The new media photographer has to think differently. The photography business is not the same as it was 10 years ago. What happened?
Digital technology happened.
These changes are not unique to the photographer. If you have posted an ad on craigslist, designed a brochure or ad on your computer, used a cheap Internet postcard printing service, published or purchased a book online, printed a family photo from your home printer, read the news on the Internet, created a tune in Garage band for a DVD, edited a short movie or slide show using Shareware, written your own Web site copy or downloaded music, then you understand what happened.
Technology opens doors that were once closed for amateurs. It allows the average person with a little skill the opportunity to accomplish once basic professional tasks with ease. Technology has offered more access to information and options to accomplish such tasks with confidence. People are doing it for themselves.
So, what has specifically happened to photography?
We hear all the time that digital has made photography easier. No, it hasn’t. All the rules of photography have remained the same. Actually, there seems to be more rules involved on many levels to create images that excite viewers.
In the past, photography was mysterious.
Photography was a chemical process. It took longer for the photographer to view the results of his efforts. Film had to be processed. In the commercial world, adjustments had to be painfully made to perfection. Post-shoot corrections were extremely expensive. Everything had to be in the right place. The light had to be perfect.
Fortunately, professional photographers were able to use Polaroid film to view a commercial set and make adjustments before the expensive film was placed behind the lens. Today, the two-minute wait for the Polaroid to develop has disappeared.
Now, the results are instant. It’s not the digital sensor that changed photography. It’s the LCD screen on the back. When I first started using digital in the late ’90s, we didn’t have LCD screens on the back. We didn’t know if we really got the shot until after the assignment was complete. All the advantages of digital were found back at the office.
The LCD viewer shortened the learning curve.
With a shorter learning curve, the new technology allowed all of the other advantages of digital instantly available on set or scene. Photographers were now able to see what composition, exposure and lighting adjustments were needed instantly to fulfill their vision.
This advance immediately upped the game for the professional.
To consider a photograph “professional,” an image now as to be more than in focus, well exposed and reasonably composed. It has to be exceptional.
Today, advanced hobbyists are creating images that professionals only dreamed of 10 years ago. Now the game is about bringing something new to the table. Lighting and post-production (Photoshop skills) are often the foundation. But, a new vision beyond the average is what is required.
