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5 things to consider before buying a new camera

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I’m in the market for a new camera. Here are 5 things I am considering before I make a purchase.

I have been a very happy Sony customer for the last 2+ years. My A7R continues to serve me well. I am inching closer to an upgrade. I know the A7RII is an awesome camera. I’ve read the reviews. There are photographers I follow and respect that rave about it. I’ve held it in my hands and it feels good. And there’s the recently rumored A7RIII.

However, I must also consider the “surround” that goes with a new camera body. Especially when a new camera body means an increase in megapixels. Higher megapixels come with a cost. I think we photographers often fail to consider the ripples of a new camera body.

There is more to the decision than just the camera body. That’s what prompted me to write this post. So let’s go.

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Why gear costs what it costs

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In the last couple of weeks my little brand, 3 Legged Thing, launched a brand new Universal L Bracket – the QR11. For the most part, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Then, somebody sent me a link to a well known forum, where a conversation had started about the press release for the QR11. The comments were almost wholly negative with more than one contributor stating “You can buy this from **insert website name** for $7″ or “I got one from China for $5 and it works just fine”.

Fantastic. What you actually did is perpetuate a cycle of intellectual property theft, and put your own equipment at risk by using something that has zero accountability, or any certification, made with unknown materials, in a factory where you have no idea what the conditions are like. That’s what you did. I’ll take you through it, step by step, so you can understand.

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This simple invoice shows the real reasons why professional photographers charge more

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We’ve all seen the memes on Facebook in response to the question “Why do photographers charge so much?”. They usually talk about the cost of gear, and other things that your client doesn’t care about. Sure, equipment, insurance, and all the rest of it are expenses you need to earn it back. But, your expenses are your choice. It doesn’t really make difference to most clients whether you’re shooting a 10 year old DSLR or a $30k Hasselblad.

The only thing that matters to your client are the things that benefit them. Your costs are irrelevant. Photographer Don Giannatti at Lighting Essentials has put together a more realistic invoice. It shows things your clients, at least commercial ones, really should care about. Things that help them and their business.

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The Value of A Professional Photographer, or, “Can I Have All the Unedited Photos?”

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Every photographer has gotten the question after a successful shoot: “The photos look great, but can I get the rest of them just in case I need them later? You don’t need to edit them or anything.”

If you’re here for the short answer, the answer is no, but it’s important to me for people to understand why. Throughout this post, you will see side by side photos comparing a completely unedited photo, next to the final edited shot. Using advanced psychology trickery, by the end of the article, you will realize that you don’t even want my unedited photos.
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VSCO Drops the Price on All Seven of Its Film Packs to Honor Its 4 Year Anniversary

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It’s been exactly four years since Visual Supply Co. (VSCO) launched its very first VSCO Film® film emulation preset pack.

Since then, they’ve added six more, created a collection of smartphone apps and even developed an artist grant ‘that provides artists the resources to pursue their creative vision, no matter what the medium.’

To honor its 4 year anniversary, VSCO has decided to drop the price of all seven of its film packs to $59, almost 50% off what they usually sell for at the time of release.

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