$10,000

my opinion... purely on gear...

two 40D $1100
17-55 $1050
tokina 11-16 $600
70-200 2.8 IS $1800
sigma 30 1.4 $440
85 1.8 $370
two 580EX $900

$6260

Start with that, get some weddings under the belt. It's a kit that's rounded out enough to try a little of everything, so you'll figure out what parts suit your style, what you are lacking, and what you don't need. But for many, it's enough to shoot just about any wedding you'll face.

I think quitting everything and going at this full time isnt smart, and will be very rough to get going. This thread was not meant to ask for advice on how i should do it, but more an inquiry on how you would do it. The scenario i was thinking was this:

You wake up one day and all your photography stuff is gone. Instead, there is a stack of bills, $10k, for you to spend back on it. What would you get? Insurance, office, new computer, software?

You are either already established or are starting this, supplementing it with other income hopefully. What would you spend it on?

Then:

What would be your ideal set up, knowing that at one point you have to pay it back. Make more sense?

I don't think my approach would be very different than what I actually did:

(prices are from memory and probably a little off)
5d2 - $2500
50D - $1100
24-70 - $1300
100 L Macro - $1000
Tamron 10-17 fish - $400 used
35L 1.4 - $1400
580EX x2 - $800
~$500 would be consumed by triggers, CF, rechargeable batteries, bags, and other little gadgets.
The remaining $1,000 would get me registered as an LLC, buy insurance, a website and on-line gallery, a couple of low-cost software applications. Ideally something is left for marketing, but if not, there's always CL and local networking.

As a matter of personal choice, I do not believe in loans. No credit card debt, I pay cash for my cars and have only a small mortgage left; that's just the way I am. If I had to, I'd work a bit under-equipped in that sub$1k range and 100% of my revenue would be reinvested in gear until I achieved at least what you see above. Hopefully by then, I've gathered enough portfolio and experience to advance price, begin to get more sophisticated about marketing, etc.

Red Tie Photography wrote in post #9550073
You wake up one day and all your photography stuff is gone. Instead, there is a stack of bills, $10k, for you to spend back on it. What would you get? Insurance, office, new computer, software?

Ahhh, that is a very different angle... if I only had $10K to get back into what I am currently doing? Perhaps you should just start a new thread. Also request generalities or specific to brands.

Red Tie Photography wrote in post #9550073
I think quitting everything and going at this full time isnt smart, and will be very rough to get going. This thread was not meant to ask for advice on how i should do it, but more an inquiry on how you would do it. The scenario i was thinking was this:

You wake up one day and all your photography stuff is gone. Instead, there is a stack of bills, $10k, for you to spend back on it. What would you get? Insurance, office, new computer, software?

You are either already established or are starting this, supplementing it with other income hopefully. What would you spend it on?

Then:

What would be your ideal set up, knowing that at one point you have to pay it back. Make more sense?

I think you should ask this question in the business section. You'll get a lot of other ideas you never even considered. 10k seems pretty low to start from scratch though, even assuming you already have transportation and everything like that. Most businesses generally take a lot more than that in the first year (even ignoring living expenses). Even though you need camera equipment, that's not everything. What about advertising, insurance, legal work, off-site storage, finding a good printer, etc.

"to start into" i would get:

30D w/ BG-EN2 450
50D w/ BG-EN2 1200
Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM 1000
Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM 350
Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM 1750
Canon 580 EX ii 450
Canon 580 EX ii 450
Canon 430 EX ii 280

iMac 27" w/ aperture 2000
2x 1 TB Ext HD's 250

bnlearle wrote in post #9549834
Who quits their day job, goes and gets a loan for a ton of equipment they don't have, and starts full time like that?

Realistically, TONS of successful photographers start while working some other job, picking up the bare necessities, shooting for friends/super budget brides, and then picking up more along the way. That's how I did it. That's how many people do it. You just do not need much more than $5k to get started in wedding photography. You don't. You can do it your way (have $50k at your disposal), and that's fine. But that is hardly necessary. I'm disagreeing with you so strongly because you are acting as though it is necessary.

Bobby

I agree, start slow, that's how I did it.

viet wrote in post #9549877
The legal aspect of your business should take more than a couple grands from that 10k of yours already. People don't seem to plan that out, gear is not the only cost of doing business.

I have never spent any money on lawyers or law related things. I got a contract from my national body.

mutau052 wrote in post #9550138
"to start into" i would get:

30D w/ BG-EN2 450
50D w/ BG-EN2 1200
Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM 1000
Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM 350
Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM 1750
Canon 580 EX ii 450
Canon 580 EX ii 450
Canon 430 EX ii 280

iMac 27" w/ aperture 2000
2x 1 TB Ext HD's 250

I find the 40D much sharper than the 20D/30D. The 20D and 30D are almost the same camera, i've owned a few of them, and a couple of 40Ds.

I totally forgot about how great of a deal used 40D's are! Those are obviously more than capable cameras for working pros -- so they're totally great for starting photographers!

tim wrote in post #9550447
I agree, start slow, that's how I did it.

I have never spent any money on lawyers or law related things. I got a contract from my national body.

I find the 40D much sharper than the 20D/30D. The 20D and 30D are almost the same camera, i've owned a few of them, and a couple of 40Ds.

Tim,
Maybe that's different where you live, and I'm not saying that everyone has to get a lawyer for their business.

Being legal here in the US means that you should be a registered business owner with a sale tax license/permit, charge tax, doing your book keeping, etc. Of course it varies from state to state, but that's the gist of it, and it factors in a big piece of the pie from the cost analysis of running a business, which most people don't think of when starting out.

10k seems a lot for buying gear, but over all the big picture, it is not enough to start a wedding photo biz. Even when you do all the paperwork yourself, the cost of insurance alone for your business and gear will exceed 1k a year, or at least where I'm at.

This is a strange question for me... I used to roll with so much gear, but I've realized that more doesn't always work for me.

Right now I'd shoot with a 1D Mark III, 70-200 2.8 IS, 35 1.4L, and a 580 flash. Maybe a 5d or two as a backup... but honestly as far as equipment goes, that would be pretty close to my set-up.

viet wrote in post #9550781
Being legal here in the US means that you should be a registered business owner with a sale tax license/permit, charge tax, doing your book keeping, etc. Of course it varies from state to state, but that's the gist of it, and it factors in a big piece of the pie from the cost analysis of running a business, which most people don't think of when starting out.

Oh fair enough, there's less red tape here, no such thing as business licenses, tax permits, etc. An accountant is worthwhile though not necessary, I find mine very helpful for all the odd questions I have

bnlearle wrote in post #9549834
Who quits their day job, goes and gets a loan for a ton of equipment they don't have, and starts full time like that?

Realistically, TONS of successful photographers start while working some other job, picking up the bare necessities, shooting for friends/super budget brides, and then picking up more along the way. That's how I did it. That's how many people do it. You just do not need much more than $5k to get started in wedding photography. You don't. You can do it your way (have $50k at your disposal), and that's fine. But that is hardly necessary. I'm disagreeing with you so strongly because you are acting as though it is necessary.

Bobby

I completely agree here. That's what I'm doing right now ( I do have over 10K invested in just gear) - working a full-time job and doing photos any other day I can, shooting friends and budget weddings. I truly believe I'm on the right track because I love what I do though it is hard to balance 2 jobs and a family. I also have a business licence, backup equipment and business insurance.

Thanks for being an inspiration, Bobby!

Seems like a lot of folk like the 5D as a budget body.

tim wrote in post #9551422
Oh fair enough, there's less red tape here, no such thing as business licenses, tax permits, etc. An accountant is worthwhile though not necessary, I find mine very helpful for all the odd questions I have

Had to pay out $300 just to register as a damned business, here, with insurance at 2k a year

Used D3- 3200
Used D300-100
24-70- 1800
80-200 1000
Sb800-300
Cards- 200
Batteries-200
Website-500
Insurance-1000
Macbook-1400
Firewire Reader-100
External Drive- 200

Exactly 10,000.