How Has the Photography Industry Changed in Recent Years?

Filling up space isn’t what photographers are commissioned for anymore. As artist rep Maren Levinson explains,

“Now with amazing consumer cameras, Instagram, Flickr, you don’t need to pay a professional to fill a space. There are lot of ways to fill a space.”

So, what does a professional photographer get commissioned for?

She explains,

“The only reason to hire a professional and pay the rates that allow them to make a living is if they can offer something that you cannot get anywhere else.”

Inherently she emphasizes that the industry now hires a professional because s/he has a vision that’s unique, which has changed dramatically over the years.

“It used to be that somebody that could light and show up and make a portrait was of value. That person is of no value anymore.”

It also is that the industry now hires photographers whose own vision matches with that of a brand.

Eventually the dynamics of the industry will reduce a professional to a single sentence. It’s the job of the professional to define that sentence.

Social media is fueling artists’ engagements, as well. There’s a lot more happening than there used to be before. Photographers, who themselves have a healthy following, are being commissioned to shoot Instagram photos of brands.

It’s an interesting conversation indeed, and gives a lot of insight into what’s happening in the industry.

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