For all the photographers here, please help me out.  I'm interested in setting up photography studio and need to know the best way to start. I'm considering a new computer and don't know what would be best (and that wouldn't be part of the $4k). I'd like to spend no more than $4,000 on the tools need to take, edit, produce photos.  I'm interested in event photography and architecture/street scenes especially.

 

Any advice would be much appreciated.

An Apple MacBook and their awesome RAW editor Aperture (similar to Adobe Lightroom) provides a great digital studio. Depending on how powerful you want your computer to be, the price could vary. As for the camera, both Canon and Nikon have great DSLR's that cost between $600-800. You'll also want to take lenses into consideration.

Also, if you want to do your own printing, you have to consider a quality photo printer.

I would recommend at a minimum:

 

Dual-core Intel chipset;

GeForce GTX 200 series. I use a GTX 285, which is the next-from-the-highest line in the series and is a hoss (you can also triple the card to gain much more efficiency);

4 GB DRR2 of memory at the minimum. DDR3 is now the norm for many new boards that support it;

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom v2;

Adobe Photoshop CS3;

IPS LCD monitor.

 

I can't stress the monitor enough. I used a TN LCD monitor for years and fussed at the contrast and the lack of true blacks and whites. I splurged for a HP Business Class monitor that has IPS (what the Apple monitors use), and it is comparing night and day. Mine is the mid-range for the HP IPS monitor; there are more expensive models, but this is within budget.

How large do you want to print? The Epson R2880 has become the industry-standard for sharp, brilliant, archival quality prints up to 13" x 19". MSRP $799 less $100 mail-in rebate = $699

 

If you want to go larger, the R3880 prints up to 17" wide and accomodates both sheet and roll paper.

Standard Edition MSRP $1,295

Graphic Arts Edition MSRP $1,495

 

Canon and HP both have their devotees, and both are reputable makers. My experience for several years has been with Epson printers, and I've been entirely satisfied with the quality and reliability of the products, ease of setup, and quality of output.

Thanks Robert, I've to buy a printer down the road a bit.  For now I may use a local print shop but am wondering mostly about cameras/lens/software.  Epson R2880 sounds pretty good from all my research and your advice.  Anybody know how much ink/imaging material costs?

 

Thank you all so much, any other recommendations out there in UO land?

Got a quick photography-related question:

 

I've been contacted by somebody from an engineering firm who is interested in purchasing one of my photos that appeared in an UrbanCincy.com article regarding streetscaping in Fort Thomas. The firm was apparently involved in the streetscaping work, and is interested in using the photo in their marketing materials.

 

The photo itself is basically just a snapshot taken with a point-and-shoot digital camera, and the high-res version of it is 4000x3000 pixels. Taking the photo didn't involve any special lighting or equipment or anything like that.

 

I'm wondering what would be a fair price for which to sell the photo? I'm not trying to get rich, but at the same time I think the photo is worth at least a few bucks. I'm not a professional photographer, so this is new territory for me.

 

What say you?

 

  If it's nothing special, then the engineering firm could send someone out with a point-and-shoot and take another photo for about $50. I'd sell it to them for $25, and tell them that you are available for more photography work.

 

  If you are really feeling good about it, give them a business card saying you specialize in architecture and landscape photography and maybe you will get some more work out of them.

 

I'd sell it for $50 and mention you're available for further work. If they land *one* project because someone sees their work (via your photo), rest assured they'll be making way more than $50. That's still a fair price, pays a bar tab, and at least pays you for the time you took to snap the pic.