The Changing Photography Industry

[Jeff Colburn]

Lately, many photographers, including myself, have been complaining about the negative impact that digital photography has had on the photography industry.

Some of these complaints include:
· Amateur photographers taking work away from professionals.
· Image buyers purchasing images from microstock sites, and paying pennies where they used to pay thousands.
· The photography market is being flooded with new, and less skilled photographers.
· Photo buyers are satisfied with buying cheaper mediocre images instead of more expensive great ones. Mainly because their clients don't care if images are just mediocre.

These, and other complaints, are all part of the industry changing. Similar complaints were probably heard in photography when people started going from black and white to color, and from view cameras to 35mm cameras.

Photographers shouldn't feel singled out. Many industries have been negatively impacted by a world going from analog to digital, including: music, movies, newspapers and magazines.

The photography industry will change and adapt. That's what always happens. The photographers who take great photos, are good at marketing and know how to use the digital revolution to their advantage will be fine. Those who don't do all three of these will have limited to no success. There will be a purging of the photography field, and a redesign of the industry, but that's life. Change is inevitable, it just depends how you deal with it to determine if it's good or bad for you.

Comments?

Have Fun,
Jeff

 

[bigtwinky]

Its progress. Those who sit back and complain will stay stuck in the past. Those who believe they are purists and refuse to go the digital route and missing the boat. There are some who still enjoy working with film, but most of these people also do digital and recognize the benefits.

But the digital vs film is the medium that is used. Its tool used to take the image. Getting a $100 hammer over a $10 hammer will definately allow for an easier time for hitting that nail, better grip, less vibration. But its still a hammer. If you don't know how to swing it, you'll still miss and take 20 tries to get that nail in.

So while digital has made photography more accessible, a good photographer will still rise above the rest. Problem is that there are more and more professional photographers who are crap, which saturates the market with a sub par product, potentially influencing the client and what they expect out of photography.

 

[epp_b]

a good photographer will still rise above the rest

Going by what the general public tends to judge as "good photography", I would argue the opposite.

Alternatively, replace "photographer" with "marketer", "people-person" or "businessperson" and you'll have a more accurate statement.

 

[supraman215]

Lately, many photographers, including myself, have been complaining about the negative impact that digital photography has had on the photography industry.

This is just a tad specious. :lmao:

Some of these complaints include:
· Amateur photographers taking work away from professionals.
...
The photographers who take great photos, are good at marketing and know how to use the digital revolution to their advantage will be fine. Those who don't do all three of these will have limited to no success.

Huh? You're contradicting yourself. You are correct, those who don't take the time an effort required to learn will fall behind, that is life, if you fail to adapt you fail.

Also, you better believe I'm going to take work away from pros, if I can train myself to take great pictures of my daughter I'm going to take them instead of having to pay a professional.

· Image buyers purchasing images from microstock sites, and paying pennies where they used to pay thousands.

Supply and demand. This creates a my diverse marketplace, more creativity and better overall product. This can be measured.

· The photography market is being flooded with new, and less skilled photographers.

What does this mean?

· Photo buyers are satisfied with buying cheaper mediocre images instead of more expensive great ones. Mainly because their clients don't care if images are just mediocre.

How is this a problem?



I can't believe I'm still discussing Digital vs film and professional photography, this ship has sailed. You wanna do film go ahead. I've done the film thing back in HS before digital existed,it was fun, but I am more interested in PHOTOGRAPHY not processing some piece of celluloid, or photo paper. I guess I'm more of a purist, and if you call yourself a photography purist you had better be shooting digital. You take the picture and that's it. You've got what you've got no more variables. Your dark room is the computer and your possibilities are endless.

I think this post might be a troll attempt but I'm not sure. If it is add me to the list of people suckered in.

BT said "Its progress."

This is dead on.

 

[epp_b]

· Photo buyers are satisfied with buying cheaper mediocre images instead of more expensive great ones. Mainly because their clients don't care if images are just mediocre.

How is this a problem?

"I have often spoken of what I call the inadequate imagery of today's civilization. I have the impression that the images that surround us today are worn out; they are abused and useless and exhausted. They are limping and dragging themselves behind the rest of our cultural evolution. When I look at the postcards in tourist shop, or I turn on the television, or if I walk into a travel agency and see those huge posters with that same tedious image of the Grand Canyon on them, I truly feel there is something dangerous emerging here."

- Werner Herzog


That is reason enough why people should not be accepting of the mediocre. If that means that they need to be force-fed, then so be it.

 

[Scatterbrained]

I have no sympathy for this argument. Do you think the master technician who opens his own shop doesn't have to deal with people comparing him to the uneducated and under capitalized know nothings at Pep Boys? How about accountants who have to deal with business owners and managers who think they can just "figure it out themselves with Excel or Quickbooks", or people who think there is no difference between a trained tax accountant and H&R block. Seriously, many professions face these issues, yet you don't hear them whining everywhere about it.

 

[Whootsinator]

I have no sympathy for this argument. Do you think the master technician who opens his own shop doesn't have to deal with people comparing him to the uneducated and under capitalized know nothings at Pep Boys? How about accountants who have to deal with business owners and managers who think they can just "figure it out themselves with Excel or Quickbooks", or people who think there is no difference between a trained tax accountant and H&R block. Seriously, many professions face these issues, yet you don't hear them whining everywhere about it.

No, they only whine on THEIR trade-forum.

 

[Scatterbrained]

I have no sympathy for this argument. Do you think the master technician who opens his own shop doesn't have to deal with people comparing him to the uneducated and under capitalized know nothings at Pep Boys? How about accountants who have to deal with business owners and managers who think they can just "figure it out themselves with Excel or Quickbooks", or people who think there is no difference between a trained tax accountant and H&R block. Seriously, many professions face these issues, yet you don't hear them whining everywhere about it.

No, they only whine on THEIR trade-forum.

Maybe so, but as a mechanic cum accountant, I can assure you it is far less than photographers.

 

[Rekd]

· Amateur photographers taking work away from professionals. In.
· Image buyers purchasing images from microstock sites, and paying pennies where they used to pay thousands. Not me!
· The photography market is being flooded with new, and less skilled photographers. I suppose you were born with it?
· Photo buyers are satisfied with buying cheaper mediocre images instead of more expensive great ones. Mainly because their clients don't care if images are just mediocre. Some will always care. Do you want to try to market only to them?

Photographers shouldn't feel singled out. Many industries have been negatively impacted by a world going from analog to digital, including: music, movies, newspapers and magazines.

I jumped on the computerized CAD/CAM bandwagon, too! :thumbup:

The photography industry will change and adapt.

It already has, friend. It already has. :hugs:

 

[supraman215]

· Photo buyers are satisfied with buying cheaper mediocre images instead of more expensive great ones. Mainly because their clients don't care if images are just mediocre.

How is this a problem?

"I have often spoken of what I call the inadequate imagery of today's civilization. I have the impression that the images that surround us today are worn out; they are abused and useless and exhausted. They are limping and dragging themselves behind the rest of our cultural evolution. When I look at the postcards in tourist shop, or I turn on the television, or if I walk into a travel agency and see those huge posters with that same tedious image of the Grand Canyon on them, I truly feel there is something dangerous emerging here."

- Werner Herzog


That is reason enough why people should not be accepting of the mediocre. If that means that they need to be force-fed, then so be it.

That is an ignorant quote, that shows a HUGE lack of perspective. Sounds like someone who walks around with blinders on not looking at the world around him. Very sad. I looked up this loser since I hadn't heard of him before. Yeah.

Whats mediocre? What's mediocre to you and why should the world care?

 

[epp_b]

I looked up this loser since I hadn't heard of him before. Yeah.

Oh, you haven't heard of him? I guess you're right, then; he must be a total loser of complete unimportance. My apologies :er:

 

[Rekd]

I looked up this loser since I hadn't heard of him before. Yeah.

Oh, you haven't heard of him? I guess you're right, then; he must be a total loser of complete unimportance. My apologies :er:

Not knowing him doesn't make him a loser.

Saying stupid **** like

I truly feel there is something dangerous emerging here.

makes him a loser.

 

[supraman215]

I looked up this loser since I hadn't heard of him before. Yeah.

Oh, you haven't heard of him? I guess you're right, then; he must be a total loser of complete unimportance. My apologies :er:

Not knowing him doesn't make him a loser.

Saying stupid **** like

I truly feel there is something dangerous emerging here.

makes him a loser.

You're right, loser is not the right word. Pretentious, self righteous, holier than thou might have been a more articulate description.

 

[DennyCrane]

I remember the exact same complaints 30 years ago when cameras like the Canon AE-1 and the Nikon FE hit the mainstream. Waaaaa it does things for you! It's ruining the field! Now anyone can take pictures with an SLR!

Yeah, heard this argument before. I imagine we'll hear it again at the next quantum leap in technology.

 

[supraman215]

I hope the next leap will be the last!