Poll: Yearly B&W expeniture

[eclarke]

How much did you spend on B&W paper and film last year?

 

[Vaughn]

I don't buy B&W paper (alt printing instead), so my expense is with film.

Vaughn

PS...I spend far more on mat board and frames!

 

[Laurent]

About 100 rolls 120, 100 sheets of Tri-X.
My darkroom was working only this fall, so I did not have time to spend on paper ;-)

 

[Colin Corneau]

I told myself I only spent as much as I did because I had a couple small exhibitions...turns out it hasn't changed a bit!

 

[jeroldharter]

Wow. What an unfair question! I just placed a big order with Freestyle for film and paper. You should add a category: "less than a digital slr body, ink, and paper."

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I have bought some B&W paper and film, not as much as I have in the past. Maybe $250 - $300.

Jeff

 

[Ektagraphic]

Last year I didn't do all that much with black and white but I got my darkroom going in the beginning of Spetember and I have already spent atleast well over $200.

 

[jp80874]

Can we be sure that spouses can not see the figure?
Anonymous except for the information to the left. Not much of a hider.

 

[johnnywalker]

Can we be sure that spouses can not see the figure?
Anonymous except for the information to the left. Not much of a hider.

That hits the tack on the cranium as Charlie Chan used to say.

 

[EASmithV]

I think this poll would have been more effective if you had it in 50 - 100- 200 - 500 etc increments

 

[Vaughn]

Can we be sure that spouses can not see the figure?
Anonymous except for the information to the left. Not much of a hider.

Fortunately, I have separate checking account for photo expenses...it get refilled from print sales and workshop fees. What I spend is my business.

 

[Neal]

Hi eclarke,

I don't have the exact number but on B&W only it was around $600, most of it paper, but I am working off a large stock of bulk film that was given to me by my Wife as an anniversary present 3 years ago. I am just opening the last of the TMY now. This year the paper bill is a bit higher.

Neal Wydra

 

[David Brown]

I don't want to know.

As my sig line used to say: "Photography is not for the faint of wallet."

 

[Martin Aislabie]

I don't want to know.

As my sig line used to say: "Photography is not for the faint of wallet."

It was a great line and always made me smile

Martin

 

[Ian Grant]

It's a difficult question, I tend to buy paper in large batches, quite a few hundred sheets at a time with some larger sizes on top. I've not bought any for about 3 years, and I also stocked up on film.

Working with LF makes you slow down think more & shoot less, only the images your likely to use. That attitude impacts your MF & 35mm work as well, and the percentage of good strong images becomes far higher.

So figures even from quite prolific photographers can be lower tahn expected.

Ian

 

[perkeleellinen]

Last year was good for photography (I lived abroad), but I still spent much less than $1000. I think I shot around 50 rolls of B&W and have around 100 5x7 prints. Even if I add colour work, I spent nowhere near $1000.

 

[Chris Nielsen]

My B&W expenditure is low thanks to bulk rolls of film, however I don't even want to think about my colour expenditure seeing as I don't develop colour at home so it's $6 a pop plus film

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

This year was pretty high because I stocked up on a format that is hard to find (6.5x8.5). I agree that it should be in $500 increments, because the gaps in this poll are just too large. I spent a lot on paper for doing alt process printing - watercolor and other specialty paper isn't cheap.

 

[Paul.]

Far more than I could ever tell the wife, probably upwards of £700 so far this year.
Regards Paul.

 

[McFortner]

Since I buy cheap (and I mean cheap) I haven't spent much on cameras and film this year. I tend to buy film on sale or on ebay when I had the money. I bought my developer the same way and also use Caffenol for some of my film developing. Since I don't have the space, I don't do my own prints, but have to do them digitally. I think I've spent less than $200 this year on black and white, and far, far less on color.

Michael

 

[jp80874]

I spent nowhere near $1000.

That is also what I tell my wife. "Nowhere near" can be significantly above or below the $1,000 figure. We have separate checking and charge cards and I learned the art of mixing new with old gear in the closet or basement long ago. It just is that the money does go out and at nearly 70 Social Security does not pay as well as logistics software sales did ten years ago.

John Powers

 

[liquid695]

From Freestyle, B&W film an chemestry around US$1500 a year.

 

[removed account4]

i haven't bought much even going back 5 or 6 years ...

 

[Curt]

Oh! I thought it said in a lifetime.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

Somewhere under $300.00.