I’ve got $2,000 in that bank. Should be able get a half decent used one. I pay $550 rent on a studio apartment. After taxes my income is about $400 a week. I have 3 years experience in 1 hour photo lab work, 1 as management, have done a lot of portrait photography (mostly H. S. Seniors), very familiar with film and digital cameras, especially Fuji equipment, the Fuji DL410 digital “dry lab”, Epson 9800 wide format printer and Photoshop CS3.
I have a relative that lives in the Hampton Bay area of Virginia. I could live in his driveway he says. If I am able to save some money doing this, maybe I can buy a place down there. The big question is will I be able to survive a winter in a pop-up camper down there? I know I will not be able to do it up here (central NY) as we already have had frost the other night.
Wed have pretty high unemployment around here, about 10% so demand for things like photography comes way after putting food on the table and a roof over one’s head these days. Hopefully things aren’t so bad that nobody is spending money. For example local seniors would spend $100 on portraits in 2006, maybe even $110. Today I’m lucky to get more than the $30 sitting fee and another $20-30 worth of prints. In 2006, 200+ seniors would get portraits out of a class of 300. This year looks like maybe only 100 out of 300. Few jobs and less money leaves me broke. I don’t know if I should stick it out here in poverty or move on.