I have been doing professional part-time product and studio/on-site portrait photography for 13 years. People just don't want to pay for quality photography (mine anyway); they are content with selfies and whatever their friends AirDrop them. As of this summer, I am shuttering my business and selling off my studio equipment. I just don't want to put hours and hours into the marketing or learning to shoot/edit video that would be needed to jump start my business. I'm 70 years old.
I'm a wedding photographer in Roanoke, VA, USA, and it's bleak. I'm still working, but bookings and payments are definitely way down. It's hard when you have dozens of new photographers shooting for pennies.
I started doing video along with photos this year and it definitely has helped. I saw where the market was headed and figured I’d adapt my business. Photographers who are only offering photography still are soon going to be left behind.
Yes, video is everything and I'm sure in the future all ads will be some kind of video or moving image.. Not to mention AI doing some crazy things these days
So good to hear that I'm not alone. I'm a headshot photographer in the UK near London and I've seen business fall off a cliff in the past two years. Most clients are shocked by the cost for a half hour session (£99) and probably decide to have a friend take their photo with a smartphone rather than pay for a professional image. As you say, most content consumed on smartphones is not shot in a studio with lighting but has a 'polished amateur' feel to it, which has become popular because of its dominance. Of course, Covid-19 and the economic crisis haven't helped either but it's now a market driven by the majority of amateurs rather than a minority of professionals. I'm not at all optimistic for its future. Excellent video!
I am glad I came forward and made this video and reached out to good honest photography like you Frank. I totally agree with you, after Covid-19, amateurs NOW are mostly the CLIENTS themselves shooting cheaper and lousier ads and also many are cutting down on advertising costs..... they seem not to mind that 'unpolished looks' like you said. Thank you for commenting Frank3 appreciate your presence here and your logical input
Sadly, it's too easy for anyone to buy a digital camera which (let's face it) pretty much does it for you, and think that they're 'pro'! I'd love to hand them my 1980 C330 f with my Weston Master V and tell them to go and cover a wedding!
I couldnt believe it, I recently took my adult daughter to a stores camera dept because she wanted to buy a camera and learn about photography.She was looking at Canon Nikon etc, I had to go off for a few minutes, when I came back the salesman was saying to her "why dont you just upgrade your smartphone?." To be honest it really annoyed me as someone who has been in photography for decades.Anyway she decided to give it more thought. After reading all this I'm thinking perhaps he was right. All my carefully taken photos only get looked at on phones anyway. I've always enjoyed you videos Andrew.
Photography is an art itself. This sales person sucks honestly. He’s being lazy. And I worked for camera stores for decades. Young people nowadays don’t appreciate art. The art of looking and thinking. There isn’t much thought in cell phone photography. You can’t push yourself like you can using a regular camera. Photography hasn’t been cheaper. No buying film. Can shoot with same card forever. No excuses
Thank you for this video. I'm from Montreal, Canada. I'm a beginner in photography but I've been chatting with other photographers and it sounds like everyone is having a hard time booking. However the demand for video is booming. An event videographer with whom I worked with in the summer said they were fully booked. Seems like not enough people are getting into videography over here. Thanks again for the insights, always enjoyed your content. :)
Nigel Danson just did a comparison video, smartphone, v aps-c, v full frame, v medium format. He printed a landscape photo from his smartphone at A2 and he was very pleased with it
I've been into photography long before Covid. Covid did get everyone closer with videography and photography. But its only gotten more competitive and complicated. Only because ppl got to have the latest and greatest gear. We are forgetting the real art of simplicity. I'm too poor and cant keep up. I'm barely gathering what I need. Once I do, then the next best thing pops up 😂 Blessings, my ultimate favorite channel in existence ❤🥰🙏 Love You All
Amazing part of today though is even if you are poor there are plenty of options to create & publish that rival options that a decade or two ago required massive amounts of money & connections.
In my niche, a cell phone photo can get the job done. The hours (years actually) I put into learning photography, editing, and composition are washed away when a potential buyer just needs some basic photos because they know what they are looking at, really high quality photos (or artfully composed ones) do not convey more information. It's "just enough" to get the sale. So I don't make enough money to pay my bills. Then on the other end, there are photographers who are charging 10x what I get paid and their quality is undisputed. My challenge moving forward is how to get my quality level so high, that people will demand to hire me and not a random person with a phone.
I'm 67 and I've been through three carer changes in my life because of technology and I've learned some hard realities because of it. It's wild times to be a photographer now with technology and post covid environment.. I prefer doing commercial work where people know I'm taking photos/video that sell their product or service. Also I've accepted that everyone is a photographer with a phone in their pocket now. That said, I find I'm evolving to more video than still work and I find that the valuable commodity for your clients now is TIME - yes a customer can shoot and edit a photo/video themselves, but if you can save them time doing tasks that distract them from focusing on their core business, you are a asset worth spending money on.
We are in the same peer group and number of careers. While my focus continues to be photography, I've made more money providing stock video. I still sell the occasional print, calendar, and gift "art" cards. I'm glad my wife has a good job as we'd be starving otherwise. (I'd have to get a job at Costco...they hire old guys that are in okay shape.)
It’s really bad… everyone seems to expect free photography now a days. Even for professional photographers, no one seems to get married in my town after the covid. It’s like starting photography all over again.
My biggest problem with product photography is the styling - such an important part of it. I can watch videos about it, but I just have no artistic talent for it. I'm strictly about the technical aspects. You have some awesome videos and courses about product photography. I'll keep watching them and maybe some day get it figured out. Good luck with the business. You're honestly one of what I consider the Top 10 photographers of today. And your tutorials and courses are amazing! (It also helps to have the great associates you work with.) Thanks!
Style? What style a lot of the stuff I been bumping into has hardly any style at all, you might be able to get a flair for it in this marketplace, I say practice and see what you end up producing this market is not the same as the past.
Absolutely, this has been the slowest in 20years. Last year I shoot 43 events and this year only 28 and I have nothing else scheduled for the rest of the year. I hope it turns around next year.
Instead of good or bad in terms of "image quality" clients are looking at engagement and content now because those sells their products more than a nice looking photo/video, also why saramonics sponsored you guys for this video. So if we don't evolve alongside the industry shifts, we will join the dinosaurs.
Absolutely love this video! Just wondering what if the big three camera manufacturers made their cameras with the same technology as a smartphone? It would win some people back if Sony, Canon or Nikon made a camera with some AI self processing internally. Shortening post processing times.
from where i am clients are so used to bad ads and no budget shoots. and most of the new/young guys compete by really lowering their rates to the point that they need a ton of projects per month just to make a small amount of profit.
I've seen this coming for years, with the popularity of social media and UA-cam, where amateurs get attention for reasons other than the photography. In the wedding business, I remember getting more and more requests (quite a few years ago) for a photojournalistic approach rather than posed group shots. On some level, the amateur look is a style that has gained popularity. Of course, many of these clients just didn't want to spend time posing for photos, so there's that too. For businesses, it mostly about profits, so a more professional style needs to produce more sales, and if it doesn't, then why bother?
A truly good, spontaneous' photojournalistic photo is arguably harder than any posed shot. That's presuming that it's actually good photos that those people want, not just carless snapshots.
Good one Andrew! My biggest rant nowadays has been those so-called influencers who come into the market and claim that their followers will help move the client's product. Well, it may be true in some extent during the Covid period. It seems dying down a bit but as you said, customers are accustomed to the 'content creator quality' (I won't say good or bad) and since the rest of the customer's competitors are doing the same, why not? The only way for the good creatives to come back, is to have some very good ones visible in the market, so good that the rest of the creatives buyers(the customers) feel pressured and look for a more professional service. I started out as a studio photographer in JB, Malaysia in 20 some years ago and I found myself involved more and more in videography. That's how I keep my nose above the water. For photography, besides a well-edited photo, I also provide more angles for some more low-end foods photography as most of them require for photo for their social media content. For my high-end clients, they are there but they either lower their requirements to have some 'influencer' or content agency to handle them, or they are less active after the Covid.
in honesty, these are what the professionals should be thinking when taking photographs not only to be more competitive but also to improve and challenge themselves. creativity is also playing a big role, in theory, a great photographer could produce great images from any camera if you put the thinking behind as you mentioned on the video. but yes, sadly the standard of photography today are degrading fast. more and more photographers are made no efforts on lighting, stylist but rely on post productions. but you're right, we mustn't let the standards go down to stay in the game as a photographer.
Good video. The flip side of the coin for the smart phone factor is (in the US at least) people who buy expensive-looking gear and think they are immediately a working pro. A $5,000 camera doesn’t make a person a good photographer.
Enjoyed your video! Some feedback: see if you can control the room reverb in the audio you capture. There was a lot of reverb which made the discussion harder to follow when listening on smartphone speakers.
I think because of lockdown so many new entrants are starting budget studios, at-home setup and all kinds of quick startups - the supply curve has shifted so far out that the aggregate price drops. I see this as a positive. It's gonna force both serious photographers and budget photographers to re-arrange the market condition and continue to innovate.
Times change and most people don't want to. People don't read newspapers, magazines, use computers etc. Everything is on the phone and it all has to be fast and catch your eye, so quality and high production doesn't matter when small and on a phone. Everyone is used to looking at small shitty images on phones so no one wants to pay big buck some something that looks good when large and not different that everything else when small. You want to keep up you need to change with the times and do what they want, cheaper and faster.
As an outsider looking in that may consider hiring someone for photography, this is very eye opening. Seems more economical to do it yourself, especially when this guy is openly explaining how to inflate the price of services. Unless I'm running a company with large budgets, hiring a full blown professional team doesn't make sense. I'd hire an up and coming hobbyist instead after checking out their portfolio
You get what you pay for. It's not only the images, is the whole approach to the task. And you're saying that professional skill has little value. Sad times indeed. Beauty and artistry should be goals again. All of it looks the same these days anyway, most copying each other or making pseudo imagery. Real artistry is worth paying for, isn't that what you're product is supposed to associate with?
@@frontstandard1488 i get your point and where you're coming from and that's the ideal way to look at artistry as its the epitome of human expression, but at the same time guys like me that don't want to keep up with the joneses understand that there are diminishing returns for value. upholding a standard to that degree in all facets of life just gets exhausting and entirely too expensive. this is why people are gravitating to services that empower the end user as a form of an experience and "customize it yourself and put your signature on it", vs the idea of "i paid a lot of money for this and it looks amazing!, but damn i did spend a ton of money on that, hmmm". Times are changing and inflation is going to put a stranglehold on luxury services vs do it yourself. The new trend will be "look how much i did with such little effort for such little money". instead of "look how this is over the top everyone!" which projects "over excess"
Wel...I think I have left comments on UA-cam maybe 2 times in my life (being generous). I would like to share a thought. I'm a food startup owner in Honduras. I recently learned I'm a perfectionist. I'll focus on the marketing part of the business, which pertains to photography. Lately I've realized my business isn't growing as much as I would want it. I keep holding back on DOING THINGS because they would not be perfect. This includes photos, explainer animations, flyers, posters, etc. I want to put out great quality on everything I do, including the product ads, but I've had a hard time finding the right balance between things looking good (enough) and being affordable during a startup phase. For a while I thought photography was 70 - 80% gear & software and 30 - 20% skill. I then decided to casually learn about photography, got myself a good phone and began. I now better understand a great photographer (I'm by no means great, nor good) can creat great material even with crappy equipment. Granted, posibilities will be more limited, but skill takes you further than just the gear you have. With a phone and very limited skills I was able to take some photos that made for far better ads than some material produced by a profesional. I'm not saying I'm a genius, or expert, or that gear doesn't matter. I'm saying that a picture taken with a pro camera, in a studio, with pro lighting, and noticeably higher production value can still be less relevant than a simpler picture that "gets the right message through". This is why you see lower quality stuff used so much. Yes, it's cheaper, but sometimes people are just able to DIY a crappy low production value ad that just connects with their audience. I see what you say about showing a customer you can use their phone better than they can. It will clearly show the technical skill gap they are hiring you for, but it must also be paired with the photographer being able to get the message accross. If you can do this, without breaking the bank, you should be golden. My advise, in all my ignorance about photography as a profession, don't prioritize getting ALL the best expensive gear. Get good stuff, within your current possibilities and really learn what your customer wants to communicate through pictures. Don't let perfectionism hold you back. Sure, you will notice it, others in your profession may notice it, but the average person won't. Learn to accept "good enough" outputs, but gradually improve as you go. Prioritize that, over buying ultra quality gear you can't quiet afford yet. Be mindful though, if your gear isn't the best (which is fine), look for customers that can't pay for the best but WILL appreciate what YOU can do for THEM. Lastly, understand that just like the market is hard on you, it's also hard on your cusotmer. If you are doing productions for businesses, maybe pitching a deal where you produce marketing material and get paid based on it's success can help you get in the door. As a small business owner, on a really beat up market, and due to past experiences with marketing, I'm really hesitant on spending money on creating an ad that may not yield results. If an agency were to offer taking my marketing responsibilities with minimal upfront cost for me, but higher returns for them based on ad success, I would be much more inclined to work with them. Just a thought in case any of you want to try that in your markets.
As someone who came up and learned on film and medium format cameras, the evolution has been staggering and interesting to watch. Compating what ISO 800 on my 7D looks like compared to the EOS R is night and day. I can do stuff now with high ISO I never would have dreamed of 10-12 years ago. Because of that continuous led lighting is becoming a viable option and making flashes less necessary. I'm trying to get into video now but it's been a bit of a struggle, moreso on the hardware and movement than on the actual capture devices.
Hi, great video, thx. But let me tell you one experience. Young users not only look at the pictures on their smartphone. They have big expensive screens in their livingroom and enjoy looking at their pictures there !! And they tell you, oh, the little ring on the left hand of my fiance is not quite sharp !!! :)
Since Covid the photography business has been sh*t. End of story. People act like our photography equipment comes to us for free. They want a professional photo but don’t want to pay what that costs. Photography has always been a rich man’s career, now it has become a rich man’s hobby. Enjoy!
My business definitely hit a lot post covid. Actually, I am planning to do the similar video regarding about this too. I have a lot in my thought about this, will share once I am ready to start record and talk in the camera.
Switzerland, major city. Before Covid I made 1300€ a month with photography as side hustle. During Covid I had several well paid collaborations but the rest went to zero. After that, my main customer wanted to shoot at 50%. Had another side hustle as a business - lost tens of thousands during Covid, but at least didn't take any state money or loan. In 2022 a lot of Ukrainian refugees entered the country. This included Ukrainian photographers doing everything to survive. My colleagues also did shoot much less. And it is also true, that many people nowadays think that they can shoot too. Video is important nowadays and I am happy I have a very good main income source - I am not under pressure financially. So, I give myself more time to indulge more into videography in the coming years.
Photographers have to adapt to changing times & technology. If you're the type that is old school then business might be downhill. Young people's demand nowadays get higher & higher with handphone photography & Ai while the prices plunge. Therefore creativity in services offered are needed..
Its natural. Get used to it. Barrier of entry for photography will keep getting lower. Camera on the phone will keep getting better and make it easy for consumers. Plus they can get free lessons on youtube. Its democratization of photography. Where every one will eventually can do good photos themselves. On the contrary, their will still be demand for fine art grade work at premium similar to the watch industry. So skill up guys.
What you are recommending... not gonna happen (I think). Excellent Photography will continue via the craft of the true artisan, not through the craft of the businessman. I am now a retired photographer and print maker. In 1995 I went digital and purchased $1,000,000 of digital equipment. I used to make composite images through combining different film images in the darkroom onto one sheet of final film. I then made many photographs from that one negative and shipped these photographs to hundreds of locations. By going digital I was able to combine images in Photoshop. I still made the final product because I had an LVT film recorder that allowed me to make an 8"x10" negative instead the darkroom (multiple exposed) negative I used to make. Deadlines were cut in half. Original color transparencies were scanned with my drum scanner which allowed me to work in Photoshop. Soon enough digital captures were "good enough" and they replaced film. Then within 5 years, digital prints were "good enough." On and on it went until the images I now see in the malls look like crap. We used to send mounted (real) photographs to over 100 locations for a number of clients. Now those locations receive digital ink jet prints made onto thin fabric and sent in an envelope to all these locations. The savings in shipping speaks for itself. The canvas prints are stretched out onto frames already at the stores and displayed. Needless to say, you no longer see real photographs in retail locations. The craft of making a real photograph is now limited to a very few. Most photographers know very little of color correction and have very little interest in obtaining true neutrality in the gray scale areas of each photograph. Reproduced black areas, alone, are seldom neutral in color balance let alone without considering skin tones or clouds and sidewalks. In short, the quality of the image (and project, in your case) will suffer when considerations against cost is taken into account. That's why I went back into only making black and white silver gelatin prints and closed my color lab. I took the best equipment and reduced my color lab into a black and white facility and got back to basics as if I was 16 years old again.
There is a still is a large market for DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Professional cameras from 5 to 10 years ago are falling in price because they have convinced everyone it is ancient technology, and that you can't possibly beat the new mirrorless options. Mirrorless cameras are the industry answer to compete with smart phones. Camera companies have no choice but to go there, or die. The image quality of mirrorless pictures isn't much better. You get better focus tracking and image stabilization in the more expensive offerings. If you already know how to shoot great pictures with a DSLR, a mirrorless might get you fewer rejects. Where video is concerned, it will be smaller more portable devices that make Vlogging easier, like the new DJI Osmo Pocket 3, Vlogging Camera. Add to that, super awesome photography lessons, and awesome editing software, and you have yourself a perfect storm.
I don’t think it’s only photography . I have some talk some folks who also works in photo . Short video is hot . Technology changing the way not only for photography , design is slightly boosted by AI . Text generation articles e.t,c .so overall trend for some occupation entry level is shifting . Everybody can enter which leads to healthy/unhealthy competition …… in nutshell world is evolving …
People have no sense of value anymore. We used to rent out our studio for $25 and hour which included our lights and equipment. All they had to do is bring their camera and client. People didn't want to pay it. They wanted to rent the studio for $25 for unlimited time. They don't understand lighting either. We hosted meetups and had shooting areas set up different types of lighting. All they wanted and understood was flat lighting. I used to shake my head watching people try to do full length shots lit with a beauty dish.
You are right 100 %. Photography sucks because of unprofessional people 's actions in the market .. They don't understand anything about light and the work with the box ... They just have the money to buy an expensive unit with big lenses..and shoot a picture or two...smart phone has killed the professional photographer today. Kids left school & their career till grade 8 and are thinking that's the career they will build ...they are so good with the digital world but suck if they used a reel canera,... Today it killed this trade and then they say they aren't making any money .. They end up crying .. because they dont have an alternative trade ....they cheat the customer by showing them selves as a cheap professional ..s*@t
I'm from Philippines. I now blame the Android Phone. I'm not talking about expensive iPhones. Android phones are getting cheaper with very good internal cameras. Potential clients get by with these phones nowadays. 😥
Sifu, I am from Sungai Petani, business sure slow down, but what I think is, you need to be really good in both either photography and video in order to survive. Smartphone makes photography and videography looks easy but perhaps... perhaps where I live, your editing skills have to be Top Notch in order to maintain... Computer editing is not easy....unlike those apps... Morphing and Effects are so easy to do there... even the transtitions effects... So we need to do extra, make those apps looks like a Toy (direct Mandarin translation) to survive.....maybe kua...?
Thanks for this talk 😆 im a food photographer for almost 30 years and my business has been down since young inexperience photographers moreover they team up wth 20 year old food stylists , i work wth the best food stylisy in malaysia .U are so right , young stupid clients just want FOTOs out , thank the lucky stars theres still a handful of clients still appreciate good shots !! Its really depressing to see clients love shotty cheap shots
here in the Philippines,. much chunk of getting the moolah specially weddings and Events goes. to coordinators, because they sell packages that already includes. photo and video services. instead of photo and vidoe team having separate rates. they book the clients end of story. in my case, i don't shoot when its not my rate. i can do this because i know what im doing and how long will it take from planning, prod, post prod to delivery.
The money side has been declining for 15 years or more. So many wont pay anymore. Magazine s are a prime example of this. Too many are willing to undercut to get a job. We need to hold to a good price. Get the customer used to paying for quality.
As a art galley owner of own work now closed as the landscape of photography has changed 110% through AI tech, the ease & cheapness of digital costs ex film days via phone tech, film stills through video eg weedings not to mention phone camera's ability to near the exact way pro photography does let alone 20+fps 6-10k camera & lens you going to get one shot right?, the old school knowing how to take photos is lost now in new tech, and those who have "no respect in true photography" just look at art photography compatitions no matter what your viewing too much editing before & after nothing alike!! Australia Cost for weeding was 6k now 3k and lower price wins again 100 people with 100+ phones cover most peoples requirements of that 1 wedding photo that is placed on the wall, professional images has lost its true nature of what photography held to us all !!! the standard is low NO composition NO measure of story, mood or what one went through to get to that place again tech drones 8k video camera can do just that without the climb Blogs video easy snaps editing cut paste the new 2024 2025 eye glasses to cover your day Animal photography has some control still but seen one duck you seen them all
I think the major misinformation on how "easy" it is to do "professional" photography also added to the problem. With more "cheap/free/subsidized" courses out on photography & videography [especially during covid] everyone suddenly think they are better artists that need not the experience. With that, it created a bigger divide between the experienced photographers/artists and the lesser experienced onces. (delivererables included) Small clients no longer yearn for the taste of the full potential of high value productions since "they now know better" but bigger clients better appreciate the value of quality productions and team. - [some of these courses are even run by people who does not have the relevant experiences...]
In the uk i think photography is dead in the water, why ! Because of mobile phones. Everyone these days takes a photo of absolutely anything then post it on facebook Instagram ect ect. Thry DONT care how professional it looks. And they take photos all the time even really terrible ones still make it to facebook ect. The only photos mothers or fathers pay for is school photos, and not every parent even buys them. You could own a £3k camera the best lighting in the world . The most expensive lens you can buy. And NONE of them matters to the customer. What all these people useing mobile to take there photo of themselves , they dont realise the camera ona mobile phone has a wide angle lens . And because of that, it distorts faces but they habe no idea about it . If they have a photo taken with a tele lens they would look so much better . But they habe no idea because they just snap and upload. If a photographer is still making a living from photography these days then your very lucky. Even camera sales have gone down has has been for years , all because of mobile phone cameras. To a average person these are good enough so why pay someone els ..
Yes, almost everyone has a smartphone camera these days and loves to take pictures of themselves just to post something on their social profile but this only shows me that people are obsessed with how they look. The reality is people are willing to pay if you can make them look good (especially woman). Whenever I photograph people for free, they're so impressed they want to hire me for a paid photoshoot next and I dont even ask for money :). IMO if you are good at something, you will always earn money.
Hahaha......... I had the most ridiculus experience shooting with good lens once. I used a 85mm f/1.8G lens to capture some potrait photos of my colleagues, which I thought will make them looks better. And you know what? They disliked it, saying their face looked more ‘round’. They liked the selfie shot which made them look slimmer. Oh no…… the distorted image is better. Bad photos has become prefered photos.
This is why photography skill is important, A true professional photographer would not make this mistake, ( knowing about short light and broad light solves this issue not a lens)
The day came when no one needed a professional blacksmith either. Nor did Rome last forever. Technology and tastes change, and sadly, professional careers and career paths die along the way. … … … Sigh!
great video and good points however there is a couple of things I think you missed and its not just for photography but most creative/maker style industries. YOU have been the engineer of your own demise in both the reduction in demand and also the increase in competition to your business.. :-). What i mean is the rise of UA-cam channels like your channel that is full of how to do everything videos. So now people who might have gone looking to hire someone can go ...aww hell that doesnt look that hard so I can do it myself. The second part of the equation is that you have also instigated thousands of people who go ermmm that's not to hard I think I am going to open a business and the market becomes saturated with hack people so it also then reduces the overall quality in the industry and then as you stated a less quality product is more acceptable to the client base because that's what people mainly see so it appears to be the norm.. It has happened in most industries... The second thing is because of this influx of new people into so many industries it has increased the competition so much that being amazing at what you do and having a better skill set then others is not as effective as it once was.. so a persons lack of marketing skills meant nothing then because they were shit hot good and had a reputation, where today if you dont know how to market yourself you are dead in the water because there is so much choice and reputation does not bring the business like it used to....unfortunately technology is amazing and can make life processes so much easier but as it evolves we also have to evolve.
The reality here is that you have failed to capture the market sentiment. Your ad customers obviously saw the numbers even with crappy ads. You need to translate that Into monetary value, once you do I bet you it makes no sense that you need high quality ads when the shitty ads can generate the same numbers. You are targeting the wrong client. Businesses doesn't give two shits about sentiments. You should target private events where quality is sought after
What is your opinion on shooting horizontal while planning out for a vertical shot? Since even phone cameras can take a pretty decent Hi-Res shot cropping in is viable.
it's about convenience rather than pixel peeping. Most users and customers now are using mobile phones. Applying vertical videos makes the space usable 100% viewing experience, in a fast paced advertisement.
The value of still photo & graphic design slowly decreased over the years ,the smartphone is very good nowadays, cheap and good enough. Video without great narrator is a waste of time and Ad budget, it only work for influencers who have wealthy followers. Businesses can accept simple visuals because they are competing with prices, cheap video taken at the shop or factory is enough to get exposure rate in social media that does not look like a made up fancy Ad. Combining the tricks of current trend including A.I. will shake the professional industry, relatable content in the form of infotainment will excel as predicted but production studio dictated by shallow marketing and advertising never anticipate it assuming it to be a smooth transition, skills, creativity + experience is the new niche where high quality creative publications can withstand the onslaught of content marketing.
I want to tell them. Follow my vision. If you are cheap then you photos/product will look cheap. I know someone who is a great art director who worked with good shooters (ie. Art Department). They are no longer in business. I shot on smart phone too.
Everything is degrading. People want everything for nothing. I am not a photographer...I think photographers are a special breed and it will show, no matter the technology. Once quality slips, it just keeps on slipping. Then there is AI....
This is what I have been saying for a very long time now. Ever since the selfie came into the scene. U need to fight fir with fire. Now days ppl. Don't care about quality. They want fast photos at whatever cost, even if it's done with a smart phone.
I left the photography business in 2008 since I first saw the iphone. I knew photography will have zero values as soon as phone camera catch up in term of quality. I also knew it was going to be soon.
Video....yep..buy a gimbal, a mirrorless, two fully auto lenses, shoot everything on a gimbal at 120 fps, slow everything down and then call it a video. .. most of the time its slow motion trash...but hey....if they pay then theyre happy..
I intend to include creative photos taken by my iPhone 14 Pro max in my 2024 club comps, I decided I would do that before I saw this video today. It will be interesting to see how well they score. The photos will be of a more abstract nature, it will be interesting.
Sad we come to a world when Mobil phone make it ... and I want to ENLARGE to 100 inch by 70 inch landscape photo frame w / the Mobil setting, great we give up for the S****D mass... I'll BE BACK ;) ::::::::::: ____________ ::::::::::::::::
Another way to look at this - with all the crappy marginalized work out there being produced, don't you think all the reams of garbage slopped together every day by total hacks makes quality work stand out even more? Think lighting, composition, content, concept. Really, there are people (clients) out there that do appreciate the difference, and most of them are the ones that have considerably more money to spend, because in many cases they have a higher sense of quality in general. But you have to be consistently amazing, not just average or even above average. The biggest problem - photographers (especially younger ones) that allow themselves to get pushed around by unrealistic clients, who essentially play along because they don't want to upset anyone and - voila - they're in the same boat as everyone else. Doing shit work because they're not taking the time to do it right (again to satisfy hurried clients that don't want to spend anything ) and then they bitch about it. Stop looking at what everyone else is doing, stop thinking that tutorials are anything but the easy way out. And get the fuck off your ass and shoot and shoot and shoot and do the same with your editing. Then if you still can't produce a great image, then maybe this profession isn't for you.
I was charging £2k a day as a wedding photographer, but the market has been in decline for years. In the UK, wedding are in decline, there are now more kids born to unmarried parents than married. Its becoming the norm rather than the exception. there was reduced demand for beautiful albums and prints and an increase for self-made cheap photobooks. I also had a studio and I think the market moved on to smart phones which do give pretty nice images with AI enhanced processing. I also found people got a lot more price sensitive and would choose photographers who would use kit lenses and showed images that had obvious clipping and provide images back same day, suggesting they were shooting jpeg. I decided I couldn't produce images at a level I would be satisfied with at a price that would be competitive. A little bit of me went into every wedding and I just couldn't do that the way the market was moving. I was got out but fortunately I had another well paying skillset I can go to in software development. I LOVED shooting weddings and portraits, but I also love 25 days paid holiday, 6 months full sick pay, (and 75% for life), private healthcare and a salary above what I could earn even when at its peak and I was fully booked. I do still shoot, but just for me now.
As an older man who’s just getting into serious photography, I find this change very sad. I think it boils down to lowered expectations. People, including potential customers, are exposed to literal countless pictures each day. As a result, the value of each picture is diminished. The result is that a snap shot with no composition, lighting control, mood, or storytelling has become the “standard” by which people measure proper photographs. 😢
I agree with your comments. The quality of images has decreased but that's become the acceptable standard. Speed is more important. In addition, 30 years ago news agencies had to pay for their spot news content. Today, they obtain for free, and sometimes simply STEAL content from personal websites. The photos of Bin Laden raid would have been worth thousands of dollars previously, now people simply post their work for free.
I think there's more to the story. Those from the film generation have a deeper appreciation for the time and skill that used to go into producing a well composed, properly exposed, and sharply focused image that would translate well from film to print or screen. With limited tools, and the inability to change ISO, utilize autofocus, or even have a puller in some case... The camera operator was forced to be sharp, detail oriented, and thus able to capture a moment in time that had all of the makings of proper still of film shot. Technology has evolved, and capturing a great shot has never been easier -- allowing the camera operator to spend less time inundated by technical considerations, and more time diving into more creativity. One of the biggest enemies of creativity is the unfamiliar technology or workflows required to create it. I think that viewers lack attention span, and the younger generation of "content creators" do a good job of finding and creating new fads/trends that keep viewers engaged. In a world of social media and serving content to the masses -- our job isn't necessarily to change the world -- but to create in a way that the world will observe our work. I think as creators, we need to ask ourselves a few things... #1 Who are we creating for... Ourselves or for others? 1a. If we are creativing for others we need to have less excuses for why people do not consume our work at the rate we think we deserve. We can't be so stubbornly self-serving with our creative approach, that it leaves too much to be desired by those who consume it. If you want your work to be desired, one should incorporate a desirable approach. #2 Are you creating for yourself? 2a. Then who care about a competitive market, anyways?
Currently, 90% of photos are intended for social media, and they don't necessarily require high-quality images. Most pictures are 1350x1080 pixels, where you won't notice noise or smooth gradients.
I come from a Real Estate Photography background in US. The problem I have is that even though I do better work, the cheaper photographers just send their photos off shore to have them edited for $1 per photo. Not to mention they are in and out of a house in 1hour or less. It's crazy too, the real estate agent won't pay for better photos even when they are listing 2-4 million dollar houses (commission being 60-120K). They still would rather pay under $1000 and preferably $200.
Ha! I have seen ads of people looking for photos of houses and only offering $50. Sad thing is, apparently someone is taking these jobs and that makes it difficult to charge anymore. So just wait, it will get worse where you are at. Enjoy!
I moved to a small town and it was harder to get work. People tend to hire the little girl they know who got a camera for Christmas and even if her portraits are distorted and in natural light, people will pay someone local . I was not able to create a business in this small town. Sadly, even the local videographer with his i-phone will get more traction than I can, so I gave up on that and shoot now for my pleasure. Times have changed, not because of covid, bu because there are more people taking their own photos or depending on their friends. The client doesn't understand or care about a good photograph. Additionally, photography is a print business and nobody prints any more, either. I've talked to younger people who came out of school for cinema or photography and they are not able to make a consistent living at the craft. I think that if you are a mom with a camera, you will be able to get other moms as consumers of baby or boudiour photography, but as a straight up, hang a shingle out, it's tougher. The money is likely in teaching or youtube influencing.
I have more and more customers complain about why the photos have the background so blurry, they want to see everything clearly. They complained why there are shadows on their face. They compared with the photos they took with their phone and very disappointed with my photos.
A hundred years ago it was difficult NOT to have a blurry background, so it was the trait of a professional to get everything in focus with a large format camera. Blurring the background is often a gimmic that can be replaced with composition technique and eliminating distractions on set.
I've found that as photographers we prefer shadows and image depth but when given a choice many clients seem to like more flat, bright, and colorful images.
I have been doing professional part-time product and studio/on-site portrait photography for 13 years. People just don't want to pay for quality photography (mine anyway); they are content with selfies and whatever their friends AirDrop them. As of this summer, I am shuttering my business and selling off my studio equipment. I just don't want to put hours and hours into the marketing or learning to shoot/edit video that would be needed to jump start my business. I'm 70 years old.
I'm a wedding photographer in Roanoke, VA, USA, and it's bleak. I'm still working, but bookings and payments are definitely way down. It's hard when you have dozens of new photographers shooting for pennies.
@dctimagery Awesome!! What's your IG or website? I'm always down to meet up when we have time!
It’s never been good for me. Seems I don’t wear leggings. Two or three over exposing photographers in my area suck up all the oxygen.
I started doing video along with photos this year and it definitely has helped. I saw where the market was headed and figured I’d adapt my business. Photographers who are only offering photography still are soon going to be left behind.
Yes, video is everything and I'm sure in the future all ads will be some kind of video or moving image.. Not to mention AI doing some crazy things these days
Need more contents like this. More on Photography as a business than Photography as an art.
So good to hear that I'm not alone. I'm a headshot photographer in the UK near London and I've seen business fall off a cliff in the past two years. Most clients are shocked by the cost for a half hour session (£99) and probably decide to have a friend take their photo with a smartphone rather than pay for a professional image. As you say, most content consumed on smartphones is not shot in a studio with lighting but has a 'polished amateur' feel to it, which has become popular because of its dominance. Of course, Covid-19 and the economic crisis haven't helped either but it's now a market driven by the majority of amateurs rather than a minority of professionals. I'm not at all optimistic for its future. Excellent video!
I am glad I came forward and made this video and reached out to good honest photography like you Frank. I totally agree with you, after Covid-19, amateurs NOW are mostly the CLIENTS themselves shooting cheaper and lousier ads and also many are cutting down on advertising costs..... they seem not to mind that 'unpolished looks' like you said. Thank you for commenting Frank3 appreciate your presence here and your logical input
Sadly, it's too easy for anyone to buy a digital camera which (let's face it) pretty much does it for you, and think that they're 'pro'! I'd love to hand them my 1980 C330 f with my Weston Master V and tell them to go and cover a wedding!
I couldnt believe it, I recently took my adult daughter to a stores camera dept because she wanted to buy a camera and learn about photography.She was looking at Canon Nikon etc, I had to go off for a few minutes, when I came back the salesman was saying to her "why dont you just upgrade your smartphone?." To be honest it really annoyed me as someone who has been in photography for decades.Anyway she decided to give it more thought. After reading all this I'm thinking perhaps he was right. All my carefully taken photos only get looked at on phones anyway. I've always enjoyed you videos Andrew.
Photography is an art itself. This sales person sucks honestly. He’s being lazy. And I worked for camera stores for decades. Young people nowadays don’t appreciate art. The art of looking and thinking. There isn’t much thought in cell phone photography. You can’t push yourself like you can using a regular camera. Photography hasn’t been cheaper. No buying film. Can shoot with same card forever. No excuses
Why wouldn’t he want to make a sale?
@@hkraytai I used to be a salesman years ago, I guess he was an idiot, because he sold nothing.
This is why im getting into sports and commercial work pros will always be needed for that
It surely is a challenge in those area 🤣🤣🤣 each second counts
Thank you for this video. I'm from Montreal, Canada. I'm a beginner in photography but I've been chatting with other photographers and it sounds like everyone is having a hard time booking. However the demand for video is booming. An event videographer with whom I worked with in the summer said they were fully booked. Seems like not enough people are getting into videography over here.
Thanks again for the insights, always enjoyed your content. :)
Thank god I’m more into video now too. You got to change with the times.
They want you to do both!
Nigel Danson just did a comparison video, smartphone, v aps-c, v full frame, v medium format.
He printed a landscape photo from his smartphone at A2 and he was very pleased with it
I've been into photography long before Covid. Covid did get everyone closer with videography and photography. But its only gotten more competitive and complicated. Only because ppl got to have the latest and greatest gear. We are forgetting the real art of simplicity. I'm too poor and cant keep up. I'm barely gathering what I need. Once I do, then the next best thing pops up 😂 Blessings, my ultimate favorite channel in existence ❤🥰🙏 Love You All
Amazing part of today though is even if you are poor there are plenty of options to create & publish that rival options that a decade or two ago required massive amounts of money & connections.
In my niche, a cell phone photo can get the job done. The hours (years actually) I put into learning photography, editing, and composition are washed away when a potential buyer just needs some basic photos because they know what they are looking at, really high quality photos (or artfully composed ones) do not convey more information. It's "just enough" to get the sale. So I don't make enough money to pay my bills. Then on the other end, there are photographers who are charging 10x what I get paid and their quality is undisputed. My challenge moving forward is how to get my quality level so high, that people will demand to hire me and not a random person with a phone.
ONE WORD BEST describes all that you spoke about in this video......" " TRUTH‼" "
Agreeing to the points 😂😂😂
I'm 67 and I've been through three carer changes in my life because of technology and I've learned some hard realities because of it. It's wild times to be a photographer now with technology and post covid environment.. I prefer doing commercial work where people know I'm taking photos/video that sell their product or service. Also I've accepted that everyone is a photographer with a phone in their pocket now. That said, I find I'm evolving to more video than still work and I find that the valuable commodity for your clients now is TIME - yes a customer can shoot and edit a photo/video themselves, but if you can save them time doing tasks that distract them from focusing on their core business, you are a asset worth spending money on.
We are in the same peer group and number of careers. While my focus continues to be photography, I've made more money providing stock video. I still sell the occasional print, calendar, and gift "art" cards. I'm glad my wife has a good job as we'd be starving otherwise. (I'd have to get a job at Costco...they hire old guys that are in okay shape.)
Wow. Very insightful. Thanks for sharing. Much appreciated, from Dallas TX.
You so under rated. For me, you one of the best photography sifus out there in Malaysia.
Thank youuuuu azmilphotography 😍😍😍
It’s really bad… everyone seems to expect free photography now a days. Even for professional photographers, no one seems to get married in my town after the covid. It’s like starting photography all over again.
Free photography, damn, this is so real
see my post/comment pls
My biggest problem with product photography is the styling - such an important part of it. I can watch videos about it, but I just have no artistic talent for it. I'm strictly about the technical aspects. You have some awesome videos and courses about product photography. I'll keep watching them and maybe some day get it figured out. Good luck with the business. You're honestly one of what I consider the Top 10 photographers of today. And your tutorials and courses are amazing! (It also helps to have the great associates you work with.) Thanks!
Are we living the same life? 😂😂😂 this is exactly how I am.
Style? What style a lot of the stuff I been bumping into has hardly any style at all, you might be able to get a flair for it in this marketplace, I say practice and see what you end up producing this market is not the same as the past.
Absolutely, this has been the slowest in 20years. Last year I shoot 43 events and this year only 28 and I have nothing else scheduled for the rest of the year. I hope it turns around next year.
Thank you for an entire set of Asian business wisdom! 🙏
You're welcome. Thanks for watching 😊.
Rin Othmani, Channel Admin.
Mate, you are a genius 🎉. I love your ideas😅. Keeping fighting the good fight! 🎉🎉🎉
Andrew and his explosive ideas 🤣🤣🤣
Channel admin Farah N 😉 😉 😉
Instead of good or bad in terms of "image quality" clients are looking at engagement and content now because those sells their products more than a nice looking photo/video, also why saramonics sponsored you guys for this video.
So if we don't evolve alongside the industry shifts, we will join the dinosaurs.
Your delivery is hilarious and spot on. A lot of good points, thanks for the video.
Absolutely love this video! Just wondering what if the big three camera manufacturers made their cameras with the same technology as a smartphone? It would win some people back if Sony, Canon or Nikon made a camera with some AI self processing internally. Shortening post processing times.
from where i am clients are so used to bad ads and no budget shoots. and most of the new/young guys compete by really lowering their rates to the point that they need a ton of projects per month just to make a small amount of profit.
I've seen this coming for years, with the popularity of social media and UA-cam, where amateurs get attention for reasons other than the photography. In the wedding business, I remember getting more and more requests (quite a few years ago) for a photojournalistic approach rather than posed group shots. On some level, the amateur look is a style that has gained popularity. Of course, many of these clients just didn't want to spend time posing for photos, so there's that too. For businesses, it mostly about profits, so a more professional style needs to produce more sales, and if it doesn't, then why bother?
A truly good, spontaneous' photojournalistic photo is arguably harder than any posed shot. That's presuming that it's actually good photos that those people want, not just carless snapshots.
Love the honesty and very accurate
Thanks so much. We appreciate your awesome comments 😍.
- Rin Othmani, Channel Admin -
Good one Andrew! My biggest rant nowadays has been those so-called influencers who come into the market and claim that their followers will help move the client's product. Well, it may be true in some extent during the Covid period. It seems dying down a bit but as you said, customers are accustomed to the 'content creator quality' (I won't say good or bad) and since the rest of the customer's competitors are doing the same, why not? The only way for the good creatives to come back, is to have some very good ones visible in the market, so good that the rest of the creatives buyers(the customers) feel pressured and look for a more professional service.
I started out as a studio photographer in JB, Malaysia in 20 some years ago and I found myself involved more and more in videography. That's how I keep my nose above the water. For photography, besides a well-edited photo, I also provide more angles for some more low-end foods photography as most of them require for photo for their social media content. For my high-end clients, they are there but they either lower their requirements to have some 'influencer' or content agency to handle them, or they are less active after the Covid.
We appreciate ur sharing trevorwild. It's great to know personal experiences 😍😍😍
in honesty, these are what the professionals should be thinking when taking photographs not only to be more competitive but also to improve and challenge themselves. creativity is also playing a big role, in theory, a great photographer could produce great images from any camera if you put the thinking behind as you mentioned on the video.
but yes, sadly the standard of photography today are degrading fast. more and more photographers are made no efforts on lighting, stylist but rely on post productions.
but you're right, we mustn't let the standards go down to stay in the game as a photographer.
It's not up to us...
Good video. The flip side of the coin for the smart phone factor is (in the US at least) people who buy expensive-looking gear and think they are immediately a working pro. A $5,000 camera doesn’t make a person a good photographer.
Enjoyed your video!
Some feedback: see if you can control the room reverb in the audio you capture. There was a lot of reverb which made the discussion harder to follow when listening on smartphone speakers.
Absolutely 💯 agreed with your views. Covid changed many industries the way it used to be.
Thanks for the eye-opener. I am a professional photographer in The Netherlands. Time for a change.
Very rough time for all businesses , domino effect of economy
True to that, all business are affected nowadays
The low barrier to entry and cheap gear requirements have killed such tried and true concepts as the rule of thirds and headshot space.
Great video!
I think because of lockdown so many new entrants are starting budget studios, at-home setup and all kinds of quick startups - the supply curve has shifted so far out that the aggregate price drops. I see this as a positive. It's gonna force both serious photographers and budget photographers to re-arrange the market condition and continue to innovate.
Your content is beyond awesome! Useful!
You can be a photographer who chooses not to get paid. Which means you just enjoy doing it and you shoot whatever you want.
Great and right what you mention. Everyone know why.
Times change and most people don't want to. People don't read newspapers, magazines, use computers etc. Everything is on the phone and it all has to be fast and catch your eye, so quality and high production doesn't matter when small and on a phone. Everyone is used to looking at small shitty images on phones so no one wants to pay big buck some something that looks good when large and not different that everything else when small. You want to keep up you need to change with the times and do what they want, cheaper and faster.
Smart advice - it’s quite valuable actually - amazing he gives it to you for free….
As an outsider looking in that may consider hiring someone for photography, this is very eye opening. Seems more economical to do it yourself, especially when this guy is openly explaining how to inflate the price of services. Unless I'm running a company with large budgets, hiring a full blown professional team doesn't make sense. I'd hire an up and coming hobbyist instead after checking out their portfolio
You get what you pay for. It's not only the images, is the whole approach to the task. And you're saying that professional skill has little value. Sad times indeed. Beauty and artistry should be goals again. All of it looks the same these days anyway, most copying each other or making pseudo imagery. Real artistry is worth paying for, isn't that what you're product is supposed to associate with?
@@frontstandard1488 i get your point and where you're coming from and that's the ideal way to look at artistry as its the epitome of human expression, but at the same time guys like me that don't want to keep up with the joneses understand that there are diminishing returns for value. upholding a standard to that degree in all facets of life just gets exhausting and entirely too expensive. this is why people are gravitating to services that empower the end user as a form of an experience and "customize it yourself and put your signature on it", vs the idea of "i paid a lot of money for this and it looks amazing!, but damn i did spend a ton of money on that, hmmm". Times are changing and inflation is going to put a stranglehold on luxury services vs do it yourself. The new trend will be "look how much i did with such little effort for such little money". instead of "look how this is over the top everyone!" which projects "over excess"
Great video with information shared! Thank you!
Wel...I think I have left comments on UA-cam maybe 2 times in my life (being generous).
I would like to share a thought. I'm a food startup owner in Honduras. I recently learned I'm a perfectionist. I'll focus on the marketing part of the business, which pertains to photography.
Lately I've realized my business isn't growing as much as I would want it. I keep holding back on DOING THINGS because they would not be perfect. This includes photos, explainer animations, flyers, posters, etc. I want to put out great quality on everything I do, including the product ads, but I've had a hard time finding the right balance between things looking good (enough) and being affordable during a startup phase.
For a while I thought photography was 70 - 80% gear & software and 30 - 20% skill. I then decided to casually learn about photography, got myself a good phone and began. I now better understand a great photographer (I'm by no means great, nor good) can creat great material even with crappy equipment. Granted, posibilities will be more limited, but skill takes you further than just the gear you have.
With a phone and very limited skills I was able to take some photos that made for far better ads than some material produced by a profesional. I'm not saying I'm a genius, or expert, or that gear doesn't matter. I'm saying that a picture taken with a pro camera, in a studio, with pro lighting, and noticeably higher production value can still be less relevant than a simpler picture that "gets the right message through".
This is why you see lower quality stuff used so much. Yes, it's cheaper, but sometimes people are just able to DIY a crappy low production value ad that just connects with their audience.
I see what you say about showing a customer you can use their phone better than they can. It will clearly show the technical skill gap they are hiring you for, but it must also be paired with the photographer being able to get the message accross.
If you can do this, without breaking the bank, you should be golden. My advise, in all my ignorance about photography as a profession, don't prioritize getting ALL the best expensive gear. Get good stuff, within your current possibilities and really learn what your customer wants to communicate through pictures. Don't let perfectionism hold you back. Sure, you will notice it, others in your profession may notice it, but the average person won't. Learn to accept "good enough" outputs, but gradually improve as you go. Prioritize that, over buying ultra quality gear you can't quiet afford yet. Be mindful though, if your gear isn't the best (which is fine), look for customers that can't pay for the best but WILL appreciate what YOU can do for THEM.
Lastly, understand that just like the market is hard on you, it's also hard on your cusotmer. If you are doing productions for businesses, maybe pitching a deal where you produce marketing material and get paid based on it's success can help you get in the door. As a small business owner, on a really beat up market, and due to past experiences with marketing, I'm really hesitant on spending money on creating an ad that may not yield results. If an agency were to offer taking my marketing responsibilities with minimal upfront cost for me, but higher returns for them based on ad success, I would be much more inclined to work with them. Just a thought in case any of you want to try that in your markets.
As someone who came up and learned on film and medium format cameras, the evolution has been staggering and interesting to watch. Compating what ISO 800 on my 7D looks like compared to the EOS R is night and day. I can do stuff now with high ISO I never would have dreamed of 10-12 years ago. Because of that continuous led lighting is becoming a viable option and making flashes less necessary. I'm trying to get into video now but it's been a bit of a struggle, moreso on the hardware and movement than on the actual capture devices.
Even more exciting you can use post process tools and go back in time with old images to rescue grainy and or truncated images
Hi, great video, thx. But let me tell you one experience. Young users not only look at the pictures on their smartphone. They have big expensive screens in their livingroom and enjoy looking at their pictures there !! And they tell you, oh, the little ring on the left hand of my fiance is not quite sharp !!! :)
Since Covid the photography business has been sh*t. End of story. People act like our photography equipment comes to us for free. They want a professional photo but don’t want to pay what that costs. Photography has always been a rich man’s career, now it has become a rich man’s hobby. Enjoy!
Insightfully created content. Thank you! ❤🎉
It's those who give super low prices that makes Photography a bad business now. ( X_X)
Great stuff, Andrew. That's called teaching.
My business definitely hit a lot post covid.
Actually, I am planning to do the similar video regarding about this too.
I have a lot in my thought about this, will share once I am ready to start record and talk in the camera.
Switzerland, major city. Before Covid I made 1300€ a month with photography as side hustle. During Covid I had several well paid collaborations but the rest went to zero. After that, my main customer wanted to shoot at 50%. Had another side hustle as a business - lost tens of thousands during Covid, but at least didn't take any state money or loan. In 2022 a lot of Ukrainian refugees entered the country. This included Ukrainian photographers doing everything to survive. My colleagues also did shoot much less. And it is also true, that many people nowadays think that they can shoot too. Video is important nowadays and I am happy I have a very good main income source - I am not under pressure financially. So, I give myself more time to indulge more into videography in the coming years.
The smart phone make you like a pro . It has AI and auto adjusting no need for flashes
I am considering selling my equipment. Seems I would make more selling it than working with it.
Arkansas USA, 50 years of business the last 2.5 years the worst ever for me. And this is the last year in business.
Hi Andrew , long time no see ....
Photographers have to adapt to changing times & technology. If you're the type that is old school then business might be downhill. Young people's demand nowadays get higher & higher with handphone photography & Ai while the prices plunge. Therefore creativity in services offered are needed..
Its natural. Get used to it. Barrier of entry for photography will keep getting lower. Camera on the phone will keep getting better and make it easy for consumers. Plus they can get free lessons on youtube.
Its democratization of photography. Where every one will eventually can do good photos themselves.
On the contrary, their will still be demand for fine art grade work at premium similar to the watch industry.
So skill up guys.
What you are recommending... not gonna happen (I think). Excellent Photography will continue via the craft of the true artisan, not through the craft of the businessman. I am now a retired photographer and print maker. In 1995 I went digital and purchased $1,000,000 of digital equipment. I used to make composite images through combining different film images in the darkroom onto one sheet of final film. I then made many photographs from that one negative and shipped these photographs to hundreds of locations. By going digital I was able to combine images in Photoshop. I still made the final product because I had an LVT film recorder that allowed me to make an 8"x10" negative instead the darkroom (multiple exposed) negative I used to make. Deadlines were cut in half. Original color transparencies were scanned with my drum scanner which allowed me to work in Photoshop. Soon enough digital captures were "good enough" and they replaced film. Then within 5 years, digital prints were "good enough." On and on it went until the images I now see in the malls look like crap. We used to send mounted (real) photographs to over 100 locations for a number of clients. Now those locations receive digital ink jet prints made onto thin fabric and sent in an envelope to all these locations. The savings in shipping speaks for itself. The canvas prints are stretched out onto frames already at the stores and displayed. Needless to say, you no longer see real photographs in retail locations. The craft of making a real photograph is now limited to a very few. Most photographers know very little of color correction and have very little interest in obtaining true neutrality in the gray scale areas of each photograph. Reproduced black areas, alone, are seldom neutral in color balance let alone without considering skin tones or clouds and sidewalks. In short, the quality of the image (and project, in your case) will suffer when considerations against cost is taken into account. That's why I went back into only making black and white silver gelatin prints and closed my color lab. I took the best equipment and reduced my color lab into a black and white facility and got back to basics as if I was 16 years old again.
There is a still is a large market for DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Professional cameras from 5 to 10 years ago are falling in price because they have convinced everyone it is ancient technology, and that you can't possibly beat the new mirrorless options. Mirrorless cameras are the industry answer to compete with smart phones. Camera companies have no choice but to go there, or die. The image quality of mirrorless pictures isn't much better. You get better focus tracking and image stabilization in the more expensive offerings. If you already know how to shoot great pictures with a DSLR, a mirrorless might get you fewer rejects. Where video is concerned, it will be smaller more portable devices that make Vlogging easier, like the new DJI Osmo Pocket 3, Vlogging Camera. Add to that, super awesome photography lessons, and awesome editing software, and you have yourself a perfect storm.
I don’t think it’s only photography . I have some talk some folks who also works in photo . Short video is hot . Technology changing the way not only for photography , design is slightly boosted by AI . Text generation articles e.t,c .so overall trend for some occupation entry level is shifting . Everybody can enter which leads to healthy/unhealthy competition …… in nutshell world is evolving …
People have no sense of value anymore. We used to rent out our studio for $25 and hour which included our lights and equipment. All they had to do is bring their camera and client. People didn't want to pay it. They wanted to rent the studio for $25 for unlimited time. They don't understand lighting either. We hosted meetups and had shooting areas set up different types of lighting. All they wanted and understood was flat lighting. I used to shake my head watching people try to do full length shots lit with a beauty dish.
You are right 100 %. Photography sucks because of unprofessional people 's actions in the market ..
They don't understand anything about light and the work with the box ... They just have the money to buy an expensive unit with big lenses..and shoot a picture or two...smart phone has killed the professional photographer today.
Kids left school & their career till grade 8 and are thinking that's the career they will build ...they are so good with the digital world but suck if they used a reel canera,...
Today it killed this trade and then they say they aren't making any money ..
They end up crying .. because they dont have an alternative trade ....they cheat the customer by showing them selves as a cheap professional ..s*@t
I'm from Philippines. I now blame the Android Phone. I'm not talking about expensive iPhones. Android phones are getting cheaper with very good internal cameras. Potential clients get by with these phones nowadays. 😥
Sifu, I am from Sungai Petani, business sure slow down, but what I think is, you need to be really good in both either photography and video in order to survive.
Smartphone makes photography and videography looks easy but perhaps... perhaps where I live, your editing skills have to be Top Notch in order to maintain...
Computer editing is not easy....unlike those apps... Morphing and Effects are so easy to do there... even the transtitions effects...
So we need to do extra, make those apps looks like a Toy (direct Mandarin translation) to survive.....maybe kua...?
Vertical videos is a trend that cuts out the side hence is rubbish.
But if that is what the customers want then I'll give it to them.
Yup, gotta give the customers what they want. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Rin Othmani, Channel Admin.
Muchas gracias.
Thanks for this talk 😆 im a food photographer for almost 30 years and my business has been down since young inexperience photographers moreover they team up wth 20 year old food stylists , i work wth the best food stylisy in malaysia .U are so right , young stupid clients just want FOTOs out , thank the lucky stars theres still a handful of clients still appreciate good shots !! Its really depressing to see clients love shotty cheap shots
here in the Philippines,. much chunk of getting the moolah specially weddings and Events goes. to coordinators, because they sell packages that already includes. photo and video services. instead of photo and vidoe team having separate rates. they book the clients end of story. in my case, i don't shoot when its not my rate. i can do this because i know what im doing and how long will it take from planning, prod, post prod to delivery.
The money side has been declining for 15 years or more.
So many wont pay anymore. Magazine s are a prime example of this.
Too many are willing to undercut to get a job. We need to hold to a good price. Get the customer used to paying for quality.
dang.. photokaki forum.. good memories ~~~
As a art galley owner of own work now closed as the landscape of photography has changed 110% through AI tech, the ease & cheapness of digital costs ex film days via phone tech, film stills through video eg weedings not to mention phone camera's ability to near the exact way pro photography does let alone 20+fps 6-10k camera & lens you going to get one shot right?, the old school knowing how to take photos is lost now in new tech, and those who have "no respect in true photography" just look at art photography compatitions no matter what your viewing too much editing before & after nothing alike!! Australia Cost for weeding was 6k now 3k and lower price wins again 100 people with 100+ phones cover most peoples requirements of that 1 wedding photo that is placed on the wall, professional images has lost its true nature of what photography held to us all !!! the standard is low NO composition NO measure of story, mood or what one went through to get to that place again tech drones 8k video camera can do just that without the climb Blogs video easy snaps editing cut paste the new 2024 2025 eye glasses to cover your day Animal photography has some control still but seen one duck you seen them all
Maybe this is the new era. The Rise of Cheap Services.!
I think the major misinformation on how "easy" it is to do "professional" photography also added to the problem.
With more "cheap/free/subsidized" courses out on photography & videography [especially during covid] everyone suddenly think they are better artists that need not the experience.
With that, it created a bigger divide between the experienced photographers/artists and the lesser experienced onces. (delivererables included)
Small clients no longer yearn for the taste of the full potential of high value productions since "they now know better" but bigger clients better appreciate the value of quality productions and team.
- [some of these courses are even run by people who does not have the relevant experiences...]
In the uk i think photography is dead in the water, why ! Because of mobile phones. Everyone these days takes a photo of absolutely anything then post it on facebook Instagram ect ect. Thry DONT care how professional it looks. And they take photos all the time even really terrible ones still make it to facebook ect. The only photos mothers or fathers pay for is school photos, and not every parent even buys them. You could own a £3k camera the best lighting in the world . The most expensive lens you can buy. And NONE of them matters to the customer. What all these people useing mobile to take there photo of themselves , they dont realise the camera ona mobile phone has a wide angle lens . And because of that, it distorts faces but they habe no idea about it . If they have a photo taken with a tele lens they would look so much better . But they habe no idea because they just snap and upload. If a photographer is still making a living from photography these days then your very lucky. Even camera sales have gone down has has been for years , all because of mobile phone cameras. To a average person these are good enough so why pay someone els ..
Yes, almost everyone has a smartphone camera these days and loves to take pictures of themselves just to post something on their social profile but this only shows me that people are obsessed with how they look. The reality is people are willing to pay if you can make them look good (especially woman). Whenever I photograph people for free, they're so impressed they want to hire me for a paid photoshoot next and I dont even ask for money :). IMO if you are good at something, you will always earn money.
Hahaha......... I had the most ridiculus experience shooting with good lens once. I used a 85mm f/1.8G lens to capture some potrait photos of my colleagues, which I thought will make them looks better. And you know what? They disliked it, saying their face looked more ‘round’. They liked the selfie shot which made them look slimmer. Oh no…… the distorted image is better. Bad photos has become prefered photos.
This is why photography skill is important, A true professional photographer would not make this mistake, ( knowing about short light and broad light solves this issue not a lens)
Cell Phones are good. People are using their phone ! Good Luck !
The day came when no one needed a professional blacksmith either. Nor did Rome last forever. Technology and tastes change, and sadly, professional careers and career paths die along the way. … … … Sigh!
Yea now days i just take pictures for fun
great video and good points however there is a couple of things I think you missed and its not just for photography but most creative/maker style industries. YOU have been the engineer of your own demise in both the reduction in demand and also the increase in competition to your business.. :-). What i mean is the rise of UA-cam channels like your channel that is full of how to do everything videos. So now people who might have gone looking to hire someone can go ...aww hell that doesnt look that hard so I can do it myself. The second part of the equation is that you have also instigated thousands of people who go ermmm that's not to hard I think I am going to open a business and the market becomes saturated with hack people so it also then reduces the overall quality in the industry and then as you stated a less quality product is more acceptable to the client base because that's what people mainly see so it appears to be the norm.. It has happened in most industries... The second thing is because of this influx of new people into so many industries it has increased the competition so much that being amazing at what you do and having a better skill set then others is not as effective as it once was.. so a persons lack of marketing skills meant nothing then because they were shit hot good and had a reputation, where today if you dont know how to market yourself you are dead in the water because there is so much choice and reputation does not bring the business like it used to....unfortunately technology is amazing and can make life processes so much easier but as it evolves we also have to evolve.
The reality here is that you have failed to capture the market sentiment. Your ad customers obviously saw the numbers even with crappy ads. You need to translate that Into monetary value, once you do I bet you it makes no sense that you need high quality ads when the shitty ads can generate the same numbers. You are targeting the wrong client. Businesses doesn't give two shits about sentiments. You should target private events where quality is sought after
What is your opinion on shooting horizontal while planning out for a vertical shot?
Since even phone cameras can take a pretty decent Hi-Res shot cropping in is viable.
it's about convenience rather than pixel peeping. Most users and customers now are using mobile phones. Applying vertical videos makes the space usable 100% viewing experience, in a fast paced advertisement.
The value of still photo & graphic design slowly decreased over the years ,the smartphone is very good nowadays, cheap and good enough. Video without great narrator is a waste of time and Ad budget, it only work for influencers who have wealthy followers. Businesses can accept simple visuals because they are competing with prices, cheap video taken at the shop or factory is enough to get exposure rate in social media that does not look like a made up fancy Ad. Combining the tricks of current trend including A.I. will shake the professional industry, relatable content in the form of infotainment will excel as predicted but production studio dictated by shallow marketing and advertising never anticipate it assuming it to be a smooth transition, skills, creativity + experience is the new niche where high quality creative publications can withstand the onslaught of content marketing.
The business is done in my country
I want to tell them. Follow my vision. If you are cheap then you photos/product will look cheap.
I know someone who is a great art director who worked with good shooters (ie. Art Department). They are no longer in business. I shot on smart phone too.
There are more and more AI tools that let you make good people and product photos
Thank you so much this was great I’m just coming back into photo and I need a smart photo for sure. You’re the best.
Everything is degrading. People want everything for nothing. I am not a photographer...I think photographers are a special breed and it will show, no matter the technology. Once quality slips, it just keeps on slipping. Then there is AI....
This is what I have been saying for a very long time now. Ever since the selfie came into the scene. U need to fight fir with fire. Now days ppl. Don't care about quality. They want fast photos at whatever cost, even if it's done with a smart phone.
I left the photography business in 2008 since I first saw the iphone. I knew photography will have zero values as soon as phone camera catch up in term of quality. I also knew it was going to be soon.
Video....yep..buy a gimbal, a mirrorless, two fully auto lenses, shoot everything on a gimbal at 120 fps, slow everything down and then call it a video.
.. most of the time its slow motion trash...but hey....if they pay then theyre happy..
I intend to include creative photos taken by my iPhone 14 Pro max in my 2024 club comps, I decided I would do that before I saw this video today. It will be interesting to see how well they score. The photos will be of a more abstract nature, it will be interesting.
Sad we come to a world when Mobil phone make it ... and I want to ENLARGE to 100 inch by 70 inch landscape photo frame w / the Mobil setting, great we give up for the S****D mass... I'll BE BACK ;) ::::::::::: ____________ ::::::::::::::::
Another way to look at this - with all the crappy marginalized work out there being produced, don't you think all the reams of garbage slopped together every day by total hacks makes quality work stand out even more? Think lighting, composition, content, concept. Really, there are people (clients) out there that do appreciate the difference, and most of them are the ones that have considerably more money to spend, because in many cases they have a higher sense of quality in general. But you have to be consistently amazing, not just average or even above average. The biggest problem - photographers (especially younger ones) that allow themselves to get pushed around by unrealistic clients, who essentially play along because they don't want to upset anyone and - voila - they're in the same boat as everyone else. Doing shit work because they're not taking the time to do it right (again to satisfy hurried clients that don't want to spend anything ) and then they bitch about it. Stop looking at what everyone else is doing, stop thinking that tutorials are anything but the easy way out. And get the fuck off your ass and shoot and shoot and shoot and do the same with your editing. Then if you still can't produce a great image, then maybe this profession isn't for you.
The problem in one word - mobile phones. Everyone is now a photographer and they won't pay for expertise.
I was charging £2k a day as a wedding photographer, but the market has been in decline for years. In the UK, wedding are in decline, there are now more kids born to unmarried parents than married. Its becoming the norm rather than the exception. there was reduced demand for beautiful albums and prints and an increase for self-made cheap photobooks. I also had a studio and I think the market moved on to smart phones which do give pretty nice images with AI enhanced processing.
I also found people got a lot more price sensitive and would choose photographers who would use kit lenses and showed images that had obvious clipping and provide images back same day, suggesting they were shooting jpeg. I decided I couldn't produce images at a level I would be satisfied with at a price that would be competitive. A little bit of me went into every wedding and I just couldn't do that the way the market was moving.
I was got out but fortunately I had another well paying skillset I can go to in software development. I LOVED shooting weddings and portraits, but I also love 25 days paid holiday, 6 months full sick pay, (and 75% for life), private healthcare and a salary above what I could earn even when at its peak and I was fully booked.
I do still shoot, but just for me now.
As an older man who’s just getting into serious photography, I find this change very sad. I think it boils down to lowered expectations. People, including potential customers, are exposed to literal countless pictures each day. As a result, the value of each picture is diminished. The result is that a snap shot with no composition, lighting control, mood, or storytelling has become the “standard” by which people measure proper photographs. 😢
I agree with your comments. The quality of images has decreased but that's become the acceptable standard. Speed is more important. In addition, 30 years ago news agencies had to pay for their spot news content. Today, they obtain for free, and sometimes simply STEAL content from personal websites. The photos of Bin Laden raid would have been worth thousands of dollars previously, now people simply post their work for free.
I agree. People can't even Tell a good picture from a bad one sometimes.
@@betyerpwet hoo they sometime do and call it vintage ;)
I think there's more to the story. Those from the film generation have a deeper appreciation for the time and skill that used to go into producing a well composed, properly exposed, and sharply focused image that would translate well from film to print or screen. With limited tools, and the inability to change ISO, utilize autofocus, or even have a puller in some case... The camera operator was forced to be sharp, detail oriented, and thus able to capture a moment in time that had all of the makings of proper still of film shot. Technology has evolved, and capturing a great shot has never been easier -- allowing the camera operator to spend less time inundated by technical considerations, and more time diving into more creativity.
One of the biggest enemies of creativity is the unfamiliar technology or workflows required to create it.
I think that viewers lack attention span, and the younger generation of "content creators" do a good job of finding and creating new fads/trends that keep viewers engaged. In a world of social media and serving content to the masses -- our job isn't necessarily to change the world -- but to create in a way that the world will observe our work.
I think as creators, we need to ask ourselves a few things...
#1 Who are we creating for... Ourselves or for others?
1a. If we are creativing for others we need to have less excuses for why people do not consume our work at the rate we think we deserve. We can't be so stubbornly self-serving with our creative approach, that it leaves too much to be desired by those who consume it. If you want your work to be desired, one should incorporate a desirable approach.
#2 Are you creating for yourself?
2a. Then who care about a competitive market, anyways?
The irony in your post. 😂
Currently, 90% of photos are intended for social media, and they don't necessarily require high-quality images. Most pictures are 1350x1080 pixels, where you won't notice noise or smooth gradients.
I come from a Real Estate Photography background in US. The problem I have is that even though I do better work, the cheaper photographers just send their photos off shore to have them edited for $1 per photo. Not to mention they are in and out of a house in 1hour or less. It's crazy too, the real estate agent won't pay for better photos even when they are listing 2-4 million dollar houses (commission being 60-120K). They still would rather pay under $1000 and preferably $200.
Ha! I have seen ads of people looking for photos of houses and only offering $50. Sad thing is, apparently someone is taking these jobs and that makes it difficult to charge anymore. So just wait, it will get worse where you are at. Enjoy!
I moved to a small town and it was harder to get work. People tend to hire the little girl they know who got a camera for Christmas and even if her portraits are distorted and in natural light, people will pay someone local . I was not able to create a business in this small town. Sadly, even the local videographer with his i-phone will get more traction than I can, so I gave up on that and shoot now for my pleasure. Times have changed, not because of covid, bu because there are more people taking their own photos or depending on their friends. The client doesn't understand or care about a good photograph. Additionally, photography is a print business and nobody prints any more, either. I've talked to younger people who came out of school for cinema or photography and they are not able to make a consistent living at the craft. I think that if you are a mom with a camera, you will be able to get other moms as consumers of baby or boudiour photography, but as a straight up, hang a shingle out, it's tougher. The money is likely in teaching or youtube influencing.
I have more and more customers complain about why the photos have the background so blurry, they want to see everything clearly. They complained why there are shadows on their face. They compared with the photos they took with their phone and very disappointed with my photos.
R u shooting wide open on all the shots? R u placing them in lighting that produces hard shadows? If so, that could be a problem for some.
A hundred years ago it was difficult NOT to have a blurry background, so it was the trait of a professional to get everything in focus with a large format camera. Blurring the background is often a gimmic that can be replaced with composition technique and eliminating distractions on set.
A bit of bokeh is good but not too much and these bokeh balls are just plain ugly!
I've found that as photographers we prefer shadows and image depth but when given a choice many clients seem to like more flat, bright, and colorful images.