Yesterday I wrote about the really bad photography I’ve been seeing as I cruise through real estate listings. And I was reminded of something else I read months ago but never talked about here.
Back in May I read an article about the Chicago Sun Times laying off their photography staff. 28 photographers in total. The idea was to replace their work with images and videos from IPhones being used by journalists covering the stories. It was pretty disheartening to read honestly.
When I wrote about the bad real estate photos I was reminded of the layoff story. It made me wonder if pro photography is really on its way out. And honestly, I don’t think it is. I do think the industry is evolving, and eventually companies and individuals will realize there is value in what a professional can bring to the job. But for the short term, yeah, photographers are being discounted.
Following up on the Chicago story I did a little reading last night (yeah, I didn’t look at real estate sites). And I was surprised to find some real backlash regarding the photographer layoffs. Further I even found a site showing the difference in the images of the paper. Even Wired Magazine has gotten in on the difference between the pro shots in one paper and the new regime.
So, the difference is noticeable. Now comes the question, is it noticeable enough that consumers will vote with their dollars? When that happens I think we’ll have rounded the corner.
Comments 1
The problem with press photography is that it doesn’t have to be great, it only has to be good enough. One press photo in 1,000 or 10,000 (you would know better than I what the ratio is) turns out to be iconic and even that one was a grab shot!