a friend just sent me this ...

Christopher Walrath

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Every local newspaper/advertising magazine has downsized in the last year. We're talking over 50% in physical size and slightly more in overall content. The advent of instant news on the internet has drastically reduced the need to pay increased prices for decreased reportage, content and size.
 

bsdunek

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It's happening in every industry. The economy is still going down the tubes no matter what we're told. It's going to be a long time until recovery, if ever, and if it does, it will be completely different. Sad.
 

DanielStone

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most of the people that I've assisted for here in LA have told me that the "art" in photography, even advert. work, went out the window when digital became the norm.

sucks, cause the photographer isn't really asked to give THEIR spin on it, like in the film days. Now, even for editorial work, the story isn't really built around the photos, but the photos have to fit the story.

sad indeed.

-Dan
 
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newspapers near me have been giving a p/shoot camera to the reporter to take a snappy after the interview for over a decade... but
replacing a commercial photographer with someone on flikka is scary ...

so if you are a professional and they want one of YOUR images
they will just say " well i can get something kind of like it from so and so
and it will be nearly free, so why should i pay you for it .. "

 

wfe

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It seems that professional photography is in fact suffering an identity crisis and will go through a redefinition process. Pros need to find new and different methods and avenues to generate revenue. I've not jumped into the pro world but have taken to teaching workshops with tremendous success. I have both film and digital photographers attending the workshops with equipment ranging from mid level digital cameras to large format film cameras. I'm still working on new avenues to grow and expand the workshops and classes. My investment in the effort is more in my time than actual cash outlay. It will be interesting to see the direction pros take as the world around us will continue to change as technology and economic influences play a major role in available markets.
 

SuzanneR

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The article mentions Burn Magazine which was started by David Alan Harvey. I bet we start seeing more such web photo magazines designed to display very good work. It means, of course, that photographers will have to become savvy at interactive presentations as well, like the MediaStorm site.

http://mediastorm.org/
http://www.burnmagazine.org/

Pro photogs will have to be very entrepreneurial... it's hard to compete against amateurs who aren't making a living at it. Though anyone using Flickr snaps is, IMNSHO, a lazy photo editor or art director. There's a lot of BAD pictures there... not even worth the 99 cents.
 

Vonder

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Sad? No, not really. Photographers have, in the past, had a skill which not everyone had. They could reliably produce adequate, in-focus images which were for the most part properly exposed. Nowadays that simple result can be achieved by everyone. The vast majority of what people want from an event photographer is that simple combination. Focus. Exposure. The other factors that go into a photograph - timing, composition, camera angle, depth of field, etc - separate the "pros" from the amatuers...

BUT

When the pro costs X, and the amatuer costs X divided by 10, those other factors become unimportant - to most people. The skilled photographer now competes in a market which is reduced to those who know the difference between adequate images and those that are exceptional.
 

MartinCrabtree

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No matter what the profession all the hard work you've done has been sold out to the almighty dollar.I'm 51,very good at what I do and no one will even make me an offer.I can't even find sh!t work outside my training.Standards have dropped through the floor and they will hire to a number and give the rest of the money to poor results.I'm considering leaving the country.If I'm to be poor in money I'll be rich in experience.Time to see the rest of the world.

Oh sorry for the rant.It's just how I feel these days.haven't drawn a paycheck since Nov. '08.And I'm only an avid amateur photographer.
 
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a while back i had a conversation with an art director who worked for a HUGE insurance company.
she used to direct projects, manage photographers, produce collateral and ad/media content ..
now the company searches the royalty free image sites ( and probably trolls filkkr &C ) and she now manages
offshore printing companies, who (like the images used) are inexpensive, by comparison to what was "the norm".

i agree photographers have to adapt, and be savvy, and entrepreneurial but didin't they have to do that already ?
the commercial photography market has been FLOODED for decades with everyone from people who know exactly what they
are doing to people who have no clue. now it seems that with new-ish technology people who had no clue look like they do

i guess as they say, find what you are good at, and be better than anyone else + tons of connections will help .. ( now as well as 30 years ago ) ...
 
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SilverGlow

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The cream will rise to the top, in regard to talent.

More then ever before, a photographer that wants to pay his bills with his craft better be pretty darned good. I think for the top 1% there will always be good paying work. I thank God I don't rely on my photography to pay my mortgages! lol

I think the following genres are near dead, in regard to one making a serious living (except for the 1%):

Photo-Journalism & Reportage
Documentary
Fashion
Ad work
Stock Photography
Portraiture

Wedding can still be lucrative, but even wedding rates are dropping fast.

And of course, who you know can mean thousands in your bank account.
 
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