I need to try to get together some more funds for my photographic endeavors. It's kind of difficult when there are so many other "necessary" things that have dibs on my wallet. Photography is expensive, and I don't feel like going deeply into debt over it.

At the moment, I have about 16 rolls of color process film that need to be developed. That is going to cost about $10 a roll. --$160

I really need to get some decent, basic equipment for indoor lighting. I am able to do quite a bit with just daylight, but I am missing out on a lot of opportinities since I can't do much artificial lighting. If I had my druthers, I'd get both "hot" and strobe lights--maybe 3 each--with some various diffusers and filter. Another flash that I could sinc up as a slave to my current flash would also be nice for more portable work. The cost of any one of these things so enough to my me feel faint just thinking about it.

I'd also be happy to have a digital SLR and/or a medium or large format camera. Again, feeling faint just thinking about it.

I recently sold a photo through a gallery, and received $60 after they took their cut. It was a photo that I had sold previously in a much cheaper frame, so I know it is one that I can sell again. Of course, I need to sink some money into the cost of re-printing the photo and getting it framed.

Once upon a time, I wanted to be a professional photographer. My life has taken a number of twists and turns since then, and that will probably never be the case. Not only did my formal education never include studio work, but most people start out paying their dues as lowly studio assistants. I haven't done that. My work life has moved in other directions. I'm not saying that it is impossible that I will ever make photography my livelihood, but at the moment it looks improbable.

What I would like, at this point, is to be at least a serious amatuer and for my photography to at least earn enough to pay for itself. Much of my fine art photography is of the sort that I can do it at my leisure with whatever materials I have available. Inexpensive cameras and natural lighting have produced some of my best stuff. But I keep getting asked to do weddings, headshots, portraits, boudoir work, and journalism. Some of these opportunities would be as a volunteer and some would earn me some money. Some of it I can do with the camera and flash that I have. Some of it can be managed with daylight or incandescent bulbs and black and white film. But some of it really requires real color-corrected photo lighting and/or a digital camera and I have to say no. For now.