Help Zy Upgrade His Camera Gear (Canon R5 Mark II)

In June of 2023, I created an Instagram account under the tag @pics_by_zy. It was something I did on a whim because I wanted to share some photos of nature or some 'sportraits' from some football games.

Last November, I photographed my first real sports event, a girls' basketball scrimmage at my high school, and I realized how much I truly enjoyed taking pictures. I kept shooting basketball (I tried a few other sports, but basketball was my main) and kept improving my skills, and my mother believed in me enough to spend a few hundred dollars on my first camera, a Canon EOS 77D. In addition, I got an 18-55 kit lens and the infamous 70-300 telephoto lens, both common starter lenses. My teacher allowed me to use her Tamron 70-200 2.8, and I felt really good about how my production had improved. I even improved my name, posting my work under a new persona, “@The__Vizionary”. I received a lot of good feedback on the photos I had taken up to that point and was even asked to photograph 4 DIAA State Playoff Tournaments (was only able to shoot 3), including the Indoor Track and Field and Wrestling State Championships.

Going into the spring, I received the only monetary compensation I've ever received, $40 cash from the mother of a Senior softball player, and I was beyond appreciative, and truly grateful. I've never charged for my photos or expected any form of payment or reward because I genuinely enjoyed what I did, and people complimenting and using my photos was payment enough. However, after taking over 20,000 photos across over 50 school-related events, recently I've come to realize that I've started to outgrow my current equipment, and I'm looking to upgrade my camera body to be able to keep growing in this craft that I have come to love. The camera I wish to upgrade to is the Canon R5 Mark II. Unfortunately, being a newer and higher-tech camera, the price is out of my current budget, even with the revenue from my job. So to compensate, instead of forcing people to pay me through charging for my photos, I'm hoping that a few people are willing to donate money towards my cause and allow me to level up my work even further than before.

My starting goal is $1,300, and will slowly and incrementally increase to the end goal of $4,130, the cost of the camera body, as well as a EF-RF adapter to use my current lenses.

I do not, in any way, shape, or form, believe any of my supporters are obligated or expected to donate to my cause. I only created this GoFundMe to get support in reaching my goal so I can continue to put out the best work that I can. Any and all donations or shares of the GoFundMe are greatly appreciated.

- Zayan Powell, AKA The__Vizionary