Help Julian recover the cost of camera repair
Donation protected
Receiving the gift of a camera from a family friend at the age of 16, shortly after moving from England to the United States, changed my life. For over 50 years I’ve been in love with the PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE & the never-ending stories this medium is capable of telling WORDLESSLY & LITERALLY “IN A FLASH”!!
Having had the good fortune to have settled in Melbourne Beach, Florida, the famed SPACE COAST, provided me with a treasure trove of sights to photograph. There was wildlife galore, natural beauty everywhere, historical places, events and people enough to fill up a lifetime of photography. The greatest of these was CAPTURING NEARLY THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF MANNED SPACE FLIGHT on film and digitally.
I wish I could have found a way to make photography fully support myself and my family throughout the years. I had managed to cover most of the costs through part-time & spot work in providing images to various print publications and news outlets, many of which have folded due to lack of advertising revenue and rising circulation costs. I have posted countless public service photographs of our police, emergency fire rescue services in action, space launches, and human-interest stories. Most of these endeavors have been a labor of love and respect. While a few outlets have provided minimal financial offsets to make the effort of capturing and distributing the images worthwhile and personally satisfying, most now expect the images for free or a “photo credit” as payment. However, recently the camera I rely on the most for my work suffered a critical malfunction and requires some serious restorative work to function as reliably as before.
An exact replacement of the current camera model is no longer available. The current cost for a similar unit is in the $4,000 range. The cost to restore the current lens and body unit will be not less than $1,300 and includes shipping & insurance and transaction fees.
What I am asking of the community and supporters of my photography is to help me financially whether these repair costs so that I continue with my calling to capture & share the people and events in our community.
My goal of $1,150 will enable me to continue my photography work indefinitely. I am hopeful that the photographic endeavors of the many years I’ve lived on the Space Coast and documented the many facets of our life here are of enough value to warrant your financial support at this time.
Having had the good fortune to have settled in Melbourne Beach, Florida, the famed SPACE COAST, provided me with a treasure trove of sights to photograph. There was wildlife galore, natural beauty everywhere, historical places, events and people enough to fill up a lifetime of photography. The greatest of these was CAPTURING NEARLY THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF MANNED SPACE FLIGHT on film and digitally.
I wish I could have found a way to make photography fully support myself and my family throughout the years. I had managed to cover most of the costs through part-time & spot work in providing images to various print publications and news outlets, many of which have folded due to lack of advertising revenue and rising circulation costs. I have posted countless public service photographs of our police, emergency fire rescue services in action, space launches, and human-interest stories. Most of these endeavors have been a labor of love and respect. While a few outlets have provided minimal financial offsets to make the effort of capturing and distributing the images worthwhile and personally satisfying, most now expect the images for free or a “photo credit” as payment. However, recently the camera I rely on the most for my work suffered a critical malfunction and requires some serious restorative work to function as reliably as before.
An exact replacement of the current camera model is no longer available. The current cost for a similar unit is in the $4,000 range. The cost to restore the current lens and body unit will be not less than $1,300 and includes shipping & insurance and transaction fees.
What I am asking of the community and supporters of my photography is to help me financially whether these repair costs so that I continue with my calling to capture & share the people and events in our community.
My goal of $1,150 will enable me to continue my photography work indefinitely. I am hopeful that the photographic endeavors of the many years I’ve lived on the Space Coast and documented the many facets of our life here are of enough value to warrant your financial support at this time.
Organizer
Julian Leek
Organizer
Melbourne Beach, FL