How can I get a professional camera?

August 2, 2006 10:43 AM

I'm a photographer without a professional camera. I make just enough money at my non-creative job to pay my living expenses. But I really want to be a professional photographer.

I need a camera that costs $4000 for the quality and to be accepted at the agency where I would like to sell my images. (The agency has an accepted camera list, So a thousand dollar camera from eBay is out even though it would work.)

I can't borrow any money or use a credit card - that's just not an option. I already have huge student loan payments and my credit is not good either. I'm on a plan to repay my debts and don't want to take on anymore.

Working another job is not an option. I work two jobs right now. Which is all I can handle.

Just thought maybe someone out there has a creative idea to get me into a professional camera.

You can email me at withouta.camera at gmail.com

(Anonymous so as not to out myself to my friends as a loser because they think I am content with my job and life. If they knew my burning desire they might buy me a camera but they really need to take care of their own families and I believe one should never borrow money from friends.)

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (16 answers total)

Write a grant? There are foundations out there that will finance equipment for projects.

For many people, what makes them choose to do illegal work, such as smuggling, prostitution and forgery, is the wish to make a big investment like that.

Otherwise, you're cutting off too many options. Friends and family might love to throw a benefit gig for you to get a camera or to simply have a whip-round. Can you examine the parameters of your belief that one should never borrow from friends, and figure out ways to borrow while not violating too many of those parameters?
posted by By The Grace of God at 10:57 AM on August 2, 2006

I'm curious about this agency. Generally, stock agencies or PJ agencies (which are the bulk of the market) don't just take anyone. You need to have a huge portfolio of top notch images. But if you don't have a camera with acceptable quality, what images are you showing? If it is an agency that will hire you based solely on having a pro digital camera, then I would seriously wonder about hooking up with them.

If you haven't even hooked up with them, what makes you think that even with the pro camera that you have the quality of images that they will hire you? I'm assuming you know something about photography and how markets work.
posted by JJ86 at 11:06 AM on August 2, 2006

Start slower. Get a cheaper camera (Rebel XT?) and do some semi-pro event photography, shoot some models who are looking to build up a portfolio, and find stock photography places that allow submissions from your less-than-$4000 camera. Save the additional money that comes from this and put it towards more expensive gear.
posted by aubilenon at 11:06 AM on August 2, 2006

take pictures with the camera you have and sell them to people. E.g., offer to take people's headshots for cheaper than the going rate -- people are always looking for cheaper headshots. Or take pictures of your city and sell them to tourists.

take the money you earn from that and put it in a jar/savings account dedicated to your dream camera.
posted by milarepa at 11:09 AM on August 2, 2006

Joking question: Do you have a supermodel girlfriend? If so, register "seemysupermodelgirlfriendnaked.com", tell people you want $4000 to buy a nice camera, and if 4000 folks send you one dollar, you'll post scads of naked pictures of her.

Serious question: Why are you determined to join this one agency? Certainly there are other ones out there which would accept your work based upon its innate quality, not upon the level of technology you use? Can you begin at a lower level?

You can be a "professional" photographer through other means, especially if you apply a little lateral thought to the situation.

Since you mention a "$1000 ebay camera", one presumes you do have $1000 you can spend on this? Why don't you take a chunk of that, make several nice prints of your best photographs, frame them, and ask local bars, restaurants, and coffee shops if you can hang your work for sale there? Many places let you do this.
posted by jammer at 11:10 AM on August 2, 2006

Have you thought of saving money for an expensive professional camera by selling photography that does not require such a nice piece of equipment?

You could do this by selling photographs you take with a cheaper camera, on the art market, and using the money you earn that way, to buy a camera.

I.e., you could take some really, really cool photographs with your 35mm SLR, print them very nicely at a lab, then have an art gallery display them --- sell them for $150 a pop, give the gallery a third, and if you sell 40 of them, you've got money for your $4000 camera.

I say this because I see art displayed at local galleries that does seem to sell---even at much higher prices than $150 a piece.
posted by jayder at 11:10 AM on August 2, 2006

Wow, the last four comments say virtually the same thing. Damn, we're good.
posted by jayder at 11:18 AM on August 2, 2006

I'm lost...what would a $4000. camera do to make a bad photographer (not saying you are) into a good photographer worthy of having his/her stuff sold through the agency? I would hazard a guess that 95% of the world's best photos were shot with much less expensive cameras. You can go out and buy a damn decent used Leica for under $1000.00. Hell for about half that you can get any number of excellent 35mm cameras. shoot film, and have the negatives scanned at hi-resolution if the agency wants digital.

Something fishy about this agency's requirements.
posted by Gungho at 11:20 AM on August 2, 2006

That is definitely fishy. You can be a professional photographer without meeting those crazy requirements. What does it take to be a professional? Being paid. And how are you going to be a professional photographer if you don't have the time to work?

Why not get as good a camera as you can afford and start working locally in your spare time? Shoot weddings for cheapskates, or contact small graphic design firms and shoot whatever they need. Get in touch with car dealers and offer to shoot cars for their web site. Whatever it takes to build up that $4K for your fancy camera.
posted by MegoSteve at 11:29 AM on August 2, 2006

JJ86 this is simply untrue, particularly now in the age of photoblogs. A very close friend of mine is a Project Director at Corbis in NYC. She is constantly scanning photoblogs looking for anything that will match a client's or project's needs. They will buy from anyone whose images match their client's or project's needs - amatuer, professinal, hobbyist, whatever. I'm surprised that any agency in this day and age would have any kind of requirement for a camera type. Image resolution I can understand, but camera type is ridiculous. There are professional stock photographers who shoot on nothing but 40 dollar toy cameras. The only thing I can think of is that they are asking that if you shoot digital, you need a camera that can shoot a RAW file at 12 or greater Megapixels, which would probably cost you over 4 grand. But what kind of agency accepts only work from digital cameras? Something is fishy as Gungho says.
posted by spicynuts at 11:33 AM on August 2, 2006

I would think an agency would want to know what type of optics you shoot with rather than what type of camera it is.
posted by Number27 at 11:49 AM on August 2, 2006

I'm thinking it must be for some sort of periodical that has a digital workflow, and they know what cameras give them acceptable resolution. That shouldn't stop you from doing film and scanning it, but nobody who can afford a good digital SLR probably wants to bother with that.
posted by trevyn at 1:49 PM on August 2, 2006

I'd be interested to see their list.

Is a Nikon D-200 on it?

Cause I'll bet it should be. That and the 17-200VR lens are my personal Killer Outfit right now; about $2200 if you shop hard enough.

But right now, people are occasionally paying me for pictures I've taken with my ...

4MP Olympus E-10.

That 62mm lens front is a *wonderful* thing...

eBay. $370 *including next day shipping*. (New Toy Syndrome is a truly, truly horrible thing.)
posted by baylink at 2:34 PM on August 2, 2006

Reputable agencies will care about the pictures way more than the equipment. Be very wary. Search wedding & photo on ask.me and you'll find that there's a huge business there. You can charge $1000/day for your time, and give then the negs/original files. Everybody wins. Your 1st couple wedding should be very affordable, while you learn.

Get in touch with professional photographers in your area and offer to be an assistant for free. You'll get experience and contacts.
posted by theora55 at 4:36 PM on August 2, 2006

I've always liked this essay -- "Your camera does not matter" -- by pro photographer Ken Rockwell.
posted by santacruz at 4:51 PM on August 2, 2006 [1 favorite]

Depending on your location, you could rent that expensive camera for a weekend, take as many great shots as you can, sell them through the agency, and then buy your own camera with the proceeds.

Check out local photo schools also... if you take a digital or a large-format class, you may get access to a great camera for the semester.
posted by xo at 5:17 PM on August 2, 2006