Mission Impossible?

A not so cheery “portrait” of the current state of the professional (and amateur) assignment and stock photography business here at the New York Times. Nothing we haven’t heard, experienced or feared, but it does show how forces of technology, the economy and human nature have all created a perfect storm that threatens to destroy our livelihood.

Pretty much anyone can take an occasional decent picture that is good enough for many stock uses, given enough time and some luck. But, if professional photography as a career falls by the wayside, who will clients call when they need an assignment done that requires experience, and lots of it?

As the entry point for creating decent images has dropped, and continues to drop, we as professional image makers really need to sell ourselves not on our abilities to get sharp well exposed images, as most point & shoot cameras can do that, not as the cheapest way to get images (although in the long run hiring a professional can often be the most cost effective), but on the strength and individuality of our visions, and on our professionalism and experience in getting jobs done on schedule, on budget (or under), and under the worst of conditions & circumstances.

Perhaps our only hope is to all become amateurs. Unfortunately, we will of course need to work another job or two just to support our new “hobby”!