HMS The Still Image was a fine vessel in her day, safely conveying a select group of passengers to ports stocked with bountiful produce. To board her you had to be in the photographic elite but once you had a ticket, you’d be well looked after, your images respected, valued and capable of providing a healthy living. And then, one day, the omnipresent sun disappeared behind a cloud and a few stowaways sneaked onto The Still Image (I was one of them). And then a few more and a few more. The gallant vessel ploughed on but now more slowly, burdened as she was with extra passengers. As word got around, more and more piled on – a few with valid tickets but many simply lured by the tenuous promise of an easy passage to an easy career in a photographic Shangri-la. The storm clouds gathered and the once spacious, comfortable cabins were now packed full with hungry, ambitious and in some cases, unscrupulous, photographers. They all wanted a slice of the action and who could blame them? With limited space and dwindling supplies, passengers started to squabble like fractious children, like vultures fighting over a rotting carcass.
And so here am I today sitting astride the prow of The Still Image watching the water rise and pondering. The lifeboats have been launched and photographers everywhere are scrambling to save themselves as The Still Image slowly sinks under its own weight. The days of plenty are no more. The promise of a sun-kissed utopian life with a camera in hand is an empty one. The photographic elite have been consumed by a voracious swarm of ‘award-winning’ fresh talent and face a future of uncertainty that was unthinkable just a few years ago.
On the horizon is a distant land, unknown, unchartered. The lifeboat has one more space but even if I jump in, where will it take me? Back to port with all the others and the inevitability of more infighting? The distant island looks tempting, a risk yes but one worth taking? I know that I’m not alone on that prow. Many photographers I speak to today see uncertainty ahead of them. Who is the audience for my images? What do they want from me? How much are they willing to pay? I’ve not heard too many convincing answers to any of these questions. There’s no doubt that demand for visual imagery is still high but competition has seen prices plummet and petty one-upmanship become commonplace. It’s difficult to retain dignity faced with an empty dinner table.
So what of that distant island? Will the innovators, the pioneers, the storytellers, turn their backs on the lifeboat and strike out in a fresh direction; build a new life founded on a new product or service? I hope so. The seas might be infested with sharks but surely better run that gauntlet than face a slow, painful demise scrapping over that rotting carcass.
I love photographing polar bears but does the world really need another image like this? There are 22,000+ polar bear images in Alamy’s library alone.
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Ouch! It’s a perfect analysis except for one thing: I’m not sure if any of us can see a distant island or if we think we can, whether it is simply a mirage.
One thing is for sure: any business model based on licensing rights doesn’t have much of a future. Frankly, any future: I know this from the sharp end after 20 years of being in this business. It’s not surprising it’s come to this pass; in the UK, there never was space for more than one or two recruits to the profession every decade if they were doing what was being done already. Sadly, none of those clambering onto HMS Still Image thought to do anything to increase the size of the pie and simply expected there to be enough to go round. Now even the limes have run out and we’re all going to die of scurvy. I’ll not have you monopolise the misery quarters! A more considered set of ideas once I hear what others have to say.
My best
Niall
Is it over? Is it sinking? Was it scuttled?
I think it was overboarded with stowaways looking for a free passage to Nirvana.
Those jumping make it lighter, more buoyant, more responsive an more steerable.
Stand on the prow and enjoy the scenery for when the muppets are setting the course let them row.
Nirvana doesn’t exist, nor does the perfect image; the journey is endless for nothing is constant.
T
Hi Peter
Very thoughtful and well written as ever; credit to you. I for one was glad to leave the editorial, stock agency, license rights even the shores of Britain behind some 3 years ago, for a better life in the mountains, forests and alpine meadows of Andalucía, España. To enter the world of American art dealers, media presenting with Spain’s largest English speaking TV channel and fine art gallery ownership…. my only regret after 3-years is that I did not move the bold move far earlier.
Leaping is easy though it is best done before the rest follow the business model and sink the next boat.
Geoff
Hi Peter
Very thoughtful and well written as ever; credit to you. I for one was glad to leave the editorial, stock agency, license rights even the shores of Britain behind some 3 years ago, for a better life in the mountains, forests and alpine meadows of Andalucía, España. To enter the world of American art dealers, media presenting with Spain’s largest English speaking TV channel and fine art gallery ownership…. my only regret after 3-years is that I did not make the bold move far earlier.
Leaping is easy though it is best done before the rest follow the business model and sink the next boat.
Geoff
One of my favourite songs by a band of yesteryear called Talk Talk (very appropriate) was called “life’s what you make it”.
I was one that scuttled for the life boats and with the food on the table dwindling got my self a job and looked at the photography as a way of topping up a wage rather than relying on it to provide the full meal.
Photography is not the only medium to suffer this over supply fate. I was talking to a graphic artist who was saying all the same things about people who love painting and have indeed learned to use creative suite in their spare time happy to see their work published for a lot less than so called professionals.
These people are no less professional at what they do, Often many have a passion far beyond some who do it day in day out. Every body is different. Its a sharing world
The old additive that nature photographers are doing it to raise awareness has long past its sell by date, The whole planet is aware, some care, some don’t, some are just to busy trying to feed the own offspring the best way they know how. Others cling to what they love doing because it is just that, a labour of love. For me it was always about being out in the natural world. If people want to look or on occasions buy my work then its a bonus. All I know is being out and photographing the natural world has a higher value to my well being than any false hope one might have of doing it full time.
Has this sharing world cheapened photography. Without a doubt, but then its cheapened a lot of other things as well. To make any money now you have to sell a physical product or service rather than a digital one, and with seven billion people all sharing its only going to get more competitive.
“To make any money now you have to sell a physical product or service rather than a digital one, and with seven billion people all sharing its only going to get more competitive.”
And, if you want to be a photographer, to a certain degree the ‘physical product’ is yourself…..through social media, blogging, personal appearances, meet and greet, and face to face with clients. There is still a place for you as an individual, in the ocean of anonymity.
More than a few of the successful (nature) photographers have realized this and are out there doing the legwork, and ensuring their visibility in the crowd. Of course you need good imagery too, but it doesn’t hurt to have a good personal profile and public ‘face’. Gone are the days of photography being ‘just images’ – its also about personality and your ‘followers’ to whom you can directly communicate and sell.
For many photographers their ‘followers’ are their ‘clients’.
Hi Nigel
One of my favourite songs by a band of yesteryear called Talk Talk (very appropriate) was called “life’s what you make it” the guy who sang it Mark Hollis frequents the local venta…. glad to know you have good musical taste and how true a statement.
Personally, I don’t know how anyone these days can make a living out of selling just images…. for me a state-of-the-art showroom gallery was the only way forward….. That said I am very fortunate to live in one of Europe most stunning regions (Andalucía) and with 4 of the wealthiest places in Europe within a 30 minute drive from home: Marbella, Sotogrande, Gibraltar and Gaucin where the gallery is located.
Photographers like Australian Peter Lik just get it…………. they have worked this out years ago and have reaped the benefits. Think big or just go home is his motto…..
I totally 101% agree with John, it’s now about personality and meet and greet and for many pro photographers it’s the end of the road. As great a photographer they may be, they simply lack the necessary personality and presentation skills to cut it with any audience other their own kind, namely other photographers.
Geoff
Those that can, do, those that can’t, teach, or both!