GO PRO ON A BUDGET
Engage, upload and share your way to a larger audience on the visual social community
SECOND-HAND AND RENTING
Photographer Dave Kai Piper (WWW.
DAVEKAIPIPER.COM) is a portrait and fashion photographer, and has some useful advice when it comes to setting up your business on a budget. “To be a photographer, you need a camera, lens, possibly an external light source and a phone,” he advises. “Let your income dictate the purchase of gear, not your lust for new things. Marketing firms and influencers will do their best to tell you to need the latest stuff. It’s a total lie, don’t believe the hype!”
When it comes to buying gear, remember that you don’t need to buy new. There are many great second-hand outlets online, such as MPB (MPB.COM), Park Cameras
(PARKCAMERAS.COM), Wex (WEXPHOTOVIDEO.
COM), and Ffordes (WWW.FFORDES.COM) just to name a few. These websites are legitimate companies that thoroughly check the kit as it comes in, and offer a guarantee. However, note that this may not apply to every product, so check before purchasing.
When buying lenses, tripods, accessories and lighting kit, second-hand is the way to go if you want to save money. Camera bodies are a little riskier in the second-hand market, but nevertheless you can get some good deals if you shop around. Make sure you look at the shutter count of the camera body you intend to purchase to give you a good indication of the life left in it. Many professional camera bodies should last to 200,000 clicks or over. You can also trade in your old gear, which may get you a few extra quid – every little helps!
Dave also makes a good point about renting gear. “If you find you need a certain item, rent it unless you are using it every day.” Although more advanced photography gear can still be pricey to borrow in the short term, this is a better solution than buying it (even second-hand). Hire A Camera (WWW.
HIREACAMERA.COM) has a great range of products and can be borrowed from a day rate up to a two-week period.
TAKE SOME RISK
It takes guts to put money into your business (especially if you’re uncertain of the outcome), but self-belief is a good philosophy to keep in mind. While we don’t advise you to borrow massive amounts of money you can’t repay, sometimes you have to take a bit of a risk to get somewhere, like photographer Suzanne Porter (SUZANNEPORTER.COM). “I’ve always had a tendency to just go for it and deal with the consequences, and manage to convince myself what I want is worth the money – that new iMac or the latest upgrade for the Canon 5D… Hence a number of my projects have left me in debt! But that is also what drives me. If I’ve overspent on expensive items, then I damn well have to go out and get the work.”