[huqedato]

~Excuse my abuse but I didn't know where to put this post. I ask a moderator to move where it should.~

I am very curious to know if there are people who win their life from photography using Pentax gear. A c*n*nist friend told me there wouldn't be. I heard about only two Pentax professionals - Benjamin Kanarek and Nick Brandt. Do you know others? Or... are You one of them?

On the other way...I have my own job but I managed to make some additional income last year by selling prints, taking a few assignments and participating at some outdoor art shows or fairs, with fine results. Do you make extra-money by selling your photos? (made with Pentax of course).
Or from any activity related to photography and Pentax ?

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Last edited by huqedato; 03-18-2008 at 12:30 AM.

[philmorley]

they have a pro service in the US

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/19290-pentax-adds-pro-service-2.html

I expect to be around oct-nov this year (I know quite a number of semi-pros with similar income levels)

Phil

[blwnhr]

Do you make extra-money by selling your photos? (made with Pentax of course).
Or from any activity related to photography and Pentax ?

I believe a topic similar to this was started a while back, but it won't hurt to cover it again.

I make a modest amount out of my photography. I currently supply 5 magazines with images, all taken with the gear listed in my signature. I also do some contract shooting of architecture.

[huqedato]

they have a pro service in the US

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/19290-pentax-adds-pro-service-2.html

Unfortunately they are making only for US.
Why Pentax loves only US customers ?(I mean programs, rebates etc.)
This only means disrespect for the other pentaxians from entire world.

[roscot]

Pentax marketing is for the most part handled by their divisions located throughout the world. The rebates and other special programs are developed and implemented by Pentax USA. Pentax Europe, Canada, and Asia have not followed Pentax USA with similar programs. They evidently spend their marketing budget in other ways.

Personally, I hate rebates. They are never a part of my buy decision. If there is a substantial rebate, I'll apply for it, but my attitude is that I should not have to do anything except plunk my credit card down to get a discount.

[nathancombs]

me i do i run my owen on line newspaper

[Canada_Rockies]

I string for a local weekly paper. Nothing to write home about. I have also shot a number of weddings and child portraiture.

[Ron Boggs]

Robert Glenn Ketchum with his 6x7 and especially "Alaska from the air" stuff would probably be the most famous.

Tim Fitzharris did two books and his monthly column for Pop Photo while shooting primarly 645autofocus. He's since switched to Mamiya for digital medium format.

I don't follow fashion very closely, but have seen several top level guys (TV coverage) using 6x7 Pentax gear. There was even a Pentax 67 shooter working the girls for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue a few years ago. I don't recall his name...but saw the gear on a televised special--I was watching for the camera gear not the girls--really...

I've published about 500 images: Visual content for 3 books, editorial support for appx. 150 magazine articles, had two images used in national ads for 3 companies, 6 mag. covers, one billboard, a few state parks brochures etc., primarily with Pentax 35mm, plus a couple dozen "wall art" pieces mostly from 67II. But those numbers don't really measure up even as semi-pro. A real working pro freelancer would need my lifetime total annually to barely get by...

[MJB DIGITAL]

I shoot mostly weddings. I shoot for a couple of magazines. I shoot a little fashion...I have a big fashion show coming up next week....
portraits, pets, concerts

I work my K10D's pretty hard.

[huqedato]

Robert Glenn Ketchum with his 6x7 and especially "Alaska from the air" stuff would probably be the most famous.

Tim Fitzharris did two books and his monthly column for Pop Photo while shooting primarly 645autofocus. He's since switched to Mamiya for digital medium format.

I don't follow fashion very closely, but have seen several top level guys (TV coverage) using 6x7 Pentax gear. There was even a Pentax 67 shooter working the girls for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue a few years ago. ...

I was not asking about those with professional gear as medium/large format cameras, but rather common guys like us with common systems (i.e. dSLR's).

[reknelb]

Part timer here. Horse shows, family portraits, senior portraits, and some weddings.

[flyer]

My brothers and myself together, we own a printing shop specialising in short runs catalogs, and I do a lot of the pictures for those catalogues. We have a photo studio attached to the shop and we also have a Hasselblad, but I use the Pentax K10D (and now the K20D) quite a bit. I'll use the Hasselblad mainly for full pages pictures or two pages spread, but the files are just too large for most shots. So, I guess in a way, I might be called a pro, although I'm a printer (where do you draw the line?) and I've been for the last 30 years. Once in a while, I also shoot the odd wedding or portraits too.
Yves

[rfortson]

Check out PENTAXIAN.com | The Community for PENTAX Users. These people are some featured professionals using Pentax gear.

It depends on the field, but there are some professional Pentax shooters out there.

[navcom]

~Excuse my abuse but I didn't know where to put this post. I ask a moderator to move where it should.~

I am very curious to know if there are people who win their life from photography using Pentax gear. A c*n*nist friend told me there wouldn't be. I heard about only two Pentax professionals - Benjamin Kanarek and Nick Brandt. Do you know others? Or... are You one of them?

This is kind of a loaded question. First off, I know several folks who make their living as professional photographers who use Pentax, both film and digital, and both medium format and SLR. They are mostly thrilled with their K10/20D's. These are truly professional grade cameras and many use them as such.

It's always amazed me how the Nikonians and Canonians can have such attitudes! Honestly, it's really because they only know Pentax by the "hear-say" they are fed by their peers who don't know what they are talking about. I compare it to the person who has to be dressed in the latest fashion fad or they feel inadaquate. They won't even look at regular clothes because "they've heard" they are not good for their image, thus they must be inferior products. I'd much rather be in a good solid pair of work jeans that are made for the job versus some over-priced fashion jeans that will be out of style in 3 months or fall apart because they were not designed to handle the job. Have you compared the K10D to Canon's equivalents? The Canon's are like cheap imitations! The K10D is meaty and feels like a real camera that can do the job! And it has the performance to back it up!

Pentax, to me, makes great cameras with very minor exceptions. The same goes for Nikon and Canon. There is no denying that Nikon and Canon make great cameras too. And each has their own niches and superior features, etc. As far as which camera is better, the Nikon, the Canon, or the Pentax...it really depends on what you are using it for. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. If you are a glamorous professional sports photographer, you will probably not go with Pentax cameras. Their features and function do not always lend well to fast action photography. Pentax does not push for this niche either! And since this type of photographer is very much in the public eye, many people get the idea that "professionals don't use Pentax". It's bunk!!

Currently I believe Pentax does not focus their business on high-end SLR's, but rather are focused on the consumer end. Nikon and Canon have a huge market at the high SLR end and advertise as such. People then see the high end and want to be like that so they buy the consumer version...much like an auto company has their wonder cars which bring folks into the showroom. Pentax is more like Apple Computers...more niche oriented and definately oriented towards their loyalists.

Honestly between you and me, I can't beat my Pentax K10D for what I do. I mostly shoot landscapes. I consider it art versus a job. I've done weddings/portraits of which I really don't focus on. My Pentax system has been great for both. The lenses are great and you can use almost every lens ever produced for a Pentax camera...and they've produced some of the best lenses every made! Nikon and Canon cannot say that! Finally, I think Pentax cameras cater more to your artistic side, where Canon and Nikon are more geared towards the mechanical side. All three brands have their place and their niche.

[lost]

I am a full time student, but both of my jobs require the use of my Pentax. I write for a magazine and have to take all of my own photos, and I work for the college newspaper as layout editor but also have to take almost every picture the paper uses. We (the paper) have a Nikon D80 and a D40X, and the only time I have tripped the shutters on them is in the office checking out the 40 right after it came in a couple of weeks ago. I just prefer to use my Pentax.

My pictures range from ATV racing, portraits, to everything that a newspaper would use. I am trying to save my pennies for a K10D, but so far the *ist has served me well. I have noticed that so far at all of the big ATV events (or anything else I've covered) I am the only one there with a Pentax. No shortage of guys with C's and N's though. I actually kind of like that!

As to the pro program, the problem for me is that my wife and I file our taxes jointly and she makes enough that I would have to really be hauling it in to cover 51% of our total income with a camera (means I would have to make more with my camera than she makes in a nursing management position at the hospital). I doubt that will ever happen