I was asked the other day, how is the photo industry different now as compared to when I was a professional some 20 years ago.  My answer was, what isn’t different!  I am finding that it really is a new world I’ve stepped into.  20 some years ago, when I was a young professional, I had the education, artistic vision and eventually, the photographic experience to succeed, or so I thought.  What I lacked was the local economic conditions conducive to jump into the crowd and, more importantly, I lacked the business experience to really make a go of it.

When I started back into this after being out for over 20 years, I had anticipated the challenge of relearning the art that I loved so much.  I also had preconceived notions of what to expect and where the difficulties would be.  I have been surprised at what I have discovered in the “rediscovery” of myself in photography.

Photographic Vision

My first challenge was to rediscover my photographic vision.  Photographers see the world differently.  We see things in single images stopped in a fraction of a second.  We see patterns, colors and shades of gray.  The human brain has the amazing ability to color correct for a prevailing light condition, can see in an amazing range of latitude from deep shadows to bright highlights and in 3D.  Film has limitations.  As a photographer, you have to visualize a scene in terms of the limitations that film has.  As an artist, you learn to use the limitations as tools to create something new and unique.  I requires that you know the limitation of the media that you’re using, learn the rules and learn what rules to bend or break to create the image that you see, as an artist.  It is something that takes practice. And if you don’t use that creative sight, you lose it.

I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly that vision came back.  Not quite as quickly as riding a bike, but it wasn’t like learning a new language.  What I found was that my photographic vision has changed.  I guess it shouldn’t surprise me much.  Artistic vision is a direct reflection of one’s emotions and the way we see the world around us.  Our experiences in life change our perspective, our  perceptions and the way we see the world.  During this journey, I didn’t pick up where I left off.  I discovered a new and unique vision that was very natural to the way I see the world now.  Now that I’m old.

The Digital World

When I left the industry behind so long ago, digital photography was in it’s infancy.  It was neat and most pros saw this as new possibilities for photojournalists grabbing the news around the world and giving them the ability to send photos quickly to editors.  It looked to us like digital had real potential for family snap shots, but we saw no real potential for serious commercial photography.  Sensor just couldn’t hold the information that film cold and the prints sucked.  Sure, there would be technological advances, but we didn’t seriously think that digital could ever replace film.

Fast forward 20 years and wow, have things changed.  Sure I saw friends digital cameras and the photos they could produce, but I was a purist.  I thought film would always be real way to shoot quality images.  But as I looked around, talked with professional friends from the “good old days,” I found how wrong I was.  I wasn’t a purist, I was a dinosaur.  So I researched.  What I found was an amazing new way to create.  The creative possibilities are virtually endless.  The quality is outstanding.  And it’s really pretty cool.  I discovered that it is still important to get the shot in the camera, properly exposed, in focus and technically the best you can do, just like with film.  But the possibilities that come with the creative process after the shot is taken have opened up a whole new avenue to creating an outstanding image.

The Business of Photography

This is where I have seen the biggest change since my days shooting in the 80’s.  Back then, standard practice was to make phone calls, send out creative promo pieces, (and try to get them in the hands of the right people), and try like hell to get an appointment with an art director or creative designer.  Once you got the call, you went with you portfolio and had one chance to impress.  If you got lucky and you happened in there at the right time with the right images, you just might get a chance at a job.  It was all local, until you caught the right jobs that might just go regional or even national, and just maybe, you’d get a call from someone out of town.  Lots of pounding on doors, phone calls and as much facetime as you could get.

Now, with the internet, the market is no longer local.  The world is your market!  With a good website, which is standard now, it is just as easy for a photo buyer in Paris, France to see your work as an ad agency in Paris, Texas, (or in my case Paris, Wisconsin!)  Marketing is no longer limited to a creative gimmick done as a mail out piece. Now a well designed website, a blog and social networking is a requirement.  The new portfolio is a tricked out ipad with a great app that shows you images.  The biggest discovery for me is that marketing your work is a wide open arena now.  Now it’s not just a great new mail piece.  Everyone is inventing new ways to use the internet and digital technology to market their work.

It’s an exciting to be back in photography.  Back to my first love.  Back to my roots.  Back to this new world with all the new possibilities.