How to Get to The Next Level?
I know there's a lot of great advice on here, so I'll see if you guys can't offer some solutions to my problem.
I've been shooting car and bike events for years now--with the same three cameras, and I know them well. The three cameras are a Olympus e-20n, a Sony dsc-f828 (I actually have two of these, but one's a backup), and a Panasonic dmc-fz20. All of these are at least 5 years old now and have at least 50k shutter actuations, with most of them nearing or exceeding 100k.
I've learned why my framing works, why it doesn't and the various techniques out there like bokeh, panning, etc. I know the strenghts and weaknesses of each of my cameras and which one is the best one to use for the type of shot I want, the lighting, shutter speed, etc. I've been able to make images that people would hardly believe come out of the cameras I have. Like this one from a recent event:
This image has no post and was taken with this <$170 (!) camera, a Panasonic dmc-fz20:
http://www.usedcameras.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=118995
So after a pretty good scare today when I thought my Panasonic died (battery just wasn't charged--whew!), I realize I don't know which way to go if one of my primary cameras did die--upgrade or just replace it.
Back in the day (early 2000s), my images were some of the best in the area due to the sharpness of the Olympus e-20n. People could frame the exact same shot and mine would still look better. It got to a point people would actually put away their cameras if they knew I'd be shooting the event.
But now that everyone and their mother (literally) has a dslr, and the hobbyists are even getting quality lenses, I feel I'm losing my edge. Outdated equipment and no time for hours in post like the hobbyists are making my images now just part of the crowd rather than standing out from it.
So how do I take my game to the next level? I know equipment is a factor, but they're just tools. I know I want sharper crisper images with more dynamic range, but the easy solutions to these problems are expensive (L-glass and a 1D would probably do it). Besides expensive solutions, I'm sure there are solutions in post, but my workflow also presents its own challenges.
I don't know of a way I can do post outside of SM's picnik (which is very basic), due to the sheer volume of images and turnaround time. I shot almost 1500 pieces of media last Saturday and need to have them up, published with a writeup within 72 hours. Uploading used to kill a day, but since I now have about 12mb upload bandwidth, I gain about 8hrs. So I've got about 72hrs to rest, recoup, offload, archive, backup, upload, process, and publish. With the meager computer hardware I have (the fastest being a hp dc5750), I don't know how taxing photoshop or lightroom would be, and how much additional time would go into that process.
I'm thinking camera hardware would be the easiest way to get to the next level since I'm dealing with limitations like f11 as my highest aperture and ISO 200 as my highest ISO, but I want to know what else could I do? Workshops? Schools? What can make my work look full flat-out, undeniably pro, and leave the rest in the dust week, after week, after week? I'm open to re-engineering everything in my process from a to z.
Thank you in advance for any responses. :thumb
I've been shooting car and bike events for years now--with the same three cameras, and I know them well. The three cameras are a Olympus e-20n, a Sony dsc-f828 (I actually have two of these, but one's a backup), and a Panasonic dmc-fz20. All of these are at least 5 years old now and have at least 50k shutter actuations, with most of them nearing or exceeding 100k.
I've learned why my framing works, why it doesn't and the various techniques out there like bokeh, panning, etc. I know the strenghts and weaknesses of each of my cameras and which one is the best one to use for the type of shot I want, the lighting, shutter speed, etc. I've been able to make images that people would hardly believe come out of the cameras I have. Like this one from a recent event:
This image has no post and was taken with this <$170 (!) camera, a Panasonic dmc-fz20:
http://www.usedcameras.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=118995
So after a pretty good scare today when I thought my Panasonic died (battery just wasn't charged--whew!), I realize I don't know which way to go if one of my primary cameras did die--upgrade or just replace it.
Back in the day (early 2000s), my images were some of the best in the area due to the sharpness of the Olympus e-20n. People could frame the exact same shot and mine would still look better. It got to a point people would actually put away their cameras if they knew I'd be shooting the event.
But now that everyone and their mother (literally) has a dslr, and the hobbyists are even getting quality lenses, I feel I'm losing my edge. Outdated equipment and no time for hours in post like the hobbyists are making my images now just part of the crowd rather than standing out from it.
So how do I take my game to the next level? I know equipment is a factor, but they're just tools. I know I want sharper crisper images with more dynamic range, but the easy solutions to these problems are expensive (L-glass and a 1D would probably do it). Besides expensive solutions, I'm sure there are solutions in post, but my workflow also presents its own challenges.
I don't know of a way I can do post outside of SM's picnik (which is very basic), due to the sheer volume of images and turnaround time. I shot almost 1500 pieces of media last Saturday and need to have them up, published with a writeup within 72 hours. Uploading used to kill a day, but since I now have about 12mb upload bandwidth, I gain about 8hrs. So I've got about 72hrs to rest, recoup, offload, archive, backup, upload, process, and publish. With the meager computer hardware I have (the fastest being a hp dc5750), I don't know how taxing photoshop or lightroom would be, and how much additional time would go into that process.
I'm thinking camera hardware would be the easiest way to get to the next level since I'm dealing with limitations like f11 as my highest aperture and ISO 200 as my highest ISO, but I want to know what else could I do? Workshops? Schools? What can make my work look full flat-out, undeniably pro, and leave the rest in the dust week, after week, after week? I'm open to re-engineering everything in my process from a to z.
Thank you in advance for any responses. :thumb
Pictures and Videos of the Huntsville Car Scene: www.huntsvillecarscene.com
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The photo above looks good and if you have truly learn all 3 camera inside and out th4en it very well is time to move forward into better technology........which leads us to this.......
Where do you want to go with your photography.....keep it as a hobby or are you wanting to move into it as a business......truly professional.
If OLY has been great to you then I would move into the OLY line.......that is where I was headed but Nikon had 2 things very important to me.....ability to GPS log in cam and also being able to copyright in cam.........
If I remember correctly the E-30 has the same or very nearly the same features of the flagship E-3 but in a smaller body for $300 less (E3=1299 / E30=999 for bodies)......OLY has has some o the very best lenses available but Sigma and the others make lenses for the OLY's also...............
Take a look at the PRO's using OLY....I do believe their website has a link to many that use OLY.................
Just something to think about.......
Good Luck
Olympus also has a reputation for a very good jpeg engine in their DSLRs, which could be a big deal for you if you don't want the time and complexity of processing RAW images.
Good isn't good enough. *sigh* There used to be a time a shot like that was unbelievable. Now it's not as sharp and lacks the punch of what most people can do with even an entry level dslr body and the stock lens.
Business. It's always been about business. The hobby thing is nice when you have something else to fund it with, but I try to keep everything I have floating itself. I get sales about every two weeks or so, but that's not good enough. Granted people around here are very, very cheap and won't even pay for high-quality work, but I'd rather have higher quality work and have that problem. And whatever it takes to get higher quality still needs to have some sort of quick ROI.
While I like the handling of the e-20, it took some getting used to. The second my hands were on the body of a 20D, I was home. A 50D feels even nicer. A 1dsmark2 was really nice. If I move into pro equipment, it's Canon for me.
But what I'm trying to figure out is how to make the leap of quality without that huge investment in a 1D and L series lenses. I've seriously considered getting a Leica DLux4 to step it up, but I'm not sure if the resulting quality will be magazine or just really good hobbyist. I've used a Leica digital rangefinder once (and had no idea I had a multi-thousand dollar piece of equipment in my hands), but it doesn't suit itself for my type of work even though the quality was great.
How else do you get higher quality? There's got to be more to it than just equipment because I'm still on par with all the guys around here with Nikon d-series setups. If it was just about the equipment, they should look better than me, especially at the same shoot.
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If equipment costs for new stuff is a concern there is plenty of nice used bodies and lenses floating around too. Somewhere there may be a great deal waiting for you.
Doug
My B&W Photos
Motorcycles in B&W
I don't want to write too much about equipment as I don't think equipment is necessarily the issue but one strength of Olympus equipment is the quality you get straight out of the camera from the JPEGs. As a hobbyist who'd prefer to spend time behind the camera rather than slaving over a hot MacBook, I find this helps.
Of course, any pro who shoots Canon or Nikon has their Lightroom or Aperture presets locked and loaded so post shouldn't be time consuming as long as you get everything right when your eye is behind the VF (really, the twin notions of "raw is hard" and "JPEG is not a professional format" are equally barmy IMHO).
Also, you say you think you're losing your edge compared to hobbyist with the latest DSLRs. I don't know..... Hobbyist do what they do for the love not the the money and (certainly speaking for myself) have zero customer focus and very little commercial acumen as far as photography goes. Your real competition is other professional photographers and if their kit is giving them a genuine edge over you then you need to think about bodies, lenses and so on.
Also, you might want to take a look at Lightroom and Aperture as both allow you to quickly select candidates from a shoot and apply presets to every selected photo. Also, both come with plugins to then upload the selected photos to any service you want (including Smugmug)......
As always, caveat IMHO applies.
I had to move away from my Konica Minolta A2 as it just did not compete well in the pro market........and I do not think any prosumer spoint and shoot type of camera can..........
If the Canons feel fantastic in your hands.....then that is where you should be......as for L glass.......I have no idea..........Personally i would have thought that Canon would have made every piece of L glass fast glass.....it just seems that the flagship glass would have been theri fastest..........but then I shoot mostly Sigma Glass and have had NO problems getting the look i want.......back to your photo
The above photo lacks a little pop......but I give that to the time of year shot and time of day.......I do not see how you can get a real standout eye popping look out of dead brown grass in wide open sun on a moving subject..........
I still think it is time to invest in better bodies and glass........it is also a tax deduction since this is all about business.............
I recommended the Oly line because your are using prosumer cams and the E30 is a small body but a feature loaded body and as was mentioned above Oly seems to put out fantastic images SOOC......
Good Luck
I may have a try at standing on a street corner and shooting the passing cars and MC's just to see what my D300 + 70-200f2.8 will do........ Hmmmmmmm.......... maybe tuesday
Try it once. LR, not PS. LR has a free trial period. But for you, maybe Photo Mechanic would be better. Also has a free trial.
Equipment wise. No, you're not. But you probably have an edge on experience. Your photo shows good skills in framing, timing, and knowing your equipment and using it to the best of its ability. Any upgrade to your hardware (look at the pro level--especially if it will be 10 years before you upgrade again--Olys and Canons, from your comments) and some minor modifications to post should help you move past the others.
In post, go for quality, not quantity. You shot 1500 shots last weekend? Pick the best 50, or 100, or 150 (don't know how much variety you did) and post process and put them out. Dump the rest. Quality is not about quantity. Being pro doesn't mean dumping everything you shoot out there for everyone to see. Cull. Then cull some more.
I've used a 50D with the L 70-200 2.8 at a photo shoot before. A model's mom had the rig and was taking shot with such nice bokeh and sharpness that I really want. But with a such a heavy pricetag, that one setup is more that what I've paid for almost all my cameras combined.
I've seriously thought about the Leica dlux4 as an interim way to step up. Solid body, good warranty, but I haven't seen it available for rent anywhere. And renting it would exceed any restocking fee that I would pay if I bought it and returned it, so renting probably doesn't make sense on this cheaper piece of equipment.
But I really want to see if there's a way to step up image quality with current gear if that's possible. If you look at the step up in image quality costing say $2000 (if I bought new gear), I wonder what that money can do thrown at other areas. I'm not as experienced outside of just shooting and basic workflow, so I thought I'd get opinions from the experts here.
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Back in the day before SM, I used to manually resize and code the galleries. Even with scripts to write the html code for me from the directory listing and three computers to re-size images, the volume started maxing me out on turnaround time. And this was before I started shooting full resolution. I'm afraid a post process would do the same. In my genre, there are no full-time professionals (that I know of). In fact, even those that I know with professional work and client bases still hold a day job.
For example, here's a shoot that was informal and impromptu. Just a bunch of guys getting together and shooting a couple of cars:
http://www.huntsvillecarscene.com/showthread.php?t=2617
Now, while most of the images are unique, there were times where we were all focused on the same vehicle, the same angle, and the sometimes the same shot. My images are for sale, the other guys posted them on facebook and places where the images can be gotten for free. So why would someone buy an image from me when they could grab a hobbyist's image if the quality is similar? This is the true problem, and this is where I think a big step up in image quality will change things (but I could be wrong). I think magazine quality on every shot would bring the 'wow' factor back, but I still want to be able to do high volume. Add in trying to do this all on a shoestring budget, and it's a real challenge if it's even possible.
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Well, as a long time Nikon guy with both film and digital I'd be remiss in my duty if I didn't suggest the Nikon D90.
Regardless, best of luck with your shooting and business! You seem to have built an excellent foundation for future success.
Doug
My B&W Photos
Motorcycles in B&W
http://www.huntsvillecarscene.com/events/803993529_BvAUk-X3.jpg I remember this camera. It was one of the ones I evaluated before I chose the Sony. Remember that auto eyepiece/screen feature? That was neat!
I agree that the prosumer cameras can't be everything to every shot like a pro camera can. But since I have limited types of shooting conditions, I look carefully at prosumer stuff that shoots some things well. If that range overlaps with my conditions, then it may work for the time being. That's how I bumped into the the Leica dlux4. I think you bring up a good point here about glass. I may not need the most expensive glass to get the job done. My original thinking was to get a body and glass together if I have to step up equipment. But now I'm thinking a body first, then rent glass until I find what I need. I may save a lot of money that way. And therein lies the challenge of event photography. I see people do it in the magazines. I study them every time I go to the grocery store, dissecting the framing, exposure, direction of light, intensity of light, etc. I know if they can do it, so can it. Here's two examples of ones that I think I got right. These even look good printed at 8x10 but that could be Bay Photo (both shot with Panasonic at 432mm):
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Thank you for the feedback.
There's a lot of variety. I learned a long time ago that you see the image in your head, and then shoot it. Because of that I regularly have a 90%+ keeper rate.
I have a different event shooting philosophy that has won many fans. At an event, say a car show/kart race/whatever, I don't just shoot the pretty stuff or the stuff that catches everyone's eye. I try to give each vehicle/driver/participant equal time. By doing this, everyone at the event wants to see the images, and the guy that never gets good shots of his car because it's not perfect is stoked enough about an image to buy it. Profit is a two-fold strategy for me as the higher traffic my main site has, the more I get can in ad revenue as well.
Culling for me is easy. I cull shots that would probably be savable in an ordinary post process. If I had a post process, the important question for me on saving an image would be, "will they buy it?"
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A friend of mine owns and runs Nikoncafe, so know about the eternal debate between the two brands. I think they're both excellent brands of equipment and it's just a matter of what works for you.
Thank you for the warm wishes! I've been on this road for years, but I'm being passed by kids in Ferraris. I want to 'get up to speed', lol.
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That's a given. Obsolete is probably to strong a word for five years out on better gear. Showing a little age, yes.
1. Get a workflow. 2. I personally prefer raw and create my own JPGs instead of letting the camera do it. See http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=160124&highlight=raw+processing 3. Since you don't have that option, maybe boost blacks a little here and there from what I saw in one gallery (see additional comments below).
I don't know enough about your gear and what you are getting most of the time to make any more detailed suggestions. But, having looked at that gallery, there are some things you could do in shooting first.
I don't see that in the gallery I looked at.
Giving them too many duplicates lessens their chances of buying (see additional comments and specific example on culling later in this post). Your prices are probably too low as well.
Culling. In http://newpics.huntsvillecarscene.com/gallery/11450220_Kz6Eg#803993925_mSmuG, I picked one rider as an example because he was easy to identify. Get rid of 16 (eyes are closed), 31 (background), 36 (34 is almost identical but slightly better), 42 (34 is almost identical but slightly better), 45, 56, 60. Similar culling could be done with some of the other riders.
Now that I've looked at that gallery, you could benefit from some better gear. ISO 80 and f8, highest shutter speed 1/400 (most much lower), 150mm of less, would probably look better at something like ISO 200, f4, 1/2000, and 200mm+. With the right glass, you could also work on better backgrounds and tighter cropping on many of these. There are sharpness issues, but I think they are at least partly because of the 1/400 or less shutter speeds (many [most?] at 1/200 or less). Can you shoot at ISO 100 or 200 with the gear you have and still get decent results? Can you get rid of the distracting backgrounds with the lens length you have? Does the current lens go larger than f8, or will the focusing system not keep up with the action so you are trying to compensate with DOF?
Enjoyed the thread and the glimpse into the auto club.
I think you would enjoy photoshop - makes it easy to tidy up backgrounds and you get more good shots because you don't have to worry so much about who wanders into in the frame - just take them out in post! The first photo would pop if you took the background out altogether.
Photoshop is not my thing, mostly because of the huge learning curve - still that means that you will be a step ahead of your competition for another five years. People might even pay you to rework their images.
One of the downsides of Bibble is that you won't find as big a universe of people out there with advice on using it, but their forum is very responsive. Another is that you won't find as many plugins for Bibble as LR, but the ones that are there seem to be well received.
Before you pull the raw trigger you might clone a raw image a few thousand times to simulate your typical workload, then install the trial copies of LR, Bibble or any other raw processor you are thinking of using and see if any of them will be fast enough for the turn around time you need.
If you need a raw photo to clone I, or I'm sure a bunch of others here, will be glad to send you one.
http://www.danalphotos.com
http://www.pluralsight.com
http://twitter.com/d114
White helmet/red mohawk? Agree. While the photos are quite good, there are simply too many of them -- when I see similar photos on page 1 and 2, is there a reason to look at pages 3-5?
Let me know what you need to see to detail the suggestions. Once I get the idea, I can run with it.
Looking at the end of that gallery, I agree with you. I think it I was pressed for time and didn't take the time to compare the dupes. I agree. I usually try to keep only unique images visible. Like I said, I think I was out of time and rushed through it.
I think my prices are too low, but I'm not sure if I can get any more out of them. In this area, people won't pay significantly more because the hobbyist gives them a 'good enough' shot for free. I'm basically trying to keep my pricing a bit above the price it would be for them to print it themselves locally. The shipping typically doubles the overall cost of a print, so I look at it from that consumer standpoint as well. I think packages and coupons can boost the sales, but I haven't yet played with that.
Thank you for going through the gallery. This is what I didn't have time to do that day.
I used the Sony and Panasonic that day, which both top out at f8. The Panasonic starts having noise at ISO 200, the Sony the same, but not as much as the Panasonic. Both are still usable, but far from perfect. I could use f4 vs 8, but the shooting gets more difficult. I have to use longer focal lengths which are hard to pan with since the focus lock has to be anticipated up to a second in advance. And the continuation of the pan becomes is a really wild guess since the display blacks out during the shutter actuation. The Sony can do f4, 1/2000, but the Panasonic tops out a 1/1300 at f4, but I'll try these at my next event. I typically use aperture priority on panning shots, but maybe I'll try a shutter priority set to the max shutter. The Sony goes only to 200mm, but my Olympus Tcon-14 can be used on the Sony to give it 200mm*1.45=290mm. The Panasonic can go as high as 432mm, so I've got plenty of lens on that camera. Depending on where I frame the shot, I can eliminate the more distracting objects. More often, the background and framing of shot is dictated by the time of the focus lock. Both cameras have a continuous focus setting and I use that in combination with a center pinspot focus point to help reduce focus lock times. I've been told to use a technique of pre-focusing on a spot and then simply shooting at the object reaches that point, but I've still found that can leave some images soft. The DOF on these cameras isn't very apparent. The Panasonic can do a f2.8 432mm, but the dof sure doesn't look like it. The same settings on a dslr or my Olympus produce better results. Probably because the Olympus is an slr, but with a fixed lens. As you can see, I work around some really difficult equipment shortcomings. But if changing some simple settings closer to what they should be will get better results, I'm up for trying that before tossing equipment.
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I have shot a few raw images over the years, so I could play with all those and see what happens. An ambitious project for my limited time, but an investment in the future for sure.
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But as both of you mentioned, that hurts the potential for a sale, so I need to keep that in mind. Hopefully it won't be 2am again when I'm trying to remind myself...
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Here is what tons of people are starting to do: event photogs, wedding and portrait shootist also........they take their best and but them in a gallery.....(talking Smugmug here, as that is all I am familiar with).....with a proof delay set to what they need, 2days to what ever, someone buys a print....you now have time to process it and for a reason...it is paid for......the viewing gallery is smaller sized jpgs, then you process and upload the final product to be printed........that way people can be viewing and buying before you have to process all the files......it can save you time and make money at the same time.........just means one needs to keep up on sales...........but to save time just get that exposure nailed...........
On the subject of the Konica Minolta A2.....my reason for getting it was the floating focus point.......in Nikon we are up to 50 some focus points but Nikon (and all the camera mfg'ers) put them where they thought they should go......with that A2 I have almost infinite place I can move the focus point on the viewfinder........that has save me a lot of time rather than doing the focus hold focus lock and re - crop in camera.........Id some one came up with a DSLR with a movable focus point and fantastic low light capabilities I would be there in a heart beat...........:D
LightRoom......very powerful......any new software will slow you down a bit in the beginning..(all new things do this to us, don't they)...learn during your slow times.....we all have them........as I said very powerful.......it allows for adding all of your contact info and copyright information right into the exif......it is also a Digital Asset Management software (keeps your files in order and easy to find: cataloging)........and Scott Kelby's book Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 for Digital Photographers explains His workflow and why he does it that way.......it may not be for you but it has saved me a lot of time and I only have 2 files on my hard drives.........while viewing in LR you can flag or mark the keepers, the soo so's and delete the trash............this can speed up your productivity.........
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I'm seriously considering renting a 40d/50d and a 24-70 2.8L for a week to have in addition to my usual cameras so I don't miss anything. What benefit (quality-wise) would this gear entitle me? Should I step the body up to a full-frame for even more quality?
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I would seriously look at renting a pro level camera for the responsiveness, unless these are just product and promotional (staged) shots. Then look at sports lenses too:
1D MKIIN or 1D MKIV
1Ds MKII or 1Ds MKIII (substitute the 5D MKII if for static shots)
EF 300mm, f2.8L IS USM
EF 70-200mm, f2.8L IS USM (substitute the non-IS if you wish).
EF 24-70mm, f2.8L USM
EF 17-40mm, f4L USM (I saved you some money vs the 16-35mm and the 17-40 is a great lens).
EF 50mm, f1.2L USM
EF 135mm, f2L USM
1.4x and 2x teleconverters, useful with all of the longer lenses.
4 - 580EX flashes and numerous modifiers with a couple of stands and 4 radio slaves.
If you are the "official" photographer and these are truly for promotional use and this is a one-time event, the equipment is justified and necessary. Just look at the cost of the cars and the cost of promotional materials and promotional media to justify expenses. If that doesn't work tell the promoters that "ziggy says ...".
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Due to the limited amount of time I'll have with the equipment and the huge step up from what I'm currently using, my thinking was that I won't get to a point where I can 'max out' the equipment or even know what to use when because of the huge step up in quality. I was thinking it would be better to stick to a setup that can cover general basics with higher quality than my usuals, and then use my usual cameras for the more specialized stuff like long zooms and video (which the Panasonic and Sony do well). Here's a shot from the Panasonic from the same venue at a practice day for the same race a few years ago. It's not perfect, but this is 432mm at f2.8:
What do you think about this strategy?
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You are shooting with the same three old bodies for years. You get decent results.
Is this a hobby for you? Are you trying to take better photos with the hopes of increasing sales? Do you trust yourself to take quality, professional photos for this upcoming "once in a lifetime" event with your present gear.
Only you can decide if you want to spend the money to get better gear. Is there a market for your photos if you shoot with pro gear standing next to folks taking the "same" photos with their pro-sumer dslrs?
I think it would be a major mistake to rent/buy high end pro gear just before this big event. You need to get comforatable and knowledgeable with the gear before such a fast-paced and high profile event. You might wind up fumbling around with your new, unfamilier gear!
http://clearwaterphotography.smugmug.com/
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I think you would get a good ROI with an equipment upgrade and equipment alone WILL help you. You've learned the limitations of your current setup and are able to get the most out of it with some very impressive results. If you were to take that same mentality to the DSLR level you'd push the envelope further and, I'd suspect, get a LOT more keepers. The focus speed, shutter responsiveness, and ability to shoot burst shots in succession would get you more keepers for sure.
Another thing that may or may not matter is customer / venue perceptions. A wedding photographer who shows up with a point & shoot setup (even if they're fabulous) won't get the respect that someone with more "pro" gear will. Now, there are lots of wanna-be wedding photographers that spend many thousands on gear and can't compose a shot to save their lives, but that's a different matter... My point is that I think you may have hit a plateau if you're hoping to advance in this area and getting better gear is going to help.
Even entry-level SLR's, like those that some of the hobbyists you describe are carrying, can make it possible for people to get shots that a P&S camera could only get with much skill and attention to technique.
If you're looking for gear for this once-in-a-lifetime event, maybe rent some of the pro gear listed on Ziggy's list. If you're looking for gear you can afford to BUY with your current budget and keep using then look at something like a used 40D and a few good lenses (70-200 f/4 L would be a good choice).
If you want to stay on top you will need the best gear that will allow you take the best photos, processing will only take you so far.
Stick with Lightroom, and get crazy fast with it.
Don't post a million photos, cull to few best ones of each person before you process them. You pick their best pictures and only post those.
Quality not quantity.
Be known as the guy that takes the best pictures, don't post the just ok stuff.
Only you can decide if it is worth the money for you to upgrade to the equipment you will need.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21695902@N06/
http://500px.com/Shockey
alloutdoor.smugmug.com
http://aoboudoirboise.smugmug.com/