Three New Trends In Professional Photography

Maybe it's the influence of reality TV, but it seems like more people are employing a professional photographer or videographer to document activities of their day to day lives. No matter how ubiquitous digital cameras become, it seems like society is always thinking up new work for someone dedicated to taking amazing photos. And, as long as it pays, it's unlikely anyone on our side of the transaction is going to complain.

Some of the new trends are easy to see, some came as kind of a surprise. That's why it's a big mistake to spend so much time working that you lose touch with your own industry. The market has a way of sneaking up on the unprepared.

Vacation Photography

It seems strange to many that one of the hot new trends in photography would be groups and couples hiring a professional photographer to take pictures of them while on vacation. While it seems bizarre, there are photographers in resort areas reporting as much as half of their business coming from vacation photos!

There is a certain logic to it when you think about it. People on vacation don't want to bother hauling cameras, lights and gear, they want to have fun and, in the new social media generation, pictures from their phones just don't cut it. So, the solution for many is to hire a professional photographer.

Birth Photography

This one can spur an unpleasant visceral reaction in some people, but there are actually photographers making their entire living from birth photography. If you can deal with the messy reality and have the ability of be both tactful and calm under pressure, then this might be a line of work you want to consider.

It is understandable that the birth of a child is, literally, a once in a lifetime event. Counting on family to do it is a risk and asking a friend would be awkward. Again, when you stop and think about it, there's a certain logic to hiring a pro for such a significant life event.

Real Time Photography

Wedding and event photographers are seeing more desire to cut down the time between taking the photos and having at least some them available online. This presents both contractual and technical challenges but opens up a huge competitive advantage for photographers who can supply the service.

Not everyone wants real time photos, but the ones who do are willing to pay a premium for the service. Some photographers are concerned real time imaging cuts into their print sales and there is some foundation to that concern. That's where the pricing and contractual issues come into play. You may be able to charge more up front for what you lose in downstream revenue.

The inventiveness of society in coming up for work for professional photographers is one of the reasons the business is still around. In a world where people are, literally, surrounded by cameras, everyone is a star in their own reality series.