Photography: Data is the Future

Photography is changing. Fast.

In an era of Instagram we have all become photographers in our own right. We are able to capture, produce, and distribute high quality images to a large audience in just a few minutes. Our most precious moments and mundane everyday experiences can and are all captured on our phones, something completely unthinkable 20 years ago. The fusion of digital photography and an increasingly accessible internet has radically changed the culture of photography. These developments have disrupted the role of photographers and will continue to do so.

The change from analogue photography to digital photography combined with a faster and more sophisticated internet has allowed photography to flourish. For photographers, this has presented major opportunities but has required further education, development of skills, and mastering new tools.

The most radical change has been marketing. The internet has allowed for cheap, effective, and fast marketing that has the ability to reach a wide audience. This is a sharp contrast to the mailing lists of the past, with their limited reach (King, 2017, p. 55). Photographers are now able to have their work seen by millions using free platforms, such as instagram and can run successful businesses using inexpensive websites (such as Wix)

These platforms have allowed photographers to grow and engage their audiences to unprecedented levels. Such exposure has pressured photographers to learn new skills in online marketing because they must understand both how to use the tools and how to be effective using them. These skills include social media management, SEO, and blogging to name a few (Sabo, 2017, para. 10 & 17).

Another important area of change is in the services delivered by photographers. Many photographers do well focusing on capturing photos, however, online business models have offered photographers alternative ways of securing income. These include online education, blogging, video blogging, and selling stock photography (Baranove, n.d., para. 2, 5, 6, & 7 ). Although they are often free to the end user, these alternative income streams can be lucrative sources of revenue and exciting new ways to make a living.

A favourite vlogger of mine is Sean Tucker, published a piece on social media marketing as a medium sized vlogger.

Many photographers provide free online content covering everything from the basics of using a camera, to complex editing tutorials, to articles detailing photographic trips. On the one hand, it provides excellent marketing opportunities for their business and the potential of capturing new clients. On the other hand, the use of affiliate links, advertising, and sponsorship allows photographers to make a passive income from their work. Although individuals with a smaller following my not make much meaningful revenue, photographers with significant followings are able to turn online content into their main source of income.

Generating income from online digital assets as oppose to through photography jobs and royalties has had an impact on the role of the photographer because it suggests in the future may be less about capturing photographs and more about content creation.

In the short term, it is likely the trends towards online marketing and developing an online presence will continue and photographers who embrace these approaches will be in a better position for future disruption.

In the medium term, I suggest that technology will be used to innovate the entertainment and art we consume and the way we consume it. An article by Time suggests that photography has changed from capturing light to capturing data and compiling that data to create a processed image, making a case for the future of photography being based on the manipulation of data. (Mayes, 2015, para. 6, 7, & 8)

There are already important indicators that this may be the case. For example, the iPhone ‘uses machine learning techniques to recognize people with one camera, while the second camera creates a depth map to help isolate the subject and blur the background’ (Byford, 2019, para. 8). This novel feature are the markings of an impending wave of software breakthroughs, putting AI at the very centre of the photographic process of the future.

These new technologies are likely to disrupt current business models, requiring photographers to find new ways to add value to their work. This may include leveraging their own personal brand to market themselves and their commissioned work, using AI to lower the cost of their photography, or developing entirely new forms of entertainment, such as augmented reality, with innovative sensors and equipment.

In the long term, photographers will need to find their specific niche and embrace online business to survive. I believe that there will continue to be further iterations in existing business models along with completely new ways to distribute and consume content. Photographers will need to be innovative and acquire new skills to leverage these tools.

Photography is changing and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The Internet has provided an abundance of opportunities for creative work to be seen by local, national, and international audiences. In addition, there is now an abundance of tools available to photographers to monetise their work. Looking forwards, it is likely that there will be further online opportunities, especially in the way an audience interacts with photographic material and photographers will need to learn the necessary skills and tools to leverage from these innovations.

References:

Baranova, I. (n.d.) 9 Ways How To Make Money As a Photographer (Besides Paid Photo Sessions) [Weblog]. Retrieved from https://blog.sellfy.com/how-to-make-money-photographer/

Byford, S. (2019, January 31) How AI is changing photography, The Verge, Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/31/18203363/ai-artificial-intelligence-photography-google-photos-apple-huawei

King, D. (2017) The Future of Professional Photography and Photo Education. Morrisville: Lulu Press.

Mayes, S. (2015, August 25) The Next Revolution in Photography Is Coming, Time, Retrieved from https://time.com/4003527/future-of-photography/

Sabo, T. (2017, November 9.) 12 Online Marketing Hacks Every Photographer Needs To Know [Weblog]. Retrieved from https://www.wix.com/blog/photography/2017/11/09/12-online-marketing-techniques-photographer