Photographers can be a defensive lot, especially when the craft they love and have toiled over for many years seems to be under attack. In this newfangled social media world where the word ‘influencer’ is tossed around carelessly, anyone can seemingly pick up a camera or expensive phone and attain some measure of success.
The struggle is real, especially when big brands are courting these millennials, filter and all, to represent big campaigns. Like them or not, they’ve become part of the corporate budget and a force to be reckoned with in the world of commercial photography and marketing.
Lee Yik Keat / PIXERF
But is the vitriol justified or just the harsh words of a collective who simply cannot adjust to a disrupted economy? Probably both. We’ve seen some terrible work on billboards and bus ads that were Instagram-inspired, but we also have been witness to amazing shots from an iPhone 7 that can rival a studio production. This is especially true when a client wants a stock photo to not look stock – the buzzword is ‘Instagram-like’.
If you can’t beat them, join them.
Chiok Jun Jie / PIXERF
There will always be a market for a certain vein of stock photography that only a studio or years of experience can provide. On the flip-side, the new batch of visual creators have given the world a fresh, filtered perspective that until recently has never been seen before. These pictures tell a story, depict a lifestyle, and connect us to another world we can both relate and escape to.
Both these worlds can live side by side — its OK. Each can learn from the other, accept the changing face of photography, and support its growth. Or at the very least, stand at the edge and admire the stunning works produced on both ends.
Do you think Instagram will set the trends for all photography and advertising moving forward? Let us know in the comments!
