How often do commercial photographers use digital?

I have an idea that has not been attempted. It could greatly help out professional photographers that shoot digital. My question is out of all the photographers that shoot for magazines and before and after pictures for products(weight loss, acne), what percentage use digital? Examples of magazines are anything from People, Enquirer, National Geographic. I am slowly looking into the idea and don't want to share quite yet.

THANKS ALOT FOR ANY INPUT!!

 

I'm pretty sure almost no one shoots film any more, if thats what you wanted to know.

 

Thats what I was wondering. Thanks!

 

most commerical shoots these days are digital for the client, but many still use film for themselves and have even been known to sell the client on film

 

The 3 magazines, one newspaper and 3000 or so product shots I've done for website catalogues have all been digital format. I can't talk about those (thousands) with more skill than me but I would imagine pretty much everything (not all) is geared for digital these days.

 

Few commercial clients still accept images on film.

Arizona Highways was one of, if not the last magazine, to abandon film and only accept digital image files.

 

Arizona Highways had a small, inbred list of shooters who supplied them with images...their magazine was so stale and repetitive that all one needed were the issues from 1980 to 1990...it got to be merely the same old $hi+, issue after issue....I got sick of reading it,and cancelled my subscription years ago...

Their dinosaur-like refusal to accept digital images was humorous (in the sad, pathetic way) to watch. The death of film among top shooters meant that the editors at AH had to step outside their comfort circle and accept work from more than a handful of shooters...

 

Anymore, the advantages of shooting digital go way beyond just the convenience. The quality is better, it is phenomenally more economical, you can get the same effects of using film using the right digital SLR, and even the point and shoots are starting to see some amazing quality images.

Really, you have to ask yourself why shoot film? For sentimental/purist reasons? Fine, but not on a commercial scene, something just to do for fun I guess. The college I attend teaches exclusively film, no digital classes (digital editing yes), but they require the students to have a 35mm film SLR and a couple lenses, and learn to develop their own film. It's utterly pointless. Any of them who intend to have a photography career will be immensly underqualified and underprepared. They won't keep their head above water if they use film because it will be costing them more money, AND their shots won't be as good. On top of that, since they can't use / aren't taught anything on the digital side of things they aren't going to be prepared to work in a competitive market. It's ridiculous and my college is certainly not the only one who does that. They say everything you learn in your first year is obsolete by your fourth, so whatsup with using a hundred-year old and ten year obsolete technology?

However, that is your film SLR market. College kids buying cheap film SLR's to get through their photography classes. They do learn composition and what not, and alot of useful skills, but techniques specific to DSLR they will learn on their own. Not to mention they won't get to carry over any of their college equipment investment (though some schools loan out cameras and lenses), a friend of mine just sold 5 old film SLRs he had on campus like that, they all need 'em.

 

I think National Geographic still only uses film. Sometimes they have digital photography competitions, but when shooting for the magazine I think that film is required. I guess it is to keep it authentic, or keep the same look...i dont know. but maybe the rules have changed.

 

No, definitely not. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if they still had a few film shooters kicking around.

 

i need to go find an article that was recently published about this very thing with interviews from photographers using both.