Photography Is Dead...

Photography Is Dead...

I hear that a lot.

It shoots out of the mouths and into my ears from bellyaching photographers and it clutters the mind while reading an on-line post somewhere.

If photography is dead, why do publications like Sports Illustrated, National Geographic and Wired magazine produce amazing images each and every month? Why do companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars to create images of their products?

If photography is dead why is it that an estimated 200,000+ photos are uploaded to Facebook per minute (that’s 6 BILLION a month) and over 16 billion photos resided on Instagram? I understand that a large amount of the photos are pre-consumed food shots with a crummy filter slapped onto them, but step back and think about those staggering numbers and imagine how many pixels are being pushed across the Internet on any given day. Think about that and tell me again that photography is kicking the bucket.

Photography is not dead, photography has never been more important than it is today. The value of photography has dispersed and the game has changed, if you are not keeping up with the shift, that blame falls onto you.

This post wasn’t created to give you ideas on how to change your business structure or fix any of the underlying issues. This post was created to inspire those negative voices to stop complaining and do something about it. Gain some gumption and make it better for you, leave the whiners in your dust.

Shooting for free

Another cringing statement I hear spew out of the mouths of camera operators is how shooting for free is ruining our industry. If you are complaining about people shooting an assignment for free or for next to nothing, it sounds like it is time to move on. Pick up your gear and work into a new subject, hone your craft and elevate your own value. If your primary objective is to grow a business, don’t wallow in a pool of talent that you are above. Elevate and raise your own worth.

It’s going to happen, over and over again no matter how many times you frump your brow, write a disgruntled blog post or take to Facebook. It will never change. It is time to pick up your camera and move into something else to create a living from. If you don’t like the fact that people will shoot a concert for free, time to move onto something else. Wondering why a local coffee shop won’t pay thousands of dollars for your work? Time to market elsewhere. Free is never going to change, don’t fight it, better yourself and look for greater opportunities.

Low hanging fruit

If your business model is aiming at low hanging fruit, why would you be surprised to find out someone out there will be willing to do it for less. Why are you surprised when the client chooses the free competition over you? You cannot make a living on low hanging fruit, it will never pay the bills. If you are aiming at trying to raise a mortgage from a few local boutique shops, you are sorely mistaken. Aim your sights higher; take down a large client you never thought you could, raise your own bar up above the rest so that the low hanging fruit becomes scraps that other less talented photographers fight over.

The rules have changes and value has been dispersed. The fact is photography has never been more important than now. Learning to make a living with a camera has changed, the industry has changed, bellyachers have not…

I look forward to your responses.

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I agree, photography is not dead. Still a picture paints a thousand words and photography is still an effective and efficient way of producing an image. It is still the best way to freeze a moment and capture your attention. In my point of view, what is being affected is the behavior of the customers or clients towards professional photography services. The more digital camera gets more advance the more it is easier for almost anyone to produce a really good photographs.

I will agree to an extent. As a working fashion photographer in a big market city (Paris), I can tell you that a LOT of jobs are being given away to small fish who propose jobs for free or next to nothing. Those same magazines like Vogue? I can tell you for a fact that now, even though they still sell a TON, Vogue and Harpers will pay their photographers about €300 per shoot for an 8-10 page spread sometimes. Those magazines thrive because even though they get quality shoots, they don't really pay a ton for them. So in the end, they're selling magazines and taking in the bulk of the profit from sales, and ALL the profit for advertising. Companies like Gucci, Vuitton and Dior pay less and less for their campaigns, why? Because they know that there is always someone with half the talent who will charge 1/4 the price. It's just the honest and brutal reality that less talent is required, and thus companies willing to sacrifice some talent to pay less and less to photographers. I'm fortunate enough to have a bachelors and masters degree in something other than photography to have a backup plan. And even working for a photography company (DxO!!!), I have a steady job that luckily isn't influenced by getting photo gigs anymore. I tried a few years of surviving off of photography, and it's gotten harder and harder each year...

About 5 years ago I had a contact share with me that a cover shoot for Vogue would fetch about $600. My jaw hit the floor.

No one ever makes a living just doing magazine editorials. it's mostly for marketing so you can get advertising work. In editorials you can be creative with your direction. In advertising you're carrying out the vision of an art director.

A company like Dior or Gucci is still hiring the best photographers and still paying a very high rate. Are you kidding? They want the best and will pay for it. Do you know how much Terry Richardson billed last year? To shoot for companies like these you have to already have yourself well established with a good track record and people talking about your work.

Also fashion advertising is only 12% of all the market. Even narrower to be in that and try to succeed. Better off targeting corporate or pharmaceuticals that have money to spend on more no-name photographers.

pho·tog·ra·phy n.
The art or process of producing images of objects on photosensitive surfaces.

pho·tog·ra·pher n.
One who practices photography.

Professional Photographer
One whose primary income is with photography.

thank you

I agree somewhat. There will always be a need for photographers. There is an abundance of casual non-pros out there that are not as good. "Not as good" becomes "good enough" when it is a fraction of the price.

Once cameras were used for photography, today a plethora of devices. Photography is so much more engaging and demanding today, images replace text, so yes, fully agree, the image/photo is more present and important than ever.

I don't think I have ever heard someone say photography is dead... that to me is just absurd.

Enjoyed this! I feel that "value dispersion" is the biggest point in this article. To counter it you MUST establish a profile as the authority in your niche, AND market the crap out of your brand (which does not mean shoot for free) - if you can't do that it's def' time to move on, because the world has.

I have in my hand at this moment two copies of "Sports Illustrated". Not sure what you are seeing, but there is nearly nothing to it and the images are mediocre at best. I think I remember that they recently fired all their photo staff, and it most definitely shows in these two issues.

That being said, photography is not dead. Not even mostly dead.

It is alive and healthy - BUT it has morphed and changed into something that many may not recognize. That is not a value judgement, it is a necessary understanding. Photography and photographs are transforming before our eyes.

How that goes for professionals remains to be seen, and of course depends on what attitudes and abilities the photographer has.

cell phones have generated more point and shoot photography. professional photography is stronger than ever. focus, do your thing, aim for the best and you will find it. i did and still do

Photography is CERTAINLY not dead !!! I am a part of this movement called The [CREATIV] Movement and they have TONS of badass photographers in their network. Anyone who is looking for a great community of creative people should chek it out. They sent me a free wristband not too long ago. Check out their website it's Creativmovementonline.org

Pro photography is most certainly at a crossroads. I don't think it's dead, but it's in dire straights for many pro shooters. I do think though that we are witnessing the death of the local photographer- the guy who does high school sports or local weddings. There are many reasons for this, the primary being that photography has lost all it's mystery and thus in the eyes of many people- it's value. Anyway, i could go on forever about that. Pro photography has some serious thinking to do.

I wouldn't even say that pro photography is dead, it's just becoming over-saturated and therefore, less unique...even in regards to style. More and more people are getting into photography-as-an-income-maker and can afford the "standards": full-frame, a 24-70mm, a 70-200mm, Lightroom or PS, and the ever popular "film camera look" presets.

Look on Photography business's FB pages and you'll have a hard time discerning who's engagement portrait work is who's...narrow the search to all the local businesses and you'll start to see the same backgrounds being used with all those "standards", just with different couples.

It is becoming harder and harder for an individual photographer to stand out from the rest when the only thing different that's being offered is the final price :/

This actually motivated me more. Thanks for this.

Well stated !

i shoot only lesbian weddings.

"Photography is not dead, photography has never been more important than it is today."

You lost all credibility when you said the above. Why is it more important today? Because you are alive now? Seriously, this is such an unsupported statement.

I feel that when film died out photography started to change just the same way the music industry has since the "internet". Artists don't have record deals because of their talent level and the same holds true for photographers. Photography is not dead, it is just not as lucrative and respected as it was before "everyone can do it".