We generally think of technology and the Internet as a good thing for photography: digital cameras continue to make more things possible at a higher quality than ever, and the Internet makes the dissemination of one's work both easier and vastly more widespread than ever. Nonetheless, it's not all positive, and this interesting interview takes an honest look at how things have changed.
Coming to you from L2inc, this great video features an interview with Rick Smolan. Smolan is a photojournalist who has worked with Time, Life, National Geographic, and more and is currently the CEO of Against All Odds Productions. He also recently released "The Good Fight: America's Ongoing Struggle for Justice." Having worked as a photojournalist in the film era, he has a very interesting perspective on how technology has changed the landscape for photographers. While ultra-connectivity has certainly made aspects of a photojournalist's job easier, the financial viability of the profession has eroded. As Host Scott Galloway points out, it seems that the inherent value of such imagery has gradually been siphoned from the photographer to the platforms that distribute it. The interview is pretty enlightening and a great watch.
You can buy "The Good Fight: America's Ongoing Struggle for Justice" here.
Not sure what Scott Galloway meant "inherent value of such imagery has gradually been siphoned from the photographer to the platforms that distribute it." In photojournalism the economic power has always been with the platforms. The competition among photographers seeking fame and glory drives it.
Not sure what Scott Galloway meant "inherent value of such imagery has gradually been siphoned from the photographer to the platforms that distribute it." In photojournalism the economic power has always been with the platforms, competition among photographers drives it.
Is there a transcript somewhere? I'm not going to watch a 11 and a half minute video but the subject is interesting and I wouldn't mind reading an article quickly. For the curious, this comment took me 25 seconds and I think it was time well spent ;-)
Hum, I think we have been had. To me this is nothing more than a promotion for a table top book. However , slick marketing, except the vocal “dig” toward President Trump.
I'm trying to be charitable, but this was close to clickbait.
I watched this until it became an advertisement for his book, at about the 7 minute mark.
Nowhere did he manage to advance the argument that 'technology has been bad for photography'; indeed, the argument he advanced was a generalised complaint that the average professional makes substantially less money, as a consequence of the spread of advanced image making technology; however, he seemed to speak positively about the fact that photographers now have much more control over their product.
To any photographer thinking in these terms I say this: if your business is not profitable, give away the business, get a normal job, and treat your photography as a hobby (like everyone else). Grow up, life is unfair.