The Economy, Photography, and the Future
by Jason on Apr.05, 2009, under Randomness
I spent this past Friday and Saturday at the National Student Conference, sponsored by the Dallas Society of Visual Communication, and, looking back, I don’t believe the “how is the economy effecting you” question was asked more than once. Maybe these “big players” don’t have to worry so much, but it surprised me that there wasn’t more concern over the issue – maybe people were too interested in the other content, which isn’t a bad thing at all.
Everyone has felt the slowly tightening belt of economic downturn, and, unfortunately, it means people are buying less, hiring less, and firing more. For students and young professionals like myself, it means that large agencies won’t be taking on as much fresh meat, and certainly not for paying gigs. Who can afford to teach us green designers when they can get a seasoned professional at half the price in the current market?
Times like these prove who wants it the most, and its going to take a lot more than a spiffy resume to land a decent job – if you’re not willing to kick a little ass along the way, I’m afraid Starbucks might be the next stop, unless they have already hired their fill of laid-off car salesmen. It’s sad, but it’s the truth. If you’ve got a steady job right now, it might be worth waiting it out and working on your portfolio – some money is better than no money, and freelancing without a client base isn’t pretty, if thats what you were considering.
Brad Walters writes about Wedding Photography in a Recession, covering many industry wide problems, from being forced to drop prices to the influx of “wannabe” photographers. Unfortunately, he’s right. Our industry isn’t immune to forced price cuts. We have to put food on the table, and if our clients can’t afford what they could last year, they will go elsewhere. On his point regarding newbie photographers – anyone can produce a sharp image with a relatively cheap camera these days, and, like he says, it’s the camera taking the picture. Naturally, I have to defend myself here; I think my background in production lighting, along with passion and a sense of pursuit, qualify me as a viable contender in the “new photographer” market. Hopefully my work backs me up there…
There is no doubt that 2009 is going to be trying for many of us, we simply have to stick to our guns, make the decisions that are right for our lifestyles and livelihoods, and be ready when the market gets back on it’s feet. Lets hope that’s sooner, rather than later.
