As you may have noticed, everything has been quiet during the last few weeks. I haven’t taken a real picture since June, and this is really annoying me.
I might have made success too dependent on technology, and thus ended up with a nice equipment on one hand but with a seizable size of debt on the other. I thought, if I could produce good images in the best attainable quality, then the return must be a magnitude better then with cheaper quality. I was wrong. Photography is not an investment decision.
Now I made everything so complicated. If I want to take pictures in a city, let’s say Singapore, It would cost me around 4000€ at least.
- 1000€ airfare (lot’s of excess baggage due to heavy equipment)
- 1000€ hotel (2 weeks, can’t organize and secure equipment in a youth hostel)
- 1500€ film and development (100 images is a good job in 2 weeks)
- 500€ for food and transportation
Let’s say I do it digitally, I would be able to fly for 500, sleep for 500 and food and transportation stays the same. Plus I would end up with 1000nds of images and not some dozens.
4000€ vs. 1500€
Wow. I could make 3 times more Photography with a less hasslefree equipment.
But as long as there ain’t no 100MPix back I have to stay analog large format, to get the quality I want - I don’t want to go back.
So this means: I have to work, since photography doesn’t work for me. I will earn my freedom to do the images I love with the equipment that is necessary. And if this involves 60 hour weeks in my IT company I will endure it. I think it’s better than prostituting my images and deduct my quality to just keep going.
So what does this mean? I will not be able to take any further trips during the next 18 Months. Afterwards, If I have to stick to the scheme, there will be 2 cities a year possible. So if I go on to tackle my 100 cities goal, It will take 50 Years. That’s going to be interesting :)