Is Photography Facing a Crisis?
Photography has always changed. I started my photography journey shooting film, processing rolls and printing in my parent’s blacked out bathroom on Sunday nights. When I first shot weddings no one imagined in just a few years every guest would be sharing photos of the day via a device in their pocket.
And generally change has been positive; access to creative image making tools has never been better and the ability to easily share images with friends and family has encouraged us to create more and develop our skills.
But I talk to hobbyists, enthusiasts, serious amateurs and professionals (call them what you wish) on a daily basis and all, to varying degrees, tell me their enjoyment, passion and inspiration for image making is challenged right now.
When I refer to “photographers” I mean all photographers, this isn’t just a professional photography issue. I live and breathe photography and hopefully I’m in a good position to see the problem, speak out about them and discuss a positive and constructive way forward.
I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts - are you still enjoying your photography as much as you always have?
Leave your comments below.
What Are the Problems Photographers Face?
Naturally there’s no one single issue (and unfortunately no one single solution!) to the problems I’m hearing about and experiencing more and more, but the list of ‘concerns’ surely won’t come as a surprise:
Social Media was a really valuable tool for us, a means to share, build communities, discuss, seek feedback and receive a level of recognition as photographers. Instagram was a “platform built for photographers” and did a great job, initially. But things changed, it got saturated, negativity took over, ‘influencers’ were prioritised and still images were sidelined. Photographers have been left without a single ‘true’ online home.
Photography technology has developed rapidly and has generally been for good, increasing accessibility, facilitating sharing, improving image quality and making image making easier. But people tell me they wonder whether technology has gone too far. Creating images with an understanding of exposure, focus and composition doesn’t seem enough anymore. Photographers feel they need to “master the increasing technology, features and detailed menus of their cameras and computers”.
Whilst increased access has been positive, it’s brought with it over-sharing and over-commenting which is alienating many people. It’s difficult for individual images to stand out, it seems like there are no ‘unique’ images anymore and it’s virtually impossible to seek, and receive, positive and constructive feedback online.
Many photographers tell me they feel image quality & standardshave reduced. Whilst we all understand the subjectivity of photography, it feels like quantity rules over quality. Taking the time and investing in the expertise to create “good or great” images is dismissed or disregarded.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the latest, rapidly developing technology challenging traditional photography. The ability to create photo-realistic images of seemingly any subject simply by typing a description into an app leaves many photographers questioning the value and future of their hobby, passion or livelihood.
All these challenges have led to a change in perception of photography and image creation, a negative shift where recognition and appreciation for image creation skills and ability have eroded. Professional photographers, and I wholeheartedly agree, tell me these challenges have led to a lack of respect within and for their industry.
What can we do?
Clearly it’s unrealistic to think we can stop using social media, abandon technology, ignore AI and change everyone’s view of photography, but I do believe there is great value and a real need right now to stop and ask ourselves what’s important to us, what is our own personal photography identity? If you’re lacking motivation, passion or inspiration it’s a good time to step back from external influences and get personal:
Remember what excited us about photography. What was it that first excited you about picking up a camera and creating images? What drove your passion to learn and create more?
What’s your photography identity? What does photography mean to you personally, what type of images, subjects, locations or styles resonate most?
Look for personal inspiration. More and more of the ‘content’ being shared online is, I believe, unrealistic and of little value when seeking to develop or even just wanting to enjoy our hobby. Take inspiration and gather ideas online, but use them to spark your own imagination, think about how you can take these ideas further, in your own direction and develop your own themes.
Don’t try and copy someone else. We’ve always looked to others to learn and develop, and ‘copying’ the great photographers has been a legitimate method of understanding and learning their approach and techniques. But when content floods our everyday lives, ‘influencers’ seek to dominate and styles come and go at the whim of social media fashion, how do we know what is worthy of ‘copying’?
Take a break from online. I’m so watchful of using ‘buzz-words’ when discussing this topic, and ‘take a social media break’ sounds like a much repeated cliche. I have a large collection of beautiful photography books that compete with my online scrolling, but when they win my attention I find calm, considered and focussed inspiration in their pages. Some of my favourites include a huge Ansel Adams portfolio “Landscapes of the American West” that I picked up in a charity shop for £5 as well as a number of beautiful books by Steve McCurry, India and Stories & Dreams being two I’d highly recommend.
I think it’s invaluable to focus on yourself and stop ‘worrying about’ and taking account of external pressures. There’s little value to your photographic development in sharing, and justifying, your choices, your settings, lighting, composition…..
Your choices are what makes your images personal, and it’s for you only to reflect on those and consider their effect, good and bad!
Make your photography personal, make it for you.
I’m going to share some ideas, projects, inspiration and progress on re-discovering my own personal photography identity in future blog entries and I’ll add them here to share with you.
Right now I’m working on a couple of personal projects, the first is my “On My Doorstep” project that you can discover more about here.
Again, this is an on-going project and I’ll develop the theme as I go, but I’m really interested to know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below or send me a message.
I hope to hear from you and hope you enjoy making your photography personal again.