Archive for Industry Trends
Tracking Image Licensing Rights – The Universal Solution
Posted: January 13th, 2012
[by Roger Feldman] Image rights holders and image users face a daunting challenge when it comes to managing licensed rights. Each year, untold thousands of rights managed, royalty free, and wholly owned images are licensed and used under vastly different terms and conditions, making the management and tracking of rights over time extremely difficult. Yet [...]
Why Your Photo Relicensing is a Miserable Failure
Posted: January 12th, 2012
[by Allen Murabayashi] We don’t need to rehash how the Getty’s industry consolidation, digital photography and microstock made it virtually impossible to be a full-time stock photographer. It’s easy to point the finger at Getty (and they undoubtedly deserve a few fingers), but digital photography alone would have shifted the pricing dynamics to what they [...]
Licensing Stock Imagery: Do You Like Roller Coasters?
Posted: January 11th, 2012
[by Patrick Donehue] If so, the next few years, with regard to image licensing and distribution, will be exciting and even an electrifying ride for you. It may also be a bit hair raising, but isn’t that part of this addictive game that we all play? The future of image licensing and distribution will continue [...]
Creating Sustainability
Posted: January 10th, 2012
Technological changes and the global recession have left the entire visual communications industry scrambling. Publishers, advertising agencies, corporations and all of us – the creators of the visual content they use – are struggling to redefine both the value of our offerings and how we monetize them. Examining Compensation Models for Visual Content, the sixth [...]
The Impact of the Camera Phone and Citizen Journalism
Posted: November 10th, 2011
[by Richard Harrington] While much justifiable criticism has been levied against the evolution of cellphone cameras, there is a tremendous beneficiary… journalism. We know have a literal global network of camera operators with the ability to capture newsworthy events and transmit usable photos. Many photographers dismiss this technological shift. After all, how can a point-and-shoot [...]
Technology Changes Place New Importance on Visual Literacy
Posted: November 9th, 2011
[by Tom Kennedy] In an era of maximum image saturation, where every iPhone is a camera and no aspect of human activity goes undocumented, no matter how mundane, new questions emerge as to the value and utility of photography as a means of understanding human experience. As someone who began as my career as a [...]
Wikileaks and You
Posted: November 7th, 2011
[by Thomas Werner] During the initial release of government documents via Wikileaks I had the pleasure of sitting in on a panel discussion addressing the ramifications of the event. There were the expected comments; one part of the panel celebrated the release stating the government needing to be more transparent and that people deserved to [...]
Searching Trends
Posted: September 30th, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] We live in a world where a search for “How to Copyright Photo” brings up 1.1 billion results, “Audio for Video” yields just over a billion and “Marketing Photography” clocks in at a mere 233 million. No wonder finding great stuff on the internet takes so much time. Seems I’m not the [...]
Trends
Posted: September 28th, 2011
[by Richard Harrington] I spend part of my career speaking at industry conferences. This gives me an opportunity to see who’s exhibiting, as well as talk to vendors and photographers to see what’s on their minds. I wanted to quickly share five things that I’ve noticed popping up more and more. Consider adding these areas [...]
Trend-spotting: Intelligent Pixels Everywhere
Posted: September 27th, 2011
[by Jay Kinghorn] I’m constantly on the lookout for emerging trends I feel will significantly impact photography, video and visual marketing, computational photography and 3D projection mapping (a.k.a. spacial augmented reality). Here are some trends I see going places. Computational Photography Distilled to its essence, computational photography aims at adding intelligence to the process of [...]
We Are The Product
Posted: September 26th, 2011
[by Thomas Werner] As image makers we frequently talk about the change in the market place, the ability for so many to make and distribute imagery, and the falling value of our work. As we know, one of the main reasons for this trend is the spread of technology that has allowed a greater number [...]
On Keeping Up with Things – or – How I avoid Work Yet Feel Like I’m Doing Something Useful – or – How I Browse Without Feeling Like a Cow
Posted: August 19th, 2011
Some of my browser faves, in no particular order: British Journal of Photography – http://www.bjp-online.com/ Great news, good interviews, roughly analogous to PDN. Published in a foreign country yet in English; so convenient. Luminous Landscape – http://luminous-landscape.com/index.shtml A review and essay site about equipment and aesthetics, all from a users’, practical viewpoint. Not too gear-heady. [...]
Your Favorite Bookmarks…
Posted: August 18th, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] This week, we are focusing on our contributors’ favorite bookmarks. The places we go when we’re looking for information, inspiration, insights, training, time-saving tools and more; the bookmarks we find more valuable than the millions of other potential bookmarks that populate cyberspace. And there are millions. Now that the vast majority of [...]
Favorite Bookmarks
Posted: August 17th, 2011
[by Jay Kinghorn] Inspired by two short What I Read interviews with Clay Shirky and Chris Anderson, I’ve been focusing my attention on those writers and publications that provide deeper, thought-provoking content, rather than the daily media buzz. Here are a few of the blogs and podcasts I follow to gain insight into the trends [...]
Photographic Evolution
Posted: May 23rd, 2011
[by Jenna Close] “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” -Charles Darwin I recently sat on a panel about New Business Models in Photography, as some of you that attended SB3 in Chicago may know. [...]
Eugene Mopsik speaks out on ASMP’s ongoing advocacy related to new Getty Contract
Posted: May 2nd, 2011
Many of you know that ASMP has been carrying on a dialogue with Getty for some years; the new Getty contract is another acknowledgement that the market for images and the way in which those images are purchased is rapidly changing. While ASMP has had recent discussions with Getty, substantive results in the best interests [...]
We’re All In This Together…
Posted: April 27th, 2011
“There were many “Aha” moments for me during the SB3 weekend. I believe however that the biggest ones were to realize that we truly are all in the same boat and that I am not alone traversing challenging waters. And that, especially due to the technological and digital revolution, there is a plethora of viable [...]
Photographer and ….
Posted: April 26th, 2011
[by Rosh Sillars] My aha moment at SB3 hit me when I realized that industry changes have challenged photographers to use their creativity to adapt their skills and talents to other industries. Today, photographers hold their heads high and say, “I’m a photographer and a writer, a videographer, a designer, a teacher or a consultant.” [...]
Cameras are the New Pencil
Posted: April 14th, 2011
[by Renee Rosensteel] It occurred to me as I was having lunch with a PRSA member that we, as media makers, need to prove our relevance to the emerging group of consumers who use cameras as part of their everyday language. Today, everyone takes pictures to express ideas the way people used to scribble drawings [...]
My Two-Years’ Resolutions….
Posted: January 6th, 2011
[by Shannon Fagan] On Dec 31, 2008, we entered the “tip of the iceberg” in what we all can agree was a two-year introduction to a new and permanently changed economy for professional aspirations in commercial photography. Taking a twist on “Auld Lang Syne”, I enjoyed looking look back at how the steps I took [...]
The Power of the Collective
Posted: December 21st, 2010
[by Gail Mooney] I’ve had an incredible year. Economically speaking, it’s been sub par and dismal, but I’m grateful that I’m still afloat and hopeful that things will improve. I don’t think my business will ever go back to the way it was pre-recession, but it has changed for the better in many other ways. [...]
Entering the Age of Collaboration
Posted: December 6th, 2010
[by Jorge Parra] As photographers have been working as One Man Shows since the very early beginnings of photography, “Team Work” is not a native concept to us, but it certainly has to be explored, in this time and age where all business models are crumbling, and new markets and new ways of making money [...]
Don’t be a One Hit Wonder
Posted: October 22nd, 2010
[by Blake Discher] By now, it’s very likely that every client you shoot for knows about Flickr and other crowd-sourcing photo sites. Look at crowd-sourcing photography from a client’s perspective. Think about why some clients look to Flickr for photography instead of seeking out a photographer. I suspect one of the reasons they even [...]
The Web is Dead, Long Live the Internet…
Posted: October 21st, 2010
[by Shannon Fagan] A subject line on one of the photography email list-serves that I follow caught my eye this week, “The Web is Dead! Long Live the Internet!” Hmmmm. There was a link and click, click; I was taken Wired Magazine’s site. There, Chris Anderson and Michael Wolff have prepared a compelling article about [...]
Domino’s Pizza
Posted: October 20th, 2010
[by Todd Joyce] Have you seen the Domino’s TV ad asking for photos of delivered pizzas to show how good they look? Yeah, I hate losing work to a soccer mom with a point and shoot too. The Domino’s campaign is not about getting free photos. It’s about a perception. Even if nobody submits [...]
Work and Pleasure are One in the Same
Posted: October 19th, 2010
[by Gail Mooney] Seth Godin recently wrote in his blog about professionals and amateurs: “If you want something done, perhaps you would ask a professional to do it. Someone who costs a lot but is worth more than they charge. Someone who shows up even when she doesn’t feel like it. Someone who stands behind [...]
Professionals vs. Crowdsourcing – Who’s Who?
Posted: October 18th, 2010
[by Ellen Boughn] Last week I was in Los Angeles on a project and took the time to help a friend start a store on a site for handmade goods. Since this was an experiment on a shoestring, she asked if I would take the photos. After all I’ve been in the photography business for [...]
Ideas are Welcome
Posted: March 24th, 2010
[by Leslie Burns] The business, as if you didn’t know, is changing and that means that your business model needs to change as well. This is true for all sorts of creative-based businesses so at least photographers can know they are not alone. The impact of the shifting technologies has, in a very, very short [...]
Collaborating
Posted: March 23rd, 2010
[by Gail Mooney] I talk to a lot of photographers these days when giving seminars on video. One thing I’ve been hearing a lot lately is that many photographers are collaborating with other creatives to expand their businesses and offer their clients more services. Certainly one area still photographers are collaborating is in video production. [...]
It’s Not You – It’s the Economy
Posted: March 22nd, 2010
[by Judy Herrmann] This past January, my studio celebrated our 21st business anniversary. In that time our business has survived 4 recessions and soot damage that destroyed literally everything we owned. With all that history, all those experiences, I can honestly say that in 21 years of working as a full-time self-employed photographer, this last [...]
Take Back Your Power
Posted: February 12th, 2010
[by Judy Herrmann] At the SB2 conferences a couple of years ago, I noticed that many photographers were exhibiting the classic signs of mourning. Back then, most were still in denial but many were grappling with a sense of helplessness, paralysis and loss as they faced what they perceived as the death of a profession [...]
So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades
Posted: January 8th, 2010
[by Richard Kelly] No one predicting the future ever seems to get it right. So, I shouldn’t try either. Instead I am going to share what I am starting to see happen. Traditional “old media” Publishers are still trying to figure out how to survive the shift from print to pixels. One way would [...]
Memories of Futures Past
Posted: January 7th, 2010
[by Leslie Burns-Dell'Acqua] This term in law school, I am taking Entertainment Law, which will involve exploring many of the issues photographers face. My very first reading for that class was a series of articles about what might happen in the near future in movies, TV, music, and book publishing. The articles were fascinating–a series [...]
Charlie Rose is Free!
Posted: August 27th, 2009
For those of you who know me, you probably know that Charlie Rose is my favorite show on TV. As a curious person, I find the guests on the Charlie Rose show peak my interest even if I know nothing about the subject or topic. The number of books I have read based on the [...]
Free?
Posted: August 26th, 2009
Recently there has been a lot of buzz about Chris Anderson’s new book “Free”. Malcolm Gladwell’s review of “Free” makes the point that even free comes at a cost. Most photographers can certainly attest to that. Marketing guru Seth Godin makes the point that the paradigm is changing and that all the whining in the [...]
Free Isn’t New
Posted: August 25th, 2009
Does the concept of free economy mean anything to you? What if we replaced the word free with low-risk? Is the concept of low-risk economy easier to understand? One of the most powerful companies in the world, Google, offers its core services for free. There is no risk involved in Google. There is no risk [...]
I Highly Recommend “Free, The Future of a Radical Price” by Chris Anderson
Posted: August 24th, 2009
Chris Anderson’s new book is a provocative look at the growing economy of free. I know many of you may roll your eyes at the thought that “free” is our new competition, but do not judge this book by it’s title. Anderson provides a careful investigation outlining the history and future of this economic driver, [...]
Summer Book : TRIBES by Seth Godin
Posted: July 23rd, 2009
It is summer 2009 and while some of us are packing the car for vacations to the sea shore or the mountains, many of us are choosing to “staycation”, or rather staying close to home or taking day trips to area attractions. Today’s economy is forcing us to re-evaluate, not just the family summer vacation [...]
Ideas Worth Spreading
Posted: July 16th, 2009
I first learned about the TED conferences several years ago from John Giammatteo, a Connecticut-based photographer who served with me on the ASMP National Board. These annual conferences “bring together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers…to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes.” Ever since, I’ve tried to watch as many of [...]
The Future of Advertising
Posted: July 10th, 2009
The other day, I read a fascinating article in the Financial Times about the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival which noted a “seismic shift” towards interactive and digital marketing over traditional advertising campaigns. The shift from print to electronic media is old news to photographers – we’ve been talking about that for a couple of [...]
PLUS ÇA CHANGE…
Posted: May 4th, 2009
Things are changing so fast these days…or are they? A couple of days ago, I realized that it’s now been 15 years since I started working with digital photography. In that time, the cameras have become smaller, more responsive and more affordable but other than that, they really haven’t changed much. There are far more [...]
Let’s Work Together!
Posted: April 22nd, 2009
I spent an afternoon two weeks ago meeting with the owners of one of the largest studio and equipment rental houses in New York. Halfway through the afternoon they showed me a presentation that they give to new clients, the presentation and the accompanying conversation were eye opening. It turns out that studio rentals to [...]
Who Are You?
Posted: April 20th, 2009
A few months ago, I had a great conversation with ASMP NY member, Gail Mooney. Gail is a still photographer who began working with motion imagery about 20 years ago, first with film and then with digital video. When I asked Gail about this transition, she said something to the effect of “Well, I wasn’t [...]
Learning from Lawyers
Posted: April 15th, 2009
Scott Rogers, a lawyer turned career consultant; teaches a seminar about career satisfaction for lawyers. Yup, lawyers. In it, he points out that most of us spend the vast majority of our time thinking about all the ways we’d like to change the past or what we can do to control the future. The reality [...]
Diversifying Your Portfolio
Posted: April 8th, 2009
When we hear the word “portfolio” most of us immediately think of our “book” or the body of images that we use to market ourselves as photographers. But the portfolio I’m talking about is the collection of skills and services that you market to your clients. Most of us don’t like to think about this [...]
What can you do today, in this business climate, to get work now?
Posted: March 27th, 2009
Nothing. I know that sounds harsh, but anything you could do that might possibly bring in business now will, in the long run, hurt your business. Things like lowering your price, offering unlimited rights for the price of a year of web use, or shooting (heaven forbid!) on spec, might possibly get someone in your [...]
