Member of the Month

GayWolf420
June, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

How the fuck do you afford all your camera stuff

profile picture
claude01
Posts: 644 - Karma: 2,006
Just wondering how people do it... Multiple jobs? Saving shitloads...? Just wondering because I have a job, but realized I'm semi fucked financially for camera stuff in the foreseeable future. My laptop is on the fritz and I'm saving up for the tokina 11-16
12 years ago
6 0
profile picture
1337
Posts: 31080 - Karma: 29,700
pretty much worked two summers and spent all my money on camera stuff.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
plorr
Posts: 3131 - Karma: 520
Tax returns. Being very cheap in most other areas of my life.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
TaySwift
Posts: 3436 - Karma: 1,616
mowed lawns one spring and summer, sold a bit of crack on the side
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
b_r_tregs
Posts: 298 - Karma: 204
I barely did...i was short $100 and since i made honor role my mom gave me a lone....i still owe my mom about $50
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
[J_Gasper]
Posts: 2983 - Karma: 1,594
I work my ass off in the summer, and watch what i spend my money on.


12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
claude01
Posts: 644 - Karma: 2,006
yeah i've been working a ton over summers, mostly mowing lawns but this summer i'm gonna have another job as well...
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Eggbert
Posts: 329 - Karma: 46
I take it spelling wasn't part of your grading system?
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Downtofilm
Posts: 6896 - Karma: 20,395
I parents helped me buy my first camera, I then did jobs with that camera to afford new ones, also sold lots of stuff, hustled. Before I get called out on the "hustled" I legit did hustle quite a bit, hoodies to COC/momentum kids, other peoples items in return for a percentage, etc.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,944
haha was gonna say the same thing
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
NPF
Posts: 5153 - Karma: 12,122
got a job.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
zahava
Posts: 7791 - Karma: 12,039
Used my bar mitzvah money to get me started with my rebel xsi, the rest has been me working my ass off, and being smart with what i purchase and sell.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Jacuse
Posts: 1792 - Karma: 1,549
I worked 60 hours a week for the past 6 months on an internship and now i'm working 20 hours a week while in classes. My parents are helping me pay for room/board so I have some money to spend on gear. Plus it pays for itself after a few freelance jobs
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
goodiepocket
Posts: 950 - Karma: 641
for me...it's been years of accumulation. Step by step I slowly acquired all of my gear. Moving from one camera to the next...picking up accessories as I could afford them. Don't expect to get everything at once. I paid for everything with time, gaining experience, savings and patience.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,944
this, my setup has been 4 years in the making
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
boomie
Posts: 1638 - Karma: 3,170
just getting into it, but through selling stickers on the forums here and other random jobs
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
JAHrig
Posts: 738 - Karma: 2,649
I mostly slang fat crack rocks with Tayswift
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
*ninja*
Posts: 2108 - Karma: 1,144
sell old gear im saving up for a t2i
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
flatspinner
Posts: 2701 - Karma: 546
My grandma left me some money and she was a discerning art collector, she told me to continue pursuing art. Otherwise, slow accumulation from jobs I've had. Shot a bunch of weddings and sold a bunch of prints. Keep grinding
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
SkiBum.
Posts: 3614 - Karma: 4,004
Your mom made you take out a "loan" from her for $100. What the hell is her problem. $100, really?
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
RawrRawrRob
Posts: 1841 - Karma: 685
Working at Grocery store, saving that money and just trying my hardest not to spend it on things I don't really need.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
TijmenDal
Posts: 4849 - Karma: 1,296
Wow, no reason to be an asshole about it. 100$ is a lot fo money.

For me:

- I had a very a good job (making about 20€ on average, sometimes making as much as 40€ an hour)
- I flipped a lot of camera gear. Whenever I see a bargain I just buy it and sell it for more. Made a shit ton with this.
- Buy second-hand. Be patient. Don't buy the latest gear. I've never owned a camera that's less than 5 years old.
- Be smart with money. Don't spend it on junk.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
SkiBum.
Posts: 3614 - Karma: 4,004
Whatever happened to parents helping their kids out? Especially for small stuff like that. Help your kid by a camera to go have fun with and learn shit, instead of having him smoke weed after school with all the other kids.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
KellyK
Posts: 1782 - Karma: 715
Ha! Some parents don't have money to throw around buddy. My parents haven't given me a dime since I turned 18 and three years later I'm still alive, have a good job, a great place to live, and a decent camera setup to boot and I give credit to my folks for teaching me how to work hard for my shit.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
J_Wang
Posts: 690 - Karma: 327
hustle all my old shit i dont use, and work alot
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
michael_bc
Posts: 1400 - Karma: 814
- get a job
- never buy gear that just came out
- always buy camera bodies that are one generation behind (they are a third of the price)
- try to buy lenses second hand
- only buy quality lenses (resale value)
- be incredibly patient
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
CanonSkis
Posts: 83 - Karma: 42
How do you guys pick up freelance jobs doing it?
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Troy.
Posts: 5070 - Karma: 12,550
By spending it all on gear.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
JuliusJ
Posts: 3778 - Karma: 2,106
I think thats good parenting, they are teaching their kids the value of money.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
SkiBum.
Posts: 3614 - Karma: 4,004
I get that and am all for making sure your kids dont end up greedy little shits. But I was assuming that kid was still pretty young and in school..like middle or high school. You're a kid, you don't have money, your parents should help ya out...
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
my parents helped me out a bunch when I was younger, but I've worked since the day i turned 14 and got my working papers. 

Worked through highschool  7-8am every weeekend all day and after sports say 6-10 once and a while during the week. 

Worked 20-30 hours through college while double majoring and taking 22 credits at one pts.  My parents always helped me but I hatted asking for money.  Nothing feels better than using money you earned to buy what you need.

I'm all for parents helping out their kids but it really seems like not many young people work (higschool age) very much any more.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
JuliusJ
Posts: 3778 - Karma: 2,106
i mean by middle school, you're around 13, you can mow lawns or something... its really not a big deal, plus the kid will value it more.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
MEDSKI.XXX
Posts: 312 - Karma: 403
I just got my first good camera, i had been saving up since march and mowed a shit ton of lawns over the summer, by the time winter rolled around I had enough to buy the camera, now, hopefully this summer I can get a job and continue to expand my set up
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
MikeRonzitti
Posts: 191 - Karma: 330
My parents and i split the initial cost of my kit. Then for everything else excluding my bag i saved up almost a full summers worth of mowing lawns for it.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
SNP_CREW
Posts: 249 - Karma: 495
something that I did when buying my kid was go thru my bookshelves and find my old textbooks. over the years i havent sold them, but they resell for alot these days so I probably made 400-500 on textbooks alone
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
claude01
Posts: 644 - Karma: 2,006
yeah at the moment im saving for a tokina 11-16. I'd really like to start looking for jobs (weddings maybe? in the near future) or even start selling prints. I'm not sure how to begin this process, but it's a work in progress. What were some of your first photo jobs?
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
claude01
Posts: 644 - Karma: 2,006
sorry for double post..but this is something i have been wondering as well
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
My mother buys every piece of camera equipment for me.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
MLeone
Posts: 725 - Karma: 72
do good work, have a portfolio, find someone who needs your services, get noticed, more people want your services, and it keeps expanding.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
flatspinner
Posts: 2701 - Karma: 546
You have a few options here.

1. Get to know successful portrait/wedding photographers in your area and ask to be a second shooter. This may not work because they might already have a couple dozen, but ask anyway. Don't be discouraged because often times photographers can be dicks. Which is why...

2. Get to know art directors! Every magazine has a photo editor or an art director. Just about every marketing company, advertising...you name it and they probably have an art director. Be this guy's friend (like everyone else) because he could seriously help you out in getting your stuff noticed. But then again, these guys can be dicks too. So you should probably...

3. Rent out gallery space. Have a cohesive body of work that emphasizes your talent and rent out gallery space. Have a graphic designer (not you) make up flyers and while you're at it, make some business cards too. While you're there, get to know the art director. See if they have any educational programs they run so you can teach those and maybe earn some $$.

4. Stock photography. This one is hard, and its becoming harder. But I'd still go for it. Get really good at shooting photos that you think people/companies want, and maybe they'll find your photos and buy a royalty-free license from Getty which pays 35% on RF licenses so you'll be left with about $21.57. The trick with stock photography though is that you have about 4,000 licensable quality photos (that have model/property releases) and you could earn quite a bit of money from it. Very hard, takes a lot of patience and most of it is outside your control.

That is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it's a start. Whatever do decide to do, don't half-ass it or just be in it for a quick buck. Photography is very hard (just like running a business because it IS running a business) but there are definitely opportunities out there. Best of luck man. Don't be afraid to ask photographers either. Dan Carr (who I do not know) was nice enough to review my portfolio before I submitted it to a company. He was very helpful in his critique.

One more tip. If you know any professional athletes, shoot them using their sponsors gear. Have them approach their rep or team manager and maybe you can get in like that. Writing a photography blog about something interesting can gather a large audience but again, that is going to take patience.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
claude01
Posts: 644 - Karma: 2,006
Damn. Some solid advice. Thanks +k
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
akarlsen
Posts: 523 - Karma: 144
got a 500d for christmas+birthday a few years ago, started out loaning my uncles lenses(i still do)
i then got a job at a big supermarket store in the electronics department + i work freelance for the local newspaper, shooting mostly hockey(ill start writing for them when i feel like it.)

But yea i borrow most of the lenses i use, for now.

i have a feeling that there is alot of grammar mistakes here, spellchecker is in norwegian. red words, red words everywhere.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Tanner-D
Posts: 2061 - Karma: 4,116
I work the corner on Friday nights
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
_RNS_
Posts: 172 - Karma: 736
Teaching little 4 year olds how to ski at my local mountain, various media projects for small businesses.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
EvanHemps
Posts: 34 - Karma: 62
i have made a few videos for people businesses. if you do a good job you can make a lot of money.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Jewschoolers
Posts: 1785 - Karma: 1,142
i work hard. i buy ski shit. i buy camera shit. i buy gas to get to the mountain. i sometimes buy food
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
eheath
Posts: 61967 - Karma: 126,899
Save money, buy shit, re-invest, get jobs using gear, make more money, buy more shit.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
PacificRimJob
Posts: 24730 - Karma: 30,008
I usually buy used, affordable stuff from adorama, and don't buy into the ridiculousness that is the Red Ring fever. For me, I can achieve results that I'm happy with by getting mid-grade lenses and/or using legacy glass.

I also scope out Goodwill and thrift shops for most of my 35mm SLR's. I've achieved quite the collection. for very cheap - Especially minolta gear (just bought a Minolta XG-1 with a Rokkor 35mm F2 lens today. For 15$. The lens alone is probably 50 - which is expensive for minolta gear)

I also inherited a few cameras from my Uncle, so that's nice.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Jwenz
Posts: 8893 - Karma: 7,634
this completely. I started investing at about age 16 then have just reinvested sold things and bought when had extra money. All started with le ole gl2
12 years ago
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 2:00AM