Re: $6000 to go pro with leica?????

[ted grant <75501.3002@CompuServe.COM>]

Duane Birkey wrote:

<<<For many people, photography is a far better hobby than a profession.
Hobbies are fun, professions  require hard work.>>>> 

Hi Duane,
Boy never truer words were spoken!

When it's a hobby it seems like this is easy: The thoughts go like this, "I take
neat pictures and all my friends and family say how great I am. And look at
those magazines, why hell I can take better pictures than that with my eyes
closed and no film in the camera!"

If ever there was a profession that looked like it was a simple piece of cake
from the hobbyist side of the wall, it must be photography.

So the hobby guy leaves his job, borrows big at the bank and is in hock beyond
his ears and butt for equipment, computers, office etc.! 

Surprise! Surprise! No income every two weeks like the past, the kids need new
shoes, the mortgage must be paid, the car needs a couple of new tires and your
wife begins to think it's the pits she has to keep going to the bank and drain
the limited amount of savings to feed you! 

Then she figures you're having a fun time playing photographer! Then there isn't
any money in the bank account, then she starts looking for a job, then the
payment reminders start to arrive, then the "Hi I'm from American Express and it
seems you haven't paid your account and we'd like our money "NOW!" or we'll
foreclose on your blood supply"

You bet, being a professional photographer is a tough economic drive,
particularly if you are an independent owning your company with all the
attendant costs!

It sure looks wonderful from the hobby side and man look at all those neat
places the pros get to go and all that money they make by the day rate stuff. "
Hell I take really good pictures, my mom told me so! And my mom knows
everything! I certainly am as good as you see in those magazines!"  Ya right! :)

A note to those who see this as a sort of humorous post! It isn't! This is the
way it has happened to many many photographer hobbyists who made the jump
without the training, equipment, understanding partner and they sure as hell
never had enough money salted away to carry them for a year in the life style
they were accustomed to with the nice pay cheque every two weeks!

And quite frankly it doesn't get a hell of a lot better after forty five years,
simply because there are some incredibly talented young tigers out there and
they are all after your butt. And damn they are very very good!

So my friends who maybe thinking of taking the pro plunge, think hard and then
think a half dozen times again. But don't cut the paying job strings until the
paying job is getting in the way of your solidly incoming paying assignments.
And by then you should have amassed the gear you think you'll need and it is all
paid for!

And a last thought if you are married!!!! And this is the most important one of
all the previous:

 "Make sure your wife knows without question that you now work 29 hours a day, 9
days a week and any time the phone rings and some editor says, "We want you to
go to (wherever)  right now!!!!"  

Now you have to say to your wonderful wife who has just spent all day preparing
this fabulous supper for you, "Dear I have to pack some things and go to the
airport right away for Bermuda!" 

You sure as hell want to have one that says smilingly (of course without
sarcasm) , "OK dear you get packed and I'll get Mrs Jones to come over and look
after the kids while I drive you to the airport."  

Then she says with a sort of blank look on her face, "Just remember what I said
when you pulled this four times last month. When you get back you'll find all
your clothes in the back yard in the camping tent!"

Then she smiles and checks out where the tent is, while you pack!:)

aaaaaaaaah the life of the freelance independent photographer! :)

Love it! 
Who's going to get me first? My wife? Her lawyer? The bank manager? :)

Naw, not my wife, hell she started all this by buying me a camera, so when she
gets bitchy I just tell her it's her fault for starting it all. 
Ya know what? It doesn't mean anything and she just gives me s---t anyway! :)
And no my clothes haven't ever ended up in the tent. Close! Whew! Me my clothes
and Leicas all in a tent! just can't imagine that!:)

ted