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Very interesting read
Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 7:47 PM on 08.02.10 |
->> This isn't uplifting and might be a little over the top but has a lot of truth in it.
www.epuk.org/Opinion/961/for-gods-sake-somebody-call-it |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 9:05 PM on 08.02.10 |
->> There was an interesting term used on Sportsshooter not too long ago. Someone called it the "Independence Day" effect - where the aliens swoop down and suck all of the resources out of a sector of the economy - and then move on to the next sector.
Over the years, there's been lots of threads and comments about the death of journalism. Call it the Independence Day effect. It's only lately that some of the comments have turned into a discussion of the death of newsprint. To me, that is a huge difference.
Much like the train folks not recognizing that they weren't in the train business when airlines started selling tickets to passengers but in the transportation business instead, newspaper chains failed to realize that they weren't in the newsprint business - but in the news business.
What's this got to do with photojournalists?
Everything.
You're right, Chuck, this is a bit "over the top". The media companies overexpanded and then got caught when the price of a share of their stock dropped like a rock. Suddenly, they couldn't afford anything - including investing in quality journalism - written or photographed. Of course, it's tough the think of investing in those kinds of things when you're $2B in the red.
Did the need - or the demand - for quality stories and images disappear because these multimedia whiz-kids screwed the pooch economically speaking?
The answer is "No" - obviously.
Now, I'd be an idiot (some of you will no doubt say "stop right there Fischer.. you ARE a idiot) if I told you that newspapers will come back to their former glories. Some will do well, others won't - and in my humble opinion - the ones that don't give their content away for FREE and can still control the markets they are in will do ok. And, I also think there will be a place for good journalism both written and photographed as soon as someone develops some testicles and gets the bean counters out of total control. That always ALWAYS bites folks in the butt. Bean counters do have not long term BIG PICTURE vision.
People still want to know. They still want to see. The need hasn't really changed - in fact it's probably greater than ever before and really good stuff will stand out - like it always did.
For some newspapers and their readers, it will be about seeing those high impact stories on the web. So only the Goss printing press salesman takes the bullet on this one if people play their cards right. That's a big IF.
Mark my words: Someone is going to figure out that it takes high quality work - both written and shot - produced over a period of time that will *surprise* attract eyeballs. Eyeballs that advertisers want.. and then EVERYONE will do it.
Only the Goss printing press salesman gets caught.. if you do it right.
Make sense?
M
PS One more thing. My degree is in marketing so my approach is a bit different. I also tend to structure things to work up. I'm not a mass market Wal Mart kind of guy. I know that there are enough people willing to pay a fair price. Some of you may not agree with me. That's ok. But remember this: There can only be one Wal Mart. The rest of us have to use step up selling if we're going to survive.Step up selling in this case means advertising at fair rates. Good work should attract eyeballs. Eyeballs attract advertisers. Advertisers means more dollars.
It's that simple.. it's just not easy. |
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Thomas E. Witte, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Cincinnati | OH | USA | Posted: 2:49 AM on 08.03.10 |
->> Hey! That was my term Michael! :)
I read the article and actually went "No **** Sherlock", because all but the most arrogant and narcissistic of us have already realized the reason everything stinks to high heaven is because the guano already hit the spinning air movement device.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZdp46Jen_w
(best clip I could find, my apologies.)
Anyway, the thing to take from this is that photojournalism is what's dying, not all of the other arenas of photography. That's why I keep telling to not necessarily hang up the cameras, but to plan ahead and move on to other things, but before you just blindly jump on to, oh, say journalistic weddings, find out what that particular market is like in your backyard. |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Denver | CO | USA | Posted: 8:03 AM on 08.03.10 |
->> Art
In my studio work I did a lot of work with artists who make fine art glass. They work long hours in very hot rooms making their art. Some have gone to school to acquire skills, others have just spent years hanging out at hotshops. Most are, by any conventional definition, broke. Few can afford to own homes. If they are married, their significant other pays the bills for the most part. Most have second jobs - usually not blowing glass. If they do blow glass for money, it's working for someone to produce trinkets - ornaments, paperweights, production work. Most do not have the business acumen or financial resources to make, market and sell this kind of work in quantity on their own, so when they do production work it's for someone else on an hourly basis - sometimes in exchange for hotshop time in lieu of cash.
To get their work noticed they have to show, and shows are expensive. Real, significant costs are involved in producing quality work, and you need a room full of pieces before a gallery will talk to you. When you show, a lot of work will come back. By the time the gallery takes their cut, you are lucky to break even. This goes on for years as you build a reputation.
Most who make it to the B-list or A-list level usually have benefactors who helped get them there. These are more times than not glass collectors or gallery owners who love the artists' work and give them financial backing to do shows, travel, and generally get their career started. Benefactors are beautiful people who provide this funding usually just to see someone make it. Contracts are rarely signed. Benefactors take satisfaction in seeing the work produced - and adding a few special pieces to their collection.
Photojournalism is art. In the "great" days of private newspaper ownership, the owners were the benefactors to the artisans. The papers made money, but most owners did it for more. Some did it for power, politics, etc. But many - the good ones, anyway - did it to see great stories told. They knew that sending photographers on month-long journeys to tell stories was in no way going to be profitable long-term. They did it to see the stories told. They felt it was important to society for the stories to be told.
That is what is missing, and why photojournalism is changing. Few newspaper owners are doing it just to see good stories told. They're doing it for just about every other reason, money being a big one.
In the future, photojournalism will live on in the more traditional artisan model described above. Individuals or small organizations will be the benefactors to the artists choosing this path. How the art is shown and distributed is still an unknown, but it will be produced. Just like the glass artist, the photojournalist just can't help themselves. They have to create.
To do photojournalism in the future, it would be wise to study the ways of the glassblower or the painter or the poet and see how they survive. And they do survive - even as Chinese knock-off glass and paintings fill museum gift shops and previously "easy money" sources dry up. Artists always find a way. Always.
Good storytelling is not often financially rewarding. But just like good art, it has always been - and always will be - worthwhile. |
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Martin McNeil, Photographer
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East Kilbride | Lanarkshire | United Kingdom | Posted: 5:42 PM on 08.03.10 |
->> I think there's also a signal-to-noise issue at heart.
In what might be called the heydey of photojournalism, the signal was clean and clear... very few photographers out there whom had the talent and resources to execute their vision.
Fast-forward to modern times and the tools of the trade have become common commodoties; anyone with an inexpensive dSLR and internet access can tell their story.
The noise ratio has increased to the point that it sometimes becomes difficult to pick out the signal. |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 10:24 PM on 08.03.10 |
->> Thomas,
I thought it was you but I was rushed to write the post and didn't do a search. Lazy me.
That term REALLY hit the spot for me. It's highly accurate and a almost chilling term. There are millions of people hoping their mutual funds go back up ( me included, but I know there are better solutions currently..). It's those mutual funds that, along with hedge funds, that bankroll the plundering of of sectors of our economy. It's nothing new. When I moved to rural Iowa in 1979, the economy was BOOMING. Lots of investments by money folks. Farmland values skyrocketed. It went up every day. More money poured in. Values went up more. A Iowa State University economist told all the farmers to buy more land.. even if you had to borrow on your paid for land to finance more. Prices continued to climb.
Sound familiar? This was the beginning of the "Farm Crisis", which got traction about 1981.It became a giant game of chicken and one day the house of cards came tumbling down. Paper fortunes were wiped out. So were century farms. And real fortunes. It forever changed rural America.
So, the Independence Day effect has been going on for a long time. This last time, however, it got so big, it took down the world economy.
I think David makes a excellent point. In the past, owners made decisions to tell stories for a variety of reasons. The need is still there, and a really well done story will still stand out. I believe that's true Martin, even when there's lots of noise. Noise is just that - noise. Good stories touch us, make us feel good or uncomfortable.
What's really funny is that the companies kicking ass right now aren't run by beancounters - they are run by marketing guys. Exhibit A: Apple. Anyone checked out the share price of their stock the last five years?
I look at the Aliens sucking up the resources sort of like a forest fire. Over time, little businesses, like little trees and vegetation sprout up. Over time, some begin to grow... and the cycle starts over again.
Now, if we can replace EVERYONE in Congress... we may have a fighting chance...
See, I told you I was a friggin idiot...
Michael |
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