The Future of Photography

The future of photography is publishing.

I've argued as gear becomes better and cheaper, technical ability will no longer be as valued. Creativity will be the differentiator.

That may work for a while. But with hundreds of millions of new photographers out there, creativity alone will not be scarce. The value lies in scarcity.

So, if you want your message heard (or sold), you must look beyond even creativity. You must look beyond the camera. You must regard the image as just the start of something bigger.

Good stories will always be in demand. It's hard coded into our brains. Good stories packaged well will be scarce for at least the remainder of our grandchildren's lifetimes.

Photographers and writers must come to the realization that whether they post their creations to a blog, a social network or in print, they are publishers. If they embrace it and work on it from that angle, they will be well ahead of their competition (competition for attention and time if not money).

What do you know that few others know?

What can you share with the world that the world would value?

What kind of package would best represent your ideas?

These are the questions we need to be asking. Nothing about gear. Nothing about technique.