Pukka312
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2012
- Messages
- 193
- Reaction score
- 50
- Location
- US
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
In a country, hell, an entire continent, that is known for poverty, you'd be surprised on the level of competition to one-up your neighbor here. Its kind of weird driving around Tanzania and seeing so many Range Rovers and Mercedes driving around. But, that's the mentality. And it's definitely a big part of the photography business here...
One of my big competitors here lugs around a large telephoto lens (one that makes the 70-200 look like a baby sister), and he carries it around to impress the masses. To me, it's one hell of an expensive marketing tool. Unless he is out shooting lions and giraffes on a safari in his spare time, it's a completely useless piece of glass for his work here. Even my dying-to-have 70-200 lens would be a waste of my money here, and it's generally one of the top wedding lenses to own!
Why useless? Because I kid you not, photographers and videographers here can stand next to the bride and groom. They can even block the bride and groom from those patiently watching from church pews. It may be tacky, but I tried to stay back out of the way and the damn videographers block all my shots, so now I'm stuck cramming myself next to them to get the shots I'd miss if I stayed back.
So, here it's all about the lens...or the camera. Most of my clients say something absurd like "I can't wait to see your camera!" and I honestly want to knock them upside the head. Half my competitors here have the cameras I'd love to own, a studio of iMacs for editing, and glass I can only afford to drool over. I even saw 1 client look seriously disappointed when I pulled my camera out with just my 85mm lens attached. Friends of mine ask me to bring bags of equipment with me to my weddings just so that I can "impress" the crowd, forgetting that I'm the one that has to lug the damn equipment everywhere so it doesn't get stolen.
What's the point of this drivel? Basically, I feel like an insecure man trying to boast it's not about the size, it's how you use it. But my business has done fine here, despite my inadequate arsenal of lenses, prosumer level camera, and my back-up-PC-laptop-turned-primary-editing-machine. And even though my clients like to insist its about the equipment, I can testify that they chose me because of the finished product, not the equipment i used to create it. ...though, once I can get my equipment upgraded, I may be wearing it as a badge of honor too
(sorry, no questions with this post, just a commentary I guess)
One of my big competitors here lugs around a large telephoto lens (one that makes the 70-200 look like a baby sister), and he carries it around to impress the masses. To me, it's one hell of an expensive marketing tool. Unless he is out shooting lions and giraffes on a safari in his spare time, it's a completely useless piece of glass for his work here. Even my dying-to-have 70-200 lens would be a waste of my money here, and it's generally one of the top wedding lenses to own!
Why useless? Because I kid you not, photographers and videographers here can stand next to the bride and groom. They can even block the bride and groom from those patiently watching from church pews. It may be tacky, but I tried to stay back out of the way and the damn videographers block all my shots, so now I'm stuck cramming myself next to them to get the shots I'd miss if I stayed back.
So, here it's all about the lens...or the camera. Most of my clients say something absurd like "I can't wait to see your camera!" and I honestly want to knock them upside the head. Half my competitors here have the cameras I'd love to own, a studio of iMacs for editing, and glass I can only afford to drool over. I even saw 1 client look seriously disappointed when I pulled my camera out with just my 85mm lens attached. Friends of mine ask me to bring bags of equipment with me to my weddings just so that I can "impress" the crowd, forgetting that I'm the one that has to lug the damn equipment everywhere so it doesn't get stolen.
What's the point of this drivel? Basically, I feel like an insecure man trying to boast it's not about the size, it's how you use it. But my business has done fine here, despite my inadequate arsenal of lenses, prosumer level camera, and my back-up-PC-laptop-turned-primary-editing-machine. And even though my clients like to insist its about the equipment, I can testify that they chose me because of the finished product, not the equipment i used to create it. ...though, once I can get my equipment upgraded, I may be wearing it as a badge of honor too
(sorry, no questions with this post, just a commentary I guess)
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/41/41897-ea48d59eea1540d700b6e9051bce38da.jpg?1619739935)
