JSPhotographyLLC
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2012
- Messages
- 11
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Wichita, KS
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
Need a little help finalizing a decision I have been agonizing over the last couple of weeks.
Little bit of background, I started my photography business in Wichita, Kansas back in September of 2011. Like everyone I started out wanting to do Portraits and Weddings with grand dreams of making the big bucks and starting my own studio that I could franchise around the world. This of course is not what happened. What I found out is that Wichita, Ks is just as saturated with Portrait and Wedding photographers as every where else. Getting noticed and building a client base is so extremely difficult. And then I found out that I didn't even enjoy it. Did one wedding and I was a nervous wreck, sweating bullets the entire night. Did three senior's, first one was great, next two were so incredibly hard to work with it wasn't even funny. Shot a little family portrait at the park, a nice young couple with their 2 and 4 year old boys, wanted to strangle them long before the hour session ended. So not only did I not enjoy it, I utterly hated it. And its a saturated market to boot. So I started thinking, why am I putting so much work into something I can't stand.
Then a friend asked me if I would come down to the baseball field and shoot her friend's kid's games. I was free, bored, and figured what the hell. Made sure they understood that I didn't even remotely have the right equipment but I would try my best, to which she responded "We use cell phones from the stands!" Figured I would work for about 45 minutes or an hour and then go home. Instead I spent 4 hours there and shot three other games. I absolutely loved it. But I knew right away my 5D Mark II was not going to cut it.
So now I have decided to completely drop the portraits and weddings and do sports. There are far less photographers in town doing sports. In fact it is a wide open market. To me its like a no brainer. Who wants to buy the tired old poses that photographers have been selling sports teams for the last 50 years. People want action shots. Parents want to see their kid hitting a home run, or scoring the winning touchdown. And they will pay through the nose for it.
Anyway, sorry, got a little off track. I have sold nearly all of my portrait gear, the only thing I have left is the 5D mk ii. I really don't want to sell it, really didn't want to sell the 24-70mm f/2.8, I love doing landscape and scenic work. But its the only way I could afford a 7D and glass to go with it. I soooo wish I could afford the new 1Dx, but thats just going to have to wait.
So here is my dilemma....I can afford to purchase these one of these lenses and the fisheye, wish I could afford another camera so I have two but thats going to have to wait. I have based my needs off Scott Kelby's list: 400mm but 300 f/2.8 minimum, long zoom, and fisheye.
Tamron 300mm f/2.8 - I know absolutely nothing about Tamron, so I know even less about this lens. A local camera store has one used for $1,699.
Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS II USM - Thought about saving money and getting the Mark I but I don't buy used online and no local stores carry it, brand new is still $1,500 and I have heard the AF in the II is faster and more reliable.
Sigma 10mm f/2.8
High School Football season starts in 16 days. And that is when I am relaunching myself. Obviously I have no need to worry about shooting in broad daylight, its indoor sports and Friday Night Lights that I am concerned about. Basketball will start in Nov-Dec and I doubt that I will be able to afford something else by then....maybe, but not holding my breath.
So what I need is a little help figuring out what the best direction is. Sorry for the long post, but if you read it all hopefully you will understand my dilemma and leave a helpful reply.
Thanks,
Jason Schaeffer Photography, LLC
Wichita, Ks
Little bit of background, I started my photography business in Wichita, Kansas back in September of 2011. Like everyone I started out wanting to do Portraits and Weddings with grand dreams of making the big bucks and starting my own studio that I could franchise around the world. This of course is not what happened. What I found out is that Wichita, Ks is just as saturated with Portrait and Wedding photographers as every where else. Getting noticed and building a client base is so extremely difficult. And then I found out that I didn't even enjoy it. Did one wedding and I was a nervous wreck, sweating bullets the entire night. Did three senior's, first one was great, next two were so incredibly hard to work with it wasn't even funny. Shot a little family portrait at the park, a nice young couple with their 2 and 4 year old boys, wanted to strangle them long before the hour session ended. So not only did I not enjoy it, I utterly hated it. And its a saturated market to boot. So I started thinking, why am I putting so much work into something I can't stand.
Then a friend asked me if I would come down to the baseball field and shoot her friend's kid's games. I was free, bored, and figured what the hell. Made sure they understood that I didn't even remotely have the right equipment but I would try my best, to which she responded "We use cell phones from the stands!" Figured I would work for about 45 minutes or an hour and then go home. Instead I spent 4 hours there and shot three other games. I absolutely loved it. But I knew right away my 5D Mark II was not going to cut it.
So now I have decided to completely drop the portraits and weddings and do sports. There are far less photographers in town doing sports. In fact it is a wide open market. To me its like a no brainer. Who wants to buy the tired old poses that photographers have been selling sports teams for the last 50 years. People want action shots. Parents want to see their kid hitting a home run, or scoring the winning touchdown. And they will pay through the nose for it.
Anyway, sorry, got a little off track. I have sold nearly all of my portrait gear, the only thing I have left is the 5D mk ii. I really don't want to sell it, really didn't want to sell the 24-70mm f/2.8, I love doing landscape and scenic work. But its the only way I could afford a 7D and glass to go with it. I soooo wish I could afford the new 1Dx, but thats just going to have to wait.
So here is my dilemma....I can afford to purchase these one of these lenses and the fisheye, wish I could afford another camera so I have two but thats going to have to wait. I have based my needs off Scott Kelby's list: 400mm but 300 f/2.8 minimum, long zoom, and fisheye.
Tamron 300mm f/2.8 - I know absolutely nothing about Tamron, so I know even less about this lens. A local camera store has one used for $1,699.
Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 IS II USM - Thought about saving money and getting the Mark I but I don't buy used online and no local stores carry it, brand new is still $1,500 and I have heard the AF in the II is faster and more reliable.
Sigma 10mm f/2.8
High School Football season starts in 16 days. And that is when I am relaunching myself. Obviously I have no need to worry about shooting in broad daylight, its indoor sports and Friday Night Lights that I am concerned about. Basketball will start in Nov-Dec and I doubt that I will be able to afford something else by then....maybe, but not holding my breath.
So what I need is a little help figuring out what the best direction is. Sorry for the long post, but if you read it all hopefully you will understand my dilemma and leave a helpful reply.
Thanks,
Jason Schaeffer Photography, LLC
Wichita, Ks