Internet Bubble

I came across an interesting post today on how the world of photography is changing as the technology changes, and more and more people have access to inexpensive but high quality photographic equipment.  One of the most interesting ideas in the article is that the Internet bubble is somewhat responsible for this massive growth in the field of photography (the number of hobbyist, semi-pro, and pro photographers are flooding the world with photography).  I, for one, am completely guilty of this.  I keep my personal blog, mamacat, to keep friends and family around the world up to date on our family happenings.  I have a business photography blog which is like a live portfolio.  And I have this blog which I use to talk about the process of starting my own photography business.  And while the original post seemed geared towards stock photography, there are certainly parallels in other photo markets...

Here's a quote from the blog post regarding how the Internet bubble has changed photography:

The Internet Bubble: This is the one that I don't hear many people reference. One of the qualities of high tech worker's is their ability to quickly learn and master new technologies. When the Internet Bubble burst, there were a lot of high tech worker who were either out of a job and/or frustrated with the high tech trap. Pair this with the innate (yet hidden) creative nature of some high tech workers, and digital photography makes a perfect place for them to focus their efforts on. There is a high percentage of photographers that I know who come from a high tech background. The online nature of sharing digital photographer dovetails into this. Thus we have a sudden surge of photographers who can learn quickly and innovate a market space.

I was once a web developer.  I did the startup thing.  And after 10 years of doing web development and project management I decided to stay home with my son.  Then after my daughter was born (and a year of doing hobby photography and helping another photographer with her retouching) I felt like I was ready to go out on my own and go pro.  I do feel that being able to learn quickly has helped me.  I've been to some classes and spent a lot of time reading and practicing.  I just hope that once I get that part down, I can innovate!  What was your background before you became a photographer?

Comments

[Jim Goldstein]

It's great to see the progression of thought around my initial post and where it has been taken particularly in your blog entry. My focus was round the growing perception that photography isn't anything special and that any monkey can do it. Hence a growing attitude that using imagery for free or for nearly nothing is acceptable.

Looking past that to Greg's thoughts it's an interesting read on things and I think it definitely has some truth to it. None-the-less even before the world of digital film photographers were often looked down on by painters and other artists. Photography on an artistic level has struggled to receive the same respect. So what does this have to do with your question?

The techies that Greg has identified as the fast learners, are creative types whether they think of themselves in this fashion or not. Developing new code, applications, marketing programs, etc. takes a different type of thinking. Combining that with an underlying passion and competitive need to stay on top of technology you get what is now a broader pool of photographers.

This strangely isn't that far off from how many photographers of the last generation got into photography. I remember reading a story about Galen Rowell's wife and how she got started in photography. As a photo editor she had a vision of what she wanted. No one could execute on the idea so she went out to get the shot herself. After teaching herself how to get the shot she eventually got it. The only problem was that her boss wouldn't let her use it because it didn't come from an outside source. She felt so strongly about the image being used as planned that she ended up quiting. Shortly after her boss wanted to use the image. Thus began her photographic career that led to her meeting Galen.

So to finally answer your question... I started out as a lab researcher in Genetics and later moved into web marketing. Currently I'm a web strategist where I get the opportunity to leverage my creativity in a slightly different way than I do when behind the camera.

[Jessica Grieves]

Jim, Thanks for your comment! It is interesting to me how we face so many of the same problems. I feel like I'm moving more in the direction of a portrait artist because, as you said, the perception is "photography isn't anything special and that any monkey can do it". I do face many parents who feel like they could do what I do with their own cameras so in my newsletter and in my preview sessions I'm educating them on why they should have a relationship with a professional photographer. And as I develop my own creative voice I've realized that my favorite shots are almost always the ones that just happen, that show who the child *really* is, not just the posed images you could get at many studios.

Regarding the use of free or nearly free images, that is also a problem for me as a portrait photographer. Clients know what they spend for prints at Walmart, and have a hard time translating that into the cost of the prints I offer. Again, there is an education process and I hope in the end they feel there is value in what I am offering. Also, there is the copyright issue where folks feel that is okay to scan prints, or to download prints off of the proofing site. This is usually more of a problem when the login is shared with friends and family who think nothing of printing out a picture from the proofing site because to them, a digital image cost nothing! Unfortunately they are not taking into account the different between the image they see on the screen, and the quality print they would receive from me.

[latoga]

Jessica, glad that some of my thinking resonated with you. The learning curve issue addresses the "how to do the job" aspect of photography (especially with all the computer time that is now involved). It doesn't cover the "creative", "style", or "design" component.

For the record, my background started off technical with computer programming and then migrated to the business side of the technology industry (currently sales and business development). However, I first picked up my interest in photography this thank to the assistance of my brother-in-law. Photography is my right brain escape from my mostly left brain technology life.

As a photographer, you're not alone in educating your customers. I know a number of professional photographers who have the same challenge. This is the biggest hurdle I see technology migrants facing as they move into a photography business. These migrants might lack the business experiences needed to be successful.

BTW: their are some technical ways you can overcome some of the issues you described in your comment...