the SB29 Ring Light, making it impossible to use with macro photography. I traded it for an SB15, I was so annoyed.

Elvis Presley saw my Vivitar 283, and it is still going strong. It is still going strong all these years later. I used it on a tripod with a slave-trigger for informal Christmas portraits at Nikki's school. That was for fun, and I ended up paying for most of the film and processing out of pocket. I'll take a write-off. Used an N8008s with an N70 as backup for flash shots and the M3 and Canon 7 for existing light shots of the school pageant.

I thought the suggestion of a "virtual wedding album" was a good one. You have the skill to pull it off, and I would think today's computer-oriented couples would like the idea. Once a few templates were created, this might be a lucrative addition to a wedding package. Is this offered as part of a package at many places? I suppose a virtual wedding announcement with portraits, guest responses, directions, and lists of hotels could also be included.

 

[wblanchard]

Elvis Presley saw my Vivitar 283.

That's the coolest thing i've read in awhile. Do you still have the pictures? 🙂

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Yes, the High-Speed Ektachrome slides are still in the basement. Gotta dig them out and scan them. Elvis in his white suit. Vivitar 200mm F3.5 lens, Argus/Cosina STL1000. That flash lit up the old Capital Center.

 

[RayPA]

Does anyone have examples of equestrian photography? Are we talking horse portraits, action? Just curious really. Thanks.

 

[FrankS]

Equestrian photos: horse full body, horse head and shoulders, rider beside horse, rider on horse, rider + horse in mid-jump, rider and horse with ribbons, severed horse's head in a bed, etc. (Okay, I was kidding about the movie scene.)

 

[CleverName]

Depends on their income. I would say $200 a photo is good. 🙂

$200!! wow, that's like 50 pints! Man, I'm gettin' ripped off!
Seriously though, I doubt they made much more than that for playing the gig. I have a sort of "handshake" agreement with a few bands that they can use my photos for promotion, flyers, website and stuff, but if they want to use it for anything they are going to sell they need to pay me. So far I've had photos on several websites and flyers but nobody's used anything for tote bags or coffee mugs🙂 There is a band that might use the photo of the painted squirrel that in my gallery, but nothing definite yet.

 

[wblanchard]

Equestrian photos: horse full body, horse head and shoulders, rider beside horse, rider on horse, rider + horse in mid-jump, rider and horse with ribbons, severed horse's head in a bed, etc. (Okay, I was kidding about the movie scene.)

I have lots of experience being around the tracks and trainers...wagering and all that fun handicapping. I don't think my wife would want me spending anymore time at the track than I have too.... 😀 oh! wrong venue....yes, Equestrian would be interesting. I will have to look into it. 🙂

 

[RayPA]

Thanks Frank. Sounds like fun.

 

[Russ]

Russ...I'm actually retiring my Vivitar 283 and replacing it with the new Metz 54MZ3. I used the new Metz on my EOS 3 with one of Gary Fonds Lumispheres..and the results are AMAZING. When I shoot film, I always use Kodak Portra. That film uses the same color palatte. It looks good in a albums when all the colors seem to be in harmony. :angel:

Bill

I've always wondered about that particular Metz popper. What's it's guide #? I am really liking this newly acquired Nikon SB-24. An amazing little popper. Same power as the Viv 285's, yet has power zoom head, TTL, auto f-stops at any f-stop, tilt-swivel head, etc. I'll call ya tonight.

Russ