Playing Photographer's Challenge!

<p>Supposed you don't have anything. Everything is taken away from you. You are trying to survive making a living.<br>

<br /> As old proverb says "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.", a good Samaritan gives you photographic tools for you.<br>

<br /> Now you have:<br /> 1. A low end DSLR (with built-in flash that comes with it)<br /> 2. A cheap zoom lens kit (ok, for the sake of discussion, 18-55)<br /> 3. memory card (again, for the sake of discussion, 2GB)<br /> 4. Your current photographic skill.<br /> 5. Your current marketing skill.<br>

<br /> Rule:<br /> 1. no other gadgets! (you don't have computer, no other lenses, nothing). You only have 5 things above and will use those 5 things to start.<br /> 2. You can't use your current networks. Start from zero. Imagine you are beamed-up to another city where nobody knows you.<br>

3. You don't have portfolios.<br>

4. You can't approach the good Samaritan as your first potential client.<br>

<br /> Okay, that's all about it. Else, you can use your own imagination. The question is: Can you survive?</p>

<p>Without any other things including money, it would be tough, but if people manage to survive by cleaning windshields at the intersections, I believe so. Throw all sense of shame out; find a spot where people may pay to have their images taken; promise that if they will pay you x amount of money to cover the cost of printing, mailing and some money left over for you that you will either send them a print or they can can pick it up in a week. There are enough good Samaritans that I think one can start from scratch. Don't forget the sign that says Starving Artist. Never hurts to have a good story line, like you were beamed up by a space ship and dropped in this unknown place.</p>

<p>"Never hurts to have a good story line, like you were beamed up by a space ship and dropped in this unknown place."</p>

<p>And then, the police pick you up and take you to the nearest mental facility, and you no longer have to worry about food and shelter. Oh, and the staff let you photograph new patients for their records... :-)</p>

<p>Go to the nearest public library and set up an email account for free. Advertise on Craig's List that you do $500.00 weddings and require a $250.00 deposit. Get a bank account going when you get some deposits collected. Upgrade your equipment, ideally before you have to shoot the first wedding. Piece of cake if you are motivated!</p>

<p>Bank accounts would require some for of identification card. The premise of the original story, if I read it correctly did not specify that you would have such cards. The library is an ingenius idea as long as the library does not require an addressed letter to prove your address and as such, provide you with a card. I find that the local library ladies tend to allow people to use the computers to be used even without a card as it is seen to be public service. If the new city has such generous librarians, then the email account would be useful indeed.<br>

Without the use of a computer, much editing goes out of the window. You really have to rely on your photographic knowledge and shoot good quality jpegs. The idea of a beauty spot is certainly a good and perhaps reasonably easy way to make money.<br>

If you are really bored though and want the easy option of doing nothing but just east and sleep and stuff, go take pictures in a mall, get yourself arrested. The government would feed you ;)</p>

<p>Submitted for your consideration:</p>

 

<blockquote>Candid photographer seeks select, highly motivated clients to ensure non-publication in exchange for compensation commensurate with client's level of motivation. Clients selected this week include:

<hr />

Name: S.H.<br /> Location: La Paloma Restaurant<br /> Circumstances: Dinner and nuzzling for two with person not your significant other.<br /> Fee: $250, includes 30 full resolution JPEGs<br />

<hr />

T.M.<br /> Travelers Hotel, E. Rosemont<br /> Rendezvous with Snookems, La Tigressa and "The Trap"<br /> $1,500, includes 700 full resolution raw files from two-hour session and JPEGs color corrected for more flattering skin tones under fluorescent light. Add 10% gratuity for performers and Earl at front desk.

<hr />

<em><strong>ICU Foto</strong> - Your East Side "Destination" Photography Service! Discretion guaranteed.<br /> </em></blockquote>

<blockquote>

<p><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=2314762">Manuel Barrera</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"><img title="Subscriber" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub4.gif" alt="" /><img title="Frequent poster" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/2rolls.gif" alt="" /></a>, Mar 22, 2010; 05:39 a.m.<br>

Don't forget the sign that says Starving Artist. Never hurts to have a good story line, like you were beamed up by a space ship and dropped in this unknown place.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>hahaha! and that would make someone to hire you, a possible mentally-illed photographer. :)</p>

<blockquote>

<p><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=1836730">William Kahn</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"><img title="Subscriber" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub5.gif" alt="" /><img title="Frequent poster" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/2rolls.gif" alt="" /></a>, Mar 22, 2010; 06:33 a.m.<br />And then, the police pick you up and take you to the nearest mental facility, and you no longer have to worry about food and shelter. Oh, and the staff let you photograph new patients for their records... :-)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Exactly! hahaha...</p>

<blockquote>

<p><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=628662">Tim Holte</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"><img title="Subscriber" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub8.gif" alt="" /><img title="Frequent poster" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/2rolls.gif" alt="" /><img title="Current POW Recipient" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/trophy.gif" alt="" /></a>, Mar 22, 2010; 06:39 a.m.<br />Go to the nearest public library and set up an email account for free. Advertise on Craig's List that you do $500.00 weddings and require a $250.00 deposit. Get a bank account going when you get some deposits collected. Upgrade your equipment, ideally before you have to shoot the first wedding. Piece of cake if you are motivated!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Craig list is brilliant idea! But not sure if they want to hire you, let alone dropping a deposit on you, without port and references. May be advertising yourself in less-demanding assignments like portraiture?</p>

<blockquote>

<p><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=2403095">Starvy Goodfellows</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"><img title="Frequent poster" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/2rolls.gif" alt="" /></a>, Mar 22, 2010; 07:03 a.m.<br />Without the use of a computer, much editing goes out of the window. You really have to rely on your photographic knowledge and shoot good quality jpegs.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The true essence of photography, if you may say so?</p>

<blockquote>

<p><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=172915">Lex (perpendicularity consultant) Jenkins</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"><img title="Moderator" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/mod.gif" alt="" /><img title="Subscriber" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub10.gif" alt="" /><img title="Frequent poster" src="http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/member-status-icons/3rolls.gif" alt="" /></a>, Mar 22, 2010; 07:09 a.m.</p>

<p>Submitted for your consideration:</p>

<p>T.M.<br />Travelers Hotel, E. Rosemont<br />Rendezvous with Snookems, La Tigressa and "The Trap"<br />$1,500, includes 700 full resolution raw files from two-hour session and JPEGs color corrected for more flattering skin tones under fluorescent light. Add 10% gratuity for performers and Earl at front desk.</p>

<hr />

<p><em><strong>ICU Foto</strong> - Your East Side "Destination" Photography Service! Discretion guaranteed.<br /></em></p>

<em></em></blockquote>

<p>That's hillarious! LOL!</p>

And another $1500 not to show them to your wife.

<p align="center"><a title="Art For Sale by NoHoDamon, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nohodamon/1529405765/" title="Art For Sale by NoHoDamon, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2258/1529405765_11669d2e0d.jpg" alt="Art For Sale" width="526" height="700" /> </a></p>

<p>Actually, I know a real-life version of this tale.<br>

A young newspaper photographer I used to work with was very suddenly laid off (welcome to journalism in the new millennium).<br>

Rather than panic, she immediately began advertising for wedding work, for freelance journalism assignments, for just about any job that paid. She also sent out word to friends and acquaintances she was happy to come to their homes and pick up bottles and cans for the deposit money (this is an Oregon bottle bill story).<br>

A year later she's doing OK. The paper gives her freelance work from time to time, but not much; it's her aggressive will to work that has not only paid the rent but allowed her to upgrade her equipment after losing her job.</p>

 

<p>This kind of situation is happening to me right now but not that extreme. It comes down to how gritty you want to get. If you having nothing at all and the only concern is to keep your stomach fed I guess it must be easier to just do little jobs here and there.<br /> Birthdays, passport photos, children/pets in the park, low-budget weddings are possible ways to get you little cash-flow for a day. But the truth is you have children, household expenses, insurance, auto maintenance other than food itself so doing "little" jobs won't cover the whole thing. It ends up you are chasing the quantity that keeps you occupied all the time and you won't be able to take care other things. But "big" jobs are hard to get.<br /> <br /> The point I am trying to say: How creative you are during the hardship and how you maximize whatever available in your hands.<br /> <br /> Lex's post above above is unusual but creative!</p>

<p>I say yes you can. What else you gonna do?</p>