Has the High Price of Gas Affected Your Photography?

[Baywing]

Just a little early info, I was talking with a Gov't official earlier, the current dock price of 87 unleaded in NYC is $2.91/gal as of noon today. Add delivery, middleman and dealer profits, state and fed taxes and yer at $3.70/gal or more and the Labor day price gouge hasn't even begun.....
Looks like I'll be staying home this weekend...........

 

[Chris101]

YES!!!

I usually make my way to the coast every month or so, however the price of gas adds about $60 to this trip, so I had to skip my August trip, and it doesn't look too good for September either. It's too dang hot to do much shooting here in the summer.

 

[Bob the Spiderman]

Your prices are a joke. We pay £4.20 a gallon of which 70% is Tax. ie about $7.40 per gallon.

BW. Bob F.

 

[Jarrell]

I would have to reply...

Yes, it does affect it. As already stated, the weather here in the South is much too hot and humid for much outdoor photography anyway this time of year. 95 degrees and 60% humidity will take the fun right out of it in short order. Add in the current price of gas, and it may be in short supply here in Georgia very soon, and you think twice before going off on a photo safari.
Bob, I hate to disagree with you but the prices aren't a joke. Well, I haven't seen anyone here laughing about them in any event.
Jarrell

 

[JeffKohn]

Your prices are a joke. We pay £4.20 a gallon of which 70% is Tax. ie about $7.40 per gallon.

BW. Bob F.

Are you saying the tax rate is 70%, or that 70% of the $7.40 price is taxes?

 

[Ken-L]

Yes. My D70 ran out of gas 5 weeks ago, and I can't get a refill.

 

[Jonathan F/2]

America consumes more fuel than any other country. The US should of planned for this decades ago. I can't believe people are still buying big gas guzzlers! I live in LA, and I can't stand people driving Navigators, Tahoes, Yukons, Hummers, etc. It bugs me that they don't even take their cars off-road! I'll stick with my lil'4 cylinder Honda thank you!

 

[Gilles]

In my town it went up to 5.39/gallon cdn this afternoon. I don't think it will change anything in my weekend schedule to go take picture out of town.The big problem is that everything will go up.

 

[tweber]

America consumes more fuel than any other country. The US should of planned for this decades ago. I can't believe people are still buying big gas guzzlers! I live in LA, and I can't stand people driving Navigators, Tahoes, Yukons, Hummers, etc. It bugs me that they don't even take their cars off-road! I'll stick with my lil'4 cylinder Honda thank you!

I'm with you, Jonathan. Civic EX - 28 mpg city, 36 hwy.

Tom

 

[Baywing]

While I won't debate that others outside the USA are paying more for gas, the point here is that over a 3-5 day period, the prices are likely to increase 40% or more, and if they do reach that level, the price will have doubled in 8 months. Gradual increases are one thing, it gives you time to adjust, the sudden spike of this degree can and will have a serious effect on everyone's life. For most of us here, photography is a hobby, and in times of economic stress, it is usually the hobbies that go first. As things progress, though, it is the home and near home hobbies that rebound as substitutes for more expensive vacations and activities.

 

[JerseyJay]

I read an article couple weeks ago and the most expensive gas in the world was in Amsterdam - $6.50 per GALLON and cheapest in Venezuela - $0.12 per GALLON.

 

[sommer]

Most definitely...

I was planning a couple of fall camping trips up north to photograph the colors (and have some fun family time, of course!)....those are definitely a no-go, as the cost of gas to haul our camper up there would be outrageous.

I just paid $53 to top off my gas tank today (it needed just over half a tank to get to full). Luckily that will last me for at least 8-10 weeks and maybe more. Looks like I'll be viewing my own city through the camera lens this fall!

 

[dbirdsong]

I just paid $53 to top off my gas tank today (it needed just over half a tank to get to full). Luckily that will last me for at least 8-10 weeks and maybe more. Looks like I'll be viewing my own city through the camera lens this fall!

Weeks? Wow, that Expedition gets great gas mileage...

 

[greyflash]

Nah, but I do think about it every once in a while. I did raise my price a little to account for the gas I am using.

 

[Ken-L]

Facing high prices for gas is a problem for many, in varying degrees.

However, I remember periods in 1973 and again 1979, that you couldn't GET gas at any price in many areas! For me it was Miami in 1973, and San Francisco in 1979. I was lucky in both instances in that I had a job-provided vehicle that was gassed up for me.

I would much rather face high prices, rather than not being able to get gas! So, I'm considering it fortunate that it's just a cost issue, and as has been pointed out, compared to other countries our gas is still a bargain.

A friend of mine joked that he saw some people at a Starbucks, crying over $3.00 per gallon of gas, while they drank a cup of $7.50 latte.

In our society with so many people having to commute long distances by car in order to work, the increased cost to a family with a fixed, and relatively low income is a disaster.

 

[Gale]

............................yes...............................

 

[Russ Smith]

Most definitely!

For over 35 years I had a government vehicle assigned to me for work with a government credit card for gas. Now that I am a retiree I have to watch gas consumption.

It is funny that Ken mentions Miami in 1973. It was Ft. Lauderdale for me in 1973. My wife was pregnant with our first child and I was always concerned I would not have gas in the POV to get her to her appointments and the hospital if necessary.

Russ

 

[sommer]

Weeks? Wow, that Expedition gets great gas mileage...

LOL, Dave! It's gets pathetically crappy mileage, but I only drive once a week at most (and then no more than 20-30 miles round trip.) Luckily my city is highly walkable and we live right downtown. I've crafted our life so that nearly all of what we do is right in town and within walking distance. We also ride our bikes a lot. Melissa can ride that whole 8+ mile loop around Kensington without a problem, so she's good for quite a few errands around town :smile:

 

[JMartin]

No Baywing, it hasn't yet. But that is more due to the fact that I have been working from before sun up to well after sun down almost every day since I got back from the Huntsville outting and haven't had a lot of time to shoot.

I can tell you though, at approx. $3/gal. of gas (it was $2.79 when I drove home at 9pm), it will sure change where I drive to shoot! Looks like it is time to start taking family walks up to the small lakes and parks in our subdivision. :wink:

you couldn't GET gas at any price in many areas!

From what I was hearing here in Tampa this morning, there are a few stations without gas atm. From what I was told, due to the hurricane in the gulf of Mexico, they were holding the tankers out of the gulf (understandably) and this in turn left some of the gas stations without their deliveries.

Here is a quote from Bay News 9 in Tampa:
"There's still only one port here in Tampa that has fuel," said Ross. "The remaining barges are yet to be unloaded due to the high water in the seas."

A friend of mine joked that he saw some people at a Starbucks, crying over $3.00 per gallon of gas, while they drank a cup of $7.50 latte.

Isn't it funny how this works... like you described, I have a couple guys at work that come in every morning with a cup of gourmet coffee (one says he gets two cups for his drive to work), yet this morning when they came in they were complaining about how much gas went up the past few days.

In our society with so many people having to commute long distances by car in order to work, the increased cost to a family with a fixed, and relatively low income is a disaster.

Luckily I am now working about 6 miles from home. If I was still at my old place, approx. 30 miles one way, I would be dying. Since we had our second daughter Jennifer has been staying home with the girls, having one income makes life rough, but it beats $400/week for daycare! And with that, I leave my SUV here for her if she needs to go out and drive here little 4 cyl., 30ish MPG slowpoke.

What really bites is this price hike hit just in time for us to be leaving to drive to Ohio tomorrow for a wedding, which Jennifer and our 3 yr. old Lindsey are in!!! :Curved: Had this happened a week ago I could have just had them fly up and stayed here to work beacuse the plane tickets would have been cheaper.

 

[JeffKohn]

Isn't it funny how this works... like you described, I have a couple guys at work that come in every morning with a cup of gourmet coffee (one says he gets two cups for his drive to work), yet this morning when they came in they were complaining about how much gas went up the past few days.

I agree that puts things in perspective, but I also think that when people see the local gas stations raising the price $.30/gallon, sometimes more than once in a single day even though the stations haven't actually had to buy more gas yet, I think it's understandable for people to get upset.

My commute is about 20 miles one way, but my wife's is around 50, so we've definitely noticed the price increases of late (not just talking about this week either). But I can't really say that it's gotten bad enough to change our driving habits yet. In fact we're driving up to NE Texas this weekend to visit family (about 200 miles each way). I'm with Ken, high prices are annoying but as long as we don't actually have shortages I'll likely suck it up and pay the price. (And if you think about it, to a certain extent raising prices may help prevent shortages if it reduces demand somewhat).

Of course high gas prices are nothing compared to the thousands of people who may end up living in a refugee shelter for the next several months....