Several years ago used to have a steady income from my work, I thought it would last forever stupidly and got complacent. Things are really hard now, I don't earn enough to live on and I am struggling to even maintain a house. I really am on the verge of just packing it in and going to push trollies at a supermarket or something!
Moving to this tiny town in Cornwall was probably the biggest mistake I ever made!
Is anyone else really feeling the pinch at the moment?
Life is pretty miserable at the moment, I wish I could see light at the end of the tunnel :(

ChrisRiccio , Photographer  posted on 23/02/2010 20:03:46   Posted 238 times

Located:Liskeard,Cornwall, UK
Member Since: 01/01/2010

You're not alone Chris.  About 9 years ago I started my little business repairing double glazing as I've been in the trade since I left school in 1979.  When I started there were only a few of us in Yellow Pages repairing windows and doors.  I was getting about 20 jobs a week.  Now the Yellow pages has about 5 pages of repairers in my area and I'm lucky if I get 4 calls a week now.  Yes cash is tight which is why I can no longer afford to pay girls to model for me and I have to rely on newbies who want free images done but then don't bother answering my PM's.  Sudden change of subject there but I'm as pee'd as you are.  I think I'll go and swallow another cup of bleach....
Oh I forgot to add that I'm having to live on my savings now.  Which I put away years ago when I had a very well paid job in the industry.  When that's all used up I'll probably try a glass of caustic soda.   I mean Cream Soda.

Why seek the Star, when you are The Star?

arriflex , Photographer  posted on 23/02/2010 20:12:34   Posted 275 times

Located:South Benfleet,Essex, UK
Member Since: 23/12/2009

Stay positive.... You have some of the best locations in the country and I'm sure things will pick up as the year unfolds. .

Innocent but not naive..

RedDove , Model  posted on 23/02/2010 20:12:40   Posted 324 times

Located:Chippenham,Wiltshire, UK
Member Since: 27/07/2009

Sorry to hear your pain, I have been told of many wedding togs giving up and signing on.
Is it the current shortage of cash folks have to spend or them thinking they can do it all themselves?
Now one has to make pennies not pounds to keep the wolf at bay.


Just my opinion!
After all what do I know?

"Heaven is a close reach!
Pulled along by a warm force 3/4
in flat water, with a firm horizon."

Abatic , Photographer  posted on 23/02/2010 20:16:47   Posted 371 times

Located:ipswich,Suffolk, UK
Member Since: 28/07/2009

A lot of people are finding things tight at the moment and the best business plans require customers.  I hope things get better for you.  You seem like a genuine guy who loves his job.  

Sorry I'm not the messenger of good news;

Approx 180,000 people have lost their jobs in adv. agencies.
Elite one of the leading model agencies has close an number of offices down.
Conde Nast has closed a number of publications and reduced the size of on going publications due to less advertisers.
Much of car photography has gone to CGI.
Pack shots a photographers bread and butter money is been done by the clients..digital so easy quality is not important.

I feel sorry for photographers who are setting up in todays economic climate.
The good times and money happened in the 90's. And they ain't ever coming back.

I fear you are correct Chris, the 90's was a great time for me. It seems digital killed everything. I started out in IT when I left school as a PC engineer, in them days you needed to understand IRQ's and DMA's and getting hardware to talk to each other was a lot more difficult than it is now. Then they made PC's into Lego sets and anyone with half a brain could do it themselves.
I then went into Video footage of up and coming bands and the occasional wedding etc. A few years before video cameras became affordable and every home had one. I see a pattern to my life :( I wonder if Tesco's are looking for anyone, so much for life plans!

ChrisRiccio , Photographer  posted on 24/02/2010 13:12:05   Posted 238 times

Located:Liskeard,Cornwall, UK
Member Since: 01/01/2010

Exact conversation I had with a friend yesterday. He's walked out of car photograsphy after 25 yrs. Not because he wanted to but because of digital/cgi.

He predicted 5 years ago the changes digital would make and to get back to any sorts of norm in view of the economy another 3 years.
But what the norn will be is anyones guess.

As for video another friend who was a camera man and editor produced corporate videos.
He walked away from it approx 1 year ago. Now lives in 16 acres of wood land and works as a carpenter.

With the 90's money was no object when it came to clients budgets.
I don't take thing to seriously nowadays as I had a great time back then.

I'm in 2 minds of starting up my own dark room to do nothing but film but it the cost is scaring me. But I had to give up mechanic's due to my health took my 5/6 years to recover and Photography is my only love apart from cars so I'm going to try out lots of things and see how it goes.

Chris I have a few friends that are struggling to make ends meet with there jobs and alot have just gave up because they would get a lot more help sitting on the dole then working a couple of hours a week with rent/kids/food to pay i'm not surprised they turned that way. Hope things turn around for you and sooner the better.

.....JJ

Rankin's Quote “There’s no point in dressing it up, I love women and I love taking photos. It’s more like a fantastic hobby than a job.”

JJonesPhotography , Photographer  posted on 24/02/2010 14:22:02   Posted 322 times

Located:Llanfairpwll,Anglesey, UK
Member Since: 22/01/2010

For b/w look up Mr Cad and Silverprint for equip.

This is exactly what the friend who's given up cars is doing. B/W art images shot on film, not commercial process/print but for the love of photography.
He's blowing the dust of his RB 6x7 and putting his digital camera away to gather dust.

Many of the photographer I used to know from the 90's are now recluse and just produce art images.

I will do cheers for that I'm looking for a good camera to start of as I only have basic once that where cheap in there days, So will have to find something that will still be used today if I ever needed a part I want ot able to get hold of it also the lenes another thing I have to take on board. My Canon ESO 1000 just packed up think the kids dropped it without telling me As they where messing around in the room once and a large bang came from there HUMMMMMM!! KIDS!!!! Lens is hunting to find the focus and grinding alsorts not impressed!

Rankin's Quote “There’s no point in dressing it up, I love women and I love taking photos. It’s more like a fantastic hobby than a job.”

JJonesPhotography , Photographer  posted on 24/02/2010 14:41:54   Posted 322 times

Located:Llanfairpwll,Anglesey, UK
Member Since: 22/01/2010

That's good to know Chris.  I sold all my darkroom gear a few years ago and stupidly bought an expensive inkjet printer.  Biggest and most costly mistake I made.  I'm looking on Ebay now to try and get a decent enlarger capable of printing up to 6x7.   I had thought about buying a Dye Sub printer but you are restricted to one size and the size I want is bigger than postcards.  JJ.  If you are a good darkroom printer you can make some decent moneyif you get enough orders, but don't even think about colour darkroom work - I've done it all.  It's costly and time consuming.  I only do my own E6 processing now and Black and white negs, until I get another enlarger then I'll be back in the fume room.


Why seek the Star, when you are The Star?

arriflex , Photographer  posted on 24/02/2010 15:41:17   Posted 275 times

Located:South Benfleet,Essex, UK
Member Since: 23/12/2009

Epson ink ? expensive. I set up with Lyson ink and system.

Really sorry to hear things are not good for you. You are not alone.

Without rubbing salt into any wounds, I'm doing OK at the moment, I primarily photograph kids and families and my bookings are way up on last year.

Here's something you could try that might help get punters throught he door - in terms of family and kids portraits - which is good bread and butter stuff. Why not do the Kodak Wedding & Portrait Awards promotion? Its sponsored by Kodak & the MPA. My understanding is that you do not have to be a member of the MPA and its open to all UK professional photographers. If your photograph is chosen as the outright winner of the portrait or wedding category, the client wins £1,000.00. So why not do a 'Families/Pets/Kids wanted - Win £1,000.00!' promo? Do the shoot for free and the client pays for prints - if they want them. 

This is a great promo and it works. The great thing is that the promo does not end until the end of August - so you have loads of time to run the promo. For more details vist the MPA site here: http://www.thempa.com/kodak-wedding-and-portrait-awards.php

Hope this helps.



www.calvert.biz

calvert , Photographer  posted on 24/02/2010 17:25:47   Posted 21 times

Located:Much Hadham,Hertfordshire, UK
Member Since: 26/10/2008

Quoting post from arriflex
That's good to know Chris.  I sold all my darkroom gear a few years ago and stupidly bought an expensive inkjet printer.  Biggest and most costly mistake I made.  I'm looking on Ebay now to try and get a decent enlarger capable of printing up to 6x7.   I had thought about buying a Dye Sub printer but you are restricted to one size and the size I want is bigger than postcards.  JJ.  If you are a good darkroom printer you can make some decent moneyif you get enough orders, but don't even think about colour darkroom work - I've done it all.  It's costly and time consuming.  I only do my own E6 processing now and Black and white negs, until I get another enlarger then I'll be back in the fume room.


Why seek the Star, when you are The Star?

It's been a while since I done it, but it will be a while before I get back in to it. What I will do is stock up on some images and store them while I'm setting myself up. Just found out I have been given a studio building rent free! just pay for the electic woohoo. It's pretty large so could turn a corner of the room in to a darkroom. 

Ps I don't and will not work will colour rather work with b&w better and easier to do.

.......JJ 

Rankin's Quote “There’s no point in dressing it up, I love women and I love taking photos. It’s more like a fantastic hobby than a job.”

JJonesPhotography , Photographer  posted on 24/02/2010 17:29:32   Posted 322 times

Located:Llanfairpwll,Anglesey, UK
Member Since: 22/01/2010

Show us a pic of your studio.  I'm jealous.  That's the one thing that holds me back is not having a permanent place to set all my lights up.
BTW Chris.  I used Lyson and Fotospeed inks and they were just as good as Epson.  I think I mentioned somewhere on here that the problem I had was the continuous ink system devised by fotospeed and lyson.  I would get a backfeed of ink and the print heads would print fresh air.  I ended up using so much ink priming the system every week I just took it down the tip.  If you go on amazon read the reviews for the Epson R2400.  I have placed two reviews on there about it.  The first is when I bought the thing and was over the monn with it then the second is the one after I'd taken it down the tip and I said I will never buy another inkjet printer for as long as I've got a hole in my backside.

Why seek the Star, when you are The Star?

arriflex , Photographer  posted on 24/02/2010 19:14:56   Posted 275 times

Located:South Benfleet,Essex, UK
Member Since: 23/12/2009

I do it tomorrow, and you will see all the junk I got to shift!! but it will give you an idea. and talking about lighting There where some spot lights on the beam that the artist used to beam the light on to the model for her to do the painting so I may put it back :) ..JJ

Rankin's Quote “There’s no point in dressing it up, I love women and I love taking photos. It’s more like a fantastic hobby than a job.”

JJonesPhotography , Photographer  posted on 24/02/2010 19:19:17   Posted 322 times

Located:Llanfairpwll,Anglesey, UK
Member Since: 22/01/2010

Sorry to hear you're going through this Chris! It will pick up eventually, you're an amazing photographer, one of the best in the South West and I admire your work and it inspires me!

Kelly :) xx

Quoting post from arriflex
Show us a pic of your studio.  I'm jealous.  That's the one thing that holds me back is not having a permanent place to set all my lights up.
BTW Chris.  I used Lyson and Fotospeed inks and they were just as good as Epson.  I think I mentioned somewhere on here that the problem I had was the continuous ink system devised by fotospeed and lyson.  I would get a backfeed of ink and the print heads would print fresh air.  I ended up using so much ink priming the system every week I just took it down the tip.  If you go on amazon read the reviews for the Epson R2400.  I have placed two reviews on there about it.  The first is when I bought the thing and was over the monn with it then the second is the one after I'd taken it down the tip and I said I will never buy another inkjet printer for as long as I've got a hole in my backside. {:)}

Why seek the Star, when you are The Star?

You have to bleed the Lyson system.
I had someone else set mine up. Given me as a payment for a job plus a shed load of inks and paper. I've never got around to doing a proper profile for it.
Marrutt are the people to talk to.

A note for Chris; as your based in Liskeard take advantage of the coast line.

I know - Lyson supply a set of syringes for sucking the ink from the tanks to the print cartridge, But still the ink would backfeed back into the tanks.  I tried raising the level of the tanks above the level of the printhead but that resulted in the ink flooding the printer when using.  There is a system in America that used a small device for keeping the pressure up in the tanks to stop the backfeed but by the time i'd found out I'd binned my printer.  Anyway it couldn't print Glossy photos even though everyone says you need a gloss black it still didn't resemble a proper gloss print to me.  I use Peak Imaging now.  With the price of their prints DIY isn't worth the hassle.
Also you've got some real classy pics on your profile  Proper glossy magazine style stuff.  Well done.

Why seek the Star, when you are The Star?

arriflex , Photographer  posted on 24/02/2010 19:58:57   Posted 275 times

Located:South Benfleet,Essex, UK
Member Since: 23/12/2009