"Photography is Dead" and other stupid things people say
Issue #16
[Read Time < 5 minutes]
I stumbled on a video this morning that got me pretty enraged.
“Photography is Dead” was the headline, and yes, my first thought was probably the same as yours - Clickbait. But this one was surprisingly short for a YouTube video, so I checked it out.
I’ve seen this bait before and read a few articles on this “topic.” They usually rant about how photography has changed because of technology, and now anyone can be a photographer.
The bottom line on many of these takes is that photography is NOT exactly dead, but you do have to embrace the change and move with it (well-played, clickbait).
I know, this sentiment doesn’t exactly inspire me, either, but the hook is legit - If you want to BE an artist, you’ll have to work harder. I do approve of this tough-love approach, but the tone in this video was different, however.
It was…depressing, and that made me more than a little concerned about you, the aspiring photographer who wants to start a business in wedding photography.
What would you think if you saw this video?
I don’t want to give the photographer’s name because I simply don’t want to anoint him with any publicity.
His take was NOT a rant (which I don’t mind), but rather a whine (which I loathe).
“The industry of photography is dead” is narrow-minded and harmful.
If you’re an aspiring photographer who wants to turn your hobby into a career, and you hear some doom and gloom like this, you might question your choices. Resist.
Let’s be realistic. You’re about to embark on a journey of education and inspiration. You’re about to spend a good deal of money on necessary gear to fund your creative business venture.
What do you mean by “Photography is dead?”
We’re all doing our best to find joy in our lives.
Creativity can be both personal and public. At times, we like to share, so we do.
We’ve been sharing photography for about 200 years (a French guy invented photography in 1822, btw).
When big things happen in our lives, we, the photographers of the world, want to capture those moments with still images. We want to preserve them and bring them back at another time to relive the moments. We bring them back so we can FEEL again what we felt when the moment originally happened.
Photography can do that.
As a wedding photographer who wants to inspire others to go into wedding photography and make it a business, my opinion on the mortality of photography is, of course, biased...but it’s correct, and you have every right to have your own wrong opinion.
When a big thing happens, like a wedding, people want it to be preserved forever.
They want it so badly that they will happily pay someone with good photography skills a good amount of money to take the photos FOR them.
Why?
Because they want this event to be remembered, and they don’t trust themselves or some rando with a smartphone to get the good stuff that will last forever.
This is why professional wedding photographers are STILL in demand.
Photography is faaaaaar from dead.
This video from a well-spoken and seemingly frustrated photographer is NOT the whining advice you should be listening to.
He admits that he has not made a living from his photography, but it has been a profitable hobby. That part gets glossed over way too quickly for my liking.
Not everyone will make a living from their photography, and that’s fine (not everyone wants to, in fact).
My warning is to be careful who you take advice from.
This photographer’s storied career has been that of an advanced amateur who has NOT made a living as a photographer despite his efforts.
His perspective differs regarding the craft of photography compared to that of a PROFESSIONAL.
Look, I understand the current landscape.
Photography used to be hard. It was a craft that few people mastered (relatively speaking). Thanks to technology, many more people have access to it, and the learning curve is much lower.
Digital cameras have made it SO much easier, and now the “art” of photography has transferred from the once exclusive craftsman to the average Joe with a cellphone.
Life can be tough like that.
He argues in the video that no one can see your work anymore because it’s too crowded out there (referring to social media). This is thin...really thin.
When you’re shooting as a professional photographer, your client is who you’re shooting for. As a wedding photographer, your client is your bride and groom.
Wedding photography is one of the greatest ways to translate your creative skills into a successful business.
I take that statement very seriously.
I started as an amateur, like every photographer did. I worked and studied and listened and studied and shot and shot some more and worked hard to make my photography MY business.
Could I have given up when it was hard? Yup.
Did I sacrifice by working a “day job” and then working on my photography business on the side? You bet.
And that’s the most important thing I want to get across to you.
You CAN become a wedding photographer.
It’ll take work. You’ll have competition, and yes, everyone with a camera might look like your competition, but you CAN do this (and no, not everyone is your competition).
INSIDE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY teaches the “inner game of photography” because that’s the thing that freaks people out the most - the unknown.
I know this scary side very well, and it’s not as scary as it seems. It’s like watching a horror movie a few times - Less scary everytime.
The goal is for you to take your photography skills, blend them with your interpersonal skills, add in your own flavor of organization and marry everything up with the inner game to create a successful business in wedding photography.
Treat your photography skills as a gift that you get to share with your clients.
Look, business is still business, and art is still art, but your ability to do something you love and make a living with it is NOT dependent on social media or how many “views” you’re getting.
Your job is about pleasing your clients, improving your craft, and running your operation with integrity and excellence. Do that and the profit will naturally follow.
That is what a successful business looks like.
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.”
– Jeff Bezos
PS,
Photography is NOT dead! Far from it!
Becoming a wedding photographer despite what the naysayers say is one of the little parts of the “inner game of wedding photography.”
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