The Cost of Photography

It’s true..everyone is a photographer when they have their own camera and start their own photography page on social media. However, those who are actually serious in becoming a photographer are the ones who will invest the time and money into it rather than just ‘xyz photographer‘ with a facebook page with loads of page likes…actually, that kind of sounds like me..minus the page likes..anyways..

Those who are interested, I can tell who are genuine when they ask the same questions, such as:

• What camera should I get?
• What lens should I get
• What do you use- photoshop or lightroom?
• How much do you charge?
• etc etc

People who ask these questions are interested in pursuing a career in photography. Many won’t last because of family commitments, no patience, no money because people want things for free or you just plain suck. That’s when you start to lose interest then fizzle out..same as the ones with these ‘photography’ pages..giving shoutouts etc. They will fizzle out sooner or later.

Like any business, you need to be patient, invest in the business and work hard.

Have you ever considered the cost of pursuing a career in photography or videography?

Let’s look at a few scenarios with costs:

Scenario 1: The Poor Boy (£740)

• Canon 100D with kit 18-55mm kit lens: £300
• Canon 50mm f1.8: £50
• Laptop: £250
• Photoshop: £120
• Memory card: £20

Let’s assume the camera is a good quality, low milage (shutter count), second hand one, it is a great starter camera and is comparable to the 600-750d’s out there (other Canon models). The Canon 50mm 1.8 will be your secret weapon because of the killer depth of field you can achieve. The laptop at that price should be alright as a starter. I’m sure you can find bargains at that price. Average spec Windows laptop, it’ll do for the job to start with.

Here’s what I see will happen:

• Even though the Canon 100D is a brilliant camera. You will want to upgrade in the future. If you are serious about doing photography you will want to, eventually get a full frame camera. It also means you’d want to upgrade your lens collection too. To get the best out of the camera you need to get the best lens too.
• The kit lens and the 50mm will limit you. For automotive photography it would be fine, but for weddings, events etc you’ll need a flash, a lens with a longer focal length, possibly a shorter focal length with a wide aperture.
• The laptop will not last. You can upgrade your RAM to help the photos or videos but essentially it will not be effective and you’d want to upgrade for something more powerful.
• Again, there is nothing wrong with the camera setup, it does not look professional. There have been a number of times when a client have asked me what equipment am I using, not sure why but my guess is so they know if I am capable of taking on the task.

Scenario 2: The Semi Pro Boy (£5,400)

• Canon 6D mkii: £1200
• Canon 50mm f1.2: £850
• Canon 24-105mm f4 IS mkii: £650
• Canon 70-200mm f4 IS: £450
• Macbook Pro: £1500
• Canon 600ex-rt Speedlight: £350
• Manfrotto tripod: £70
• Camera Bag: £60
• Batteries and Memory Cards: £80
• Lens Filters: £70
• Photoshop/Lightroom Membership: £120

Ok here’s the thing..this was me at the very start..and after adding up the approx figures above, I’m thinking..”Oh GOD..have I really spent that much?!”

This set up will definitely get you gigs and get you going. You have a fantastic full frame camera, great selection of lenses, powerful flash, great laptop that will render heavy photos and videos. It is a powerful setup.

Here’s what I see will happen:

• As you get more gigs, you’ll probably want to add more kit to your arsenal, such as a 35mm 1.4 or upgrade to the 24-70mm f2.8 mkii lens etc. Why? Image quality and low noise from your images. Once you start getting busy it will cross your mind.
• You will buy more memory cards because the one card slot from the Canon 6d mkii isn’t enough..this could lead to you possibly upgraded to a 5d mkiv/Canon EOS R..or maybe you won’t because you’ve spent too much and you’re too stubborn that the tilt screen is the best thing ever!!

Scenario 3: The Eric Cheung Boy (£12,150……)

• 2 Canon 5D mkiv: £6200
• Canon 24-70mm f2.8mm mkii: £1400
• Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS mkii: £1700
• Canon 135mm f2: £650
• Sigma 35mm f1.4: £650
• Sigma 85mm 1.4: £900
• Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro: £650
• Oh no..ok let’s just stop..NOW

I have to stop, it hurts me how much I have spent, this is just for photography, not including my videography equipment as well and probably a third of my kit. I have taken on many gigs and many times I have the necessary equipment to carry out the job. I may have gone OTT but once I am busy, I have assistants to help me so having a 2nd camera is so handy. It means I can have various angles or never missing the important shots. I’m pretty sure you get the idea of how much I’ve spent!

Here’s what I see will happen:

• I want a Rhino motorised slider..that costs £1600
• I want a Canon C200..that’s £6500

The above are video related I know..but I still want them.

I hope this gave you a quick insight of what to expect if you are wanting to get into photography. It isn’t cheap. Obviously you can buy cheaper stuff, but trust me, buying cheap isn’t always the best. I have bought the best of the best in my opinion because I want that good focusing system, I want to not feel like I’m struggling and pressured because I am missing something to achieve the look I want, I want the best image quality lens..I want to be the best I can be.

Oh yea..you are probably thinking- I can get a cheaper camera like the one in the feature photo..no afraid not..you see that Fujifilm camera, the main photo? That costs £1300 new..Maybe you’re other thoughts are- I can get a bridge camera for £100 in Argos..If you get that there’s no flexibility, for example changing lens etc. you may as well use your iPhone.

So…what do you think? Still want to be a photographer/videographer? Do you understand why we charge what we charge? How much have you spent? Lastly, who wants to hire me because these cameras/lenses don’t pay itself!