Changing times - anxiety
Its worrying times in the photography industry right now. Every time I open my newsfeed im met with announcements of well established, amazing photographers closing their doors.
Its not just the economic pressure that's driving their choice, algorithms are leaving photographers with less time to actually do what they love - creating art.
Pricing has always been a taboo subject with many priced higher than their competitors. Rightly so given their experience - but clients are now asking for lower prices but with high end services.
We are in a world of everything being available in an instant, or within the next day. Amazon prime for example giving you your products the next day - so we have been conditioned to being impatient when wanting any service. Myself included. So many photographers are working more hours for less profit than ever before. Providing a professional service at prices that barely cover any of their costs, it is simply not sustainable.
The mentality that anyone can be a photographer, especially a newborn photographer, has totally devalued the industry. Clients struggle to understand why they should pay these high end prices when their phone can take photos or "they have a cousin with a good camera" technical knowledge, safety, training and experience have all but disappeared leaving only artistic vision and prices separating the two.
The photography industry now feels overwhelmed with amateurs replicating signature styles, undercutting at every opportunity and offering free sessions without any prior experience, training or safety knowledge. Pushing out well established photographers who simply cannot compete with this.
The industry has always had its ups and downs, this is nothing new. However this year something has changed. I've never seen so many closing their doors, from vendors to photographers and it is utterly heartbreaking to see. Whether they have closed permanently or opted for new career paths and made their full time photography now part time it is certainly worrying times.
My facebook is full of "new photographers" just starting up offering full galleries of 100 plus images for as little as £50.... that doesn't even cover my insurance.
Yes we all start somewhere, and if you're an amateur reading this post, I am not posting out of malice. I'm posting this because this may well be you in 2, 5 or 10 years time. Fighting for your place in an industry that may or may not be here. We should have each others backs, we all love what we do and we all want to strive to make memories for people, it's why we all picked up that camera in the first place. We shouldn't be fighting to survive, begging for clients, it's draining - mentally, emotionally, physically and financially.
Your babies and your children are precious, and these moments can be captured only once. Of course it is totally your choice who you choose to go on this journey with, and having a budget will always play it's part - but never think a higher end photographer is "over priced" "extortionate" nor "greedy" they are priced to reflect not only their skill but their experience and knowledge - their over heads and wages, because believe it or not this is our career, not our hobby.
Behind my happy smiley face that I put on every single day, is the worry and anxiety that I mostly try to hide, but we all experience it - and the importance of talking and sharing is something i always advocate for. If youve been for a session you know that I listen, that we talk, and we share. We become friends and that is one thing I love about what I do.
So if youve picked me, or are going to pick me i cannot thank you enough. My photography has saved me in more ways that I could ever explain. You have all given me the courage to keep going when it is so easy to just stop. You have let me show my children that even when things get tough, we never give up, we find solutions and we keep going. I've met some incredible individuals and so many beautiful souls who've made me grow as a person and I know I've created memories that will last you all a lifetime. So even though this crippling anxiety still creeps in and im surrounded daily by worry and stress im grateful for every like, every comment, every recommendation and every booking I get ❤️