You Have Misplaced Priorities And It’s The Reason You’re Broke as a Photographer
I told a friend I wanted to get into the buy-and-sell products business. He was supportive but had one question: who are you going to sell to? Before he asked that question I didn’t think about it. I was okay with ordering goods online and then coming to sell them for profit here.
But was that a wise decision, by all means, no! This was one thing I realized: I was more interested in buying the goods than in selling them and you who do not make much from photography are probably like that. What do I mean?
Photographers, most of the time own cameras and lenses and other equipment they don’t need. As I write this now, I own no camera and no flashlight. I don’t have a 50mm lens. I own nothing photography, except a tripod and a ring light a friend left with me before he travelled.
What camera do I want to purchase? I don’t want anything fancy and expensive that doesn’t deliver, not in terms of images, but profit. Recently I was scrolling an online store and noticed a used camera that was manufactured in 2007. It’s the Nikon D3. It’s a decent 12MP camera and it gets most done.
Purchasing an expensive camera and not making money from it is not a smart business decision. You are more interested in purchasing a piece of expensive equipment than making a profit from it. I know this because I’ve done that before. You buy something you cannot afford. You want to own every single shiny piece in the industry.
Most photographers are still paying for the mirrorless cameras they purchased some months ago and are not getting jobs that reflect the use of the camera. You cannot even charge the camera’s worth because you are not worth using the camera in the first place. You purchased it with money you do not own.
If you need it, you rent it. You don’t need the R6 or Z9. You want it. Most DSLRs produce great images already. It’s never affected your output. Why do you want to stress yourself? Why do you think you need that fancy expensive gear.
If you’re going to be using that fancy expensive gear a lot, and it’s going to make you a substantial amount, go for it. If not, just stick to renting.
Your aim as a photography business is to make a profit. This is the aim of every business. Without profit, you will close.
Owning flashy gear that brings no substantial profit is something you don’t want to do. The camera companies are in it for the money. They create new products, high megapixels and all of that to draw you in. The question is, when you’re done purchasing it, how much are you going to earn from using it?
Give yourself a year and see if you really can make back whatever dollars you used to purchase the camera. Most of my readers cannot get that back.
Always look at your market, and your audience, and they should dictate to you indirectly by looking at your financial records if they can make you that money back and even more.
Oliur shared something interesting on his social media when the 14-inch MacBook — Pro Space Black came out and he tweeted, “I did the thing,” I’m guessing what he meant was that he was buying the laptop with all its specs maxed out and the price was a freaking £3,899.00. That’s a lot.
But the more interesting part, he shared on his Instagram story that he was going to make it back in probably one video on YouTube.
You see, he has a plan in place. Do you have a plan? How long will it take you to make the money you spent on the equipment back? Do you need that equipment? No, no, no, don’t live in the world of maybes. Be real, do you need the latest gear? Are your photos going to be used for billboard ads? Ask the right questions before investing in any photography equipment.
You might assume I’m speaking from a place of scarcity because I can’t afford the old Nikon D3, but it’s wisdom. Ask the right questions before investing in gear. You do not want to purchase expensive equipment only for it to collect dust on your shelf.
Thank you for reading. I hope this short article helps you make wise decisions. If you’re a beginner photographer, I published a book for you, tap on the link to have access: The Photographer’s Companion: Picture Perfect, A Beginner’s Guide to Photography.
