Biggest expense style of photography

Tunney said:
I work with a lot of very serious bird watchers. One of them owns a Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L worth around £10,000.

Very well built but incredibly heavy with it. We tried taking some photos with it without a tripod but they didn't turn out sowell. :D
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I've had a go with one. The zooms are so big it was difficult to know what I am actually looking at.

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D.P. said:
I had the impression that a lot of high end fashion stuff was done by agencies with the equipment belonging to the agency and photographers contracted or salaried by the agency? Could be totally wring and undoubtedly many people would own their own equipment.
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Oh indeed, same as for sports, wildlife, travel and photojournalism. There are always agencies in there as well as independents.
 
Rojin said:
Oh indeed, same as for sports, wildlife, travel and photojournalism. There are always agencies in there as well as independents.
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Most wildlife and nature photographers don't work for an agency though. A few lucky ones who work for National geographic and the likes but most are independent.
 
which is quite apparent. Apart from a very select few jobs where is the profit opportunity?
those huge heavy lenses.. to me that would not be enjoyable as a hobby
 
D.P. said:
Most wildlife and nature photographers don't work for an agency though. A few lucky ones who work for National geographic and the likes but most are independent.
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No there are a magnitude of independents, this is true. The good ones all get paid and provided for though as all things do in our capitalist society. Whether it is directly by Canikon etc. or directly by agencies fulfilling a clients brief. This isn't a thread about how many and who, just what costs the most.
 
Some areas of photography are expensive with out a doubt especially if you need long reach tele lens and TC's.

However we should also think about the cost of the event / location. With motor sports it is the ticket entrance fee and wildlife the travelling to the location, weather protection clothing. Also the non tangible cost of time away from ones family / love ones., then hours in front of the PC / laptop reviewing and editing the shots.

Another area I have looked into which is very expensive is Underwater photography. As the enclosed cases some times cost more than the camera body !
 
Currently looking at arranging an excursion to South Georgia to photograph Penguins and Albatross for 20-30 days, sometime within the next few years... gonna cost around £10k... but it's making my eyes water just thinking about it..

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Screw the cost, also screw the guy with the big stick who's gonna have to march me back onto the boat at gunpoint, at the end of the trip :cool:
 
Whatever is the most expensive it's still the person behind the camera which is the most crucial bit of kit that can make or break an image.
 
V-Spec said:
Currently looking at arranging an excursion to South Georgia to photograph Penguins and Albatross for 20-30 days, sometime within the next few years... gonna cost around £10k... but it's making my eyes water just thinking about it..

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Screw the cost, also screw the guy with the big stick who's gonna have to march me back onto the boat at gunpoint, at the end of the trip :cool:
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Wow, now that will be some trip !
 
I know my neighbour is big into his wildlife photography
Beside the enormous cost of the trips themselves, his kit if pretty impressive too
He uses a 1D-X now and hired a lens costing £25000 for his South Africa trip last year

And he still calls it a hobby...
 
D.P. said:
I had the impression that a lot of high end fashion stuff was done by agencies with the equipment belonging to the agency and photographers contracted or salaried by the agency? Could be totally wring and undoubtedly many people would own their own equipment.
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From what I know, if you are commissioned to shoot fashion for a brand or magazine, you would typically factor all your costs and expenses into the fee. So if you need to fly halfway around the world to shoot something for Versace on a beach, they would be paying the cost of your flights, transport, accommodation, meals, local equipment hire, model fee etc. Your breakdown of costs would additionally feature the hours worked, and your rate, thus ensuring you are making a profit.

So arguably, at the top end in fashion, you are getting everything you need paid for you. Sports and Wildlife shooters are having to pay a huge initial outlay for super telephoto lenses. They could rent, but you obviously need backing from an agency or publication to be commissioned to shoot something.

Ultimately, you aren't going to be a high end fashion photographer unless you have spent a fair bit of money building your career to get you to the stage where all your expenses are covered anyway.
 
Boiling it down to equipment price alone shooting digital medium format for high end fashion or adverts or landscape will be the most expensive and then further behind the supertele brigades for sport or wildlife. Really you could spend a fortune photographing anything. Don't let price put you off you can get some great photos of just about anything on a relatively modest equipment budget.
 
Above&Beyond said:
Boiling it down to equipment price alone shooting digital medium format for high end fashion or adverts or landscape will be the most expensive and then further behind the supertele brigades for sport or wildlife. Really you could spend a fortune photographing anything. Don't let price put you off you can get some great photos of just about anything on a relatively modest equipment budget.
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even a mobile phone will do
 
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