Not Good. Not Good At All.

[ennuipoet]

I’ve got to just talk this out with folks that understand the pain I am in right now. Some of you know I lost my job over the Summer due to high octane bullshiat from a third party who threatened to smear the name of my employer if they didn’t let me go, I was let go and the person went ahead and smeared my name and my employer. I have filed a lawsuit against them with a good chance of winning.

I managed to hold out the Summer by using my severance and my 401k but I ran my money dry paying NYC prices fairly quick. Just before Thanksgiving I landed another job, but I am not making the kind of money I was before and not enough hours. I’ve fallen behind on my rent, and while my landlord is being cool about it, he won’t be much longer. So, I am running out of options…

…I am most likely going to be forced to sell my camera gear.

I’ve already sold off my classics worth any money, the lenses I didn’t use very often and my back up body. Now I am down the 50D and my two big money lenses. I can bring just over a thousand bucks at B&H used department which would pretty much catch up my rent. (I considered pawning them with the chance to buy them back but the pawn rate would be half or less of market rate…even if Rick called a friend of his that knows all about cameras and stuff)

Except…I have to sell the one thing that gives me sanity, hope and faith.

I am still holding out for a miracle, going to try some programs through the City and State that might help me out. I’m not looking for answers or going begging, that is DEFINITELY not what I am doing. When I tell my not photographer friends I may have to sell my camera they all get the little sad face people get when they hear something they know makes you unhappy but doesn’t mean a thing to them. I try to tell them it is like a musician selling his instrument and I kind of get the feeling they think I am being a touch melodramatic…but that is as close as I come to making them understand.

I know this is just a thing, and I can continue shooting on my film cameras for the foreseeable future, and I will continue on my filmies. In some ways I think it will make me a better photographer. The one thing that I cannot reasonably do is any kind of paying work with a film camera. The quality difference between a scanned negative a a digital shot is too great. If I had a working darkroom, sure, but I don’t. Right now I am just tearing myself up because I KNOW I HAVE to do it, but, it is way too much to ask of me.

I know some of you folks have been through the downs lately, I know some of you are still scraping by. I dunno, I just needed to get all of this off my chest.

Nothing has been decided yet, and I have a huge archive of shots to carry me through months of Farktography themes, and I still have the film cameras…(I am really trying to enthuse myself about shooting film, so any cheer leading about how awesome it would be to step back in time is much appreciate!)

What I am really trying to say is this sucks, this sucks really bad…and let me tell you, this lawsuit, if I sell my cameras I am taking this person to the cleaners…I am talking money for 5D’s, L Glass, and a Fuji X100 and that is just to settle out of court! 😈

[nobigdeal]

That sucks. My only advice would be to hold of on selling the gear until absolutely necessary. I know you have probably heard this before but have you considered moving somewhere cheaper to live?

[zincprincess]

I’m sorry. My husband was unemployed for two years. That still seems weird typing that out. Two years. That’s what happens when an entire industry implodes. We were fortunate to make it through with only shitwrecked savings rather than a shitwrecked life. Anyway . . .

I agree that you should hold off on selling your most beloved gear until absolutely necessary. The impact to your sanity is worth something. Of course, your sanity won’t be worth much if you are homeless. What kind of timeframe are you looking at to get the lawsuit worked out? Is there any way to expedite it? Is a short term loan from family or close friend an option?

[bender16v]

That’s a terrible situation. I can understand because it would be similar to me selling my fishing stuff. I was in a similar situation a couple years ago and thankfully my wife had just graduated and found a job pretty quickly to get us by. We did have to move a few times though. I wish you the best of luck in court but I’m sure that will take a long time to get resolved. I would really try to hold off on selling anything until it is absolutely necessary. But if you do end up selling then when you get back on your feet maybe you will be able to get that back and then some.

[CauseISaidSo]

Dude, I don’t really know what to say other than to agree with you that that really really sucks. Assuming you have to do that, is that going to be enough to get you caught back up? I’d hate to think you had to do that now only to face the same situation just a little farther down the road.

On the film cheerleading side, the nice thing about that is that I think it would have to sharpen your “get it right the first time” skills. No more of my technique – shoot a ton knowing that a few will come out decently. And then think how awesome your shots will be once you get that 5D & L glass!

[Yugoboy]

I haz a sad.

I know I’m 600 miles away, but if there’s ANYTHING I can do, let me know.

I know you were pursuing money-making with the cameras… no luck?

Good luck. . .

[Choc-Ful-A]

That’s a painful story and sounds like it leaves you in a really crappy position. I’m sorry to hear you’re at such a difficult crossroads. From an outsider perspective, which maybe could be helpful(?), I’d ask if you can arrange a repayment schedule with your landlord so you could sell some of the gear now, pay that to show good faith. And if your new job allows to you recover the rest a month at a time you could still keep the camera body so you could get the sanity benefits of shooting digital (which is definitely more convenient).

As for film, I really love film but don’t have a good setup for scanning negatives. I would do it more if I worked out a better way to scan in the neg’s. Being forced to shoot film for awhile will probably result in an archive of work that you’ll appreciate in the future. It might be associated with a dark period in your life, but that could prove to be powerful. Even if you don’t appreciate it until later, once things “get better” as the say.

The bottom line is that you have to do whatever it takes to make yourself as happy and safe as you can in the meantime. I sincerely hope that includes some creative outlet that helps manage the stress associated with your immediate situation.

[Plamadude30k]

Jeez, this is horrible to hear about. I can’t think of what to say, other than I’m pullin’ for ya, man. Good luck.

[ennuipoet]

NBD: Moving is not really an option as it would take twice the money to do, that or abandon everything I own besides the cats and some clothes. Plus, I would have to move in with my parents, at a certain age that just isn’t an option.

The lawsuit probably won’t be worked out for another six months at the minimum and only then if there were a settlement. I couldn’t count on it for any kind of income.

No, in the end, I am most likely going to be forced to sell the gear and then go on some sort of short term govt assistance…I’ve been working for twenty five years so I figure I can get a little something in return, food stamps if nothing else.

Yugo, I landed a few jobs but nothing even close to making enough money, then went back to vet work which eats up all the time I could be doing photo work but still doesn’t make enough…a real Catch 22.

Thanks all, I appreciate the kind words and support!

[ravnostic]

When I was out of work a couple months years ago, if it weren’t for an Aunt, I’d have moved back in with the ‘rents. In this economy, age is not an issue–I have a number of friends who’ve done it, my group is in the 40-50 yrs bracket.

Do not sell your gear. Sell your kidney before you sell your gear. More to say regarding that, but am hosting a photowalk today and have to go ATM. Please p.m. me here. I will be back in 8 hours or so.

[Farktographer]

Sorry to hear all the issues. Losing a camera is definitely like losing an instrument to a musician – I agree with Rav, you definitely don’t want to let go unless you absolutely have to. I’ve heard of too many friends who had to sell their instruments/camera and regretted it years later.

[Yugoboy]

ennui… If you can land a job upstate (somewhere between Syracuse and Buffalo) I will personally drive my wife’s truck to NYC to pick you and your stuff up to move you. Just think… 6+ hours of stopping every 20 minutes for photography and a wide variety of hair metal while we’re in the truck…
Friends help friends move… real friends help friends move bodies…

[orionid]

Also: If we had a house, you’d have a room in VA. As it were, we’re also with my parents. I’m also in the don’t sell the gear camp. I haven’t had to do that yet, but I’ve been on the other side of it. I called it the Dave Brown gun-of-the month club as I helped him pay his rent with a 1911 ($500), a sabatti match-grade .22 ($250), and almost a desert eagle ($750). Now he misses all those guns and I have cool toys.

Surely there’s some friends in the area that might help with odd jobs for unreported cash (no, I’m not talking illegal shit). Things like shoveling snow, washing cars, family portraits, etc.

You could also sign up for all those “We’ll give you $50 for participating in our psychological study” things at local colleges. And, FWIW, if no-cost moving is required, I also have a truck and regular three-day weekends. And six hours to the city is a short commute to some of the other drives I’ve made.

[ennuipoet]

Just back from shooting a big Improv Everywhere event, in the middle of six thousand people with no pants on and I am one of the official photographers…seriously, how can I give that up? You know, housing court in NYC takes at LEAST six months to evict you, if I keep paying SOME of the rent…

[orionid]

Just back from shooting a big Improv Everywhere event, in the middle of six thousand people with no pants on and I am one of the official photographers…seriously, how can I give that up? You know, housing court in NYC takes at LEAST six months to evict you, if I keep paying SOME of the rent…

*like*

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