Is Traditional Photography Being Bullied by Instagram?
Photography has come a long way. Gone are the days of negatives, waiting to see how pictures turned out and stacks of clunky photo albums. Instagram has boomed. It is a social networking site that mirrors Twitter but with photos. Users can instantaneously post pictures with filters, tag their friends and hashtag common themes. Instagram filters create a digital look based on qualities that traditional photographers work hard to achieve. Some traditional photographers have argued that Instagram creates a false sense of artistry and takes away from their livelihood. Critics have even insisted that social networking sites like this have watered-down the effect of real photography. In contrast, there are photographers who utilize Instagram for marketing. For example, Marcus Bleasdale uses Instagram to show followers behind the scenes shots we would likely never see. Fellow VII Photo Agency member, John Stanmeyer, says that it is a great communication tool and helps reach out to the public.
"Confusing most Instagram photos for real photographs is akin to comparing a long Facebook update to a Pulitzer prize winning book." -Geoff Livingston
Why such an outcry? I was surprised to find a number of articles pinning Instagram vs. professional photographers. As an avid user myself, I did not realize their work would even be compared to shots taken by amateur Instagrammers. What are your thoughts? Are the 80+ million users of Instagram outshining traditional photographers?
Sources:
Geoff Livingston - August 14, 2012
"Is Instagram Ruining Photography?"
http://petapixel.com/2012/09/03/world-class-photojournalists-share-their-thoughts-on-the-impact-of-instagram/
Michael Zhang - September 3, 2012
"World-Class Photojournalists Share Their Thoughts on the Impact of Instagram"
http://geofflivingston.com/2012/08/14/instagram-killing-photography/
Olivier Laurent - September 3, 2012
"The New Economics of Photojournalism: The Rise of Instagram"
http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/report/2202300/the-new-economics-of-photojournalism-the-rise-of-instagram
Great post! I can definitely see where photographers could be offended that all of their hard work is now easily accomplished by those less studied in the field. I think if I was a photographer that I would be a bit annoyed with Instagram at first but then I would realize it as an opportunity to make me better at my craft. The quote that you used was fantastic and I've never thought of it from that angle. Most people realize that Instagram is a popular, not professional tool. I would never hire an Instagrammer to photograph an important event. I would hire a photographer. BUT, I may still want my friends on the side taking fun Instagram pictures ;)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! I would never rely solely on Instagram! My friends do, however, create hashtags on Instagram for the candid shots and behind the scenes shots at their weddings. Pretty cool!
DeleteThis could be a good motivational tool for photographers to expand upon their portfolio, and come up with new ideas. As the world turns, you have to turn with it, so the photographers that are capitalizing on this software are changing their business model in order to survive.
ReplyDeleteThis can be a great way for people to express themselves. The average person now has access to a variety of effects they can use to capture some of life's most important moments that would not have been professionally photographed in the first place. I do not see these applications having a large impact on the industry as a whole because when there is a special event like a wedding, or a modeling shoot, a professional photographer is needed.
Photograph enhancement programs have been available on computers for years, but they are not as convenient as an app. on your phone. Do you know if the photography industry has seen a decline in profits because of these applications?
Great point Leeanna! I think that professional photographers should not fear. There are still WAY too many photo opportunities out there that require a professional. As for a correlation between photo app usage and the declining sales of photographers, I am not sure that such a study exists. All I can say is that I know several professional photographers who do not seem to have experienced any kind of decline in their sales.
DeleteInstagram in my opinion will never be to the quality of professional photography. I have never used the sight but I know that there are lots of cool technology involved in editing photos for social media site. Traditional photography is a trade done with a expensive camera compared to the photos today's youth takes with their smart phone and unload to internet social media. The quality of the photo I can get from my IPhone will be pretty good but I lack the skills and techniques of a professional photographer to capture the right image.
ReplyDeleteGreat point Julius! I have tried to take some really great quality photos with my iPhone, and, while they are pretty good, I still wished that I had a really nice camera to capture more detail!
DeleteInteresting topic! In my opinion, there really is know way to compare Instagram to professional photography on any level. Snapshots are very different from the pictures you see on, for instance, http://photography.nationalgeographic.com. These pictures can not be taken on a phone and usually take a great deal of research and skills that the everyday iphone user will never match. Supposedly, there are attachments for professional photographers to hook their equipment up to site like Instagram.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe any new tool eneabling the average person to be creative is essential and if the professional feels threatened because of this then it's time for them to innovate or move on.
Yes! I think this is the beginning if a new trend. Tech crunch reported on the Samsung galaxy offering an optical zoom lens attachment. This creates a hybrid between the smartphone and pocket camera. Check it out, it's pretty cool.
Deletehttp://techcrunch.com/2013/06/20/galaxy-zoom-hands-on/
The professional photographers have a tough road ahead of them with the much more affordable apps like Instagram. There have also been some filters built into Droid model phones and the new iOS 7 update for iPhone will include them as well. This makes it much easier for people to create their own "professional" looking photos. However, the picture quality is nowhere near as good as an SLR camera. If I was to have an important event, wedding, etc. I would be embarrassed if my important life photos were captured with a cell phone.
ReplyDeleteYes you are correct. Imagine how embarrassing it would be to pull out your walgreens photo packet filled with instagram photo prints to show off to friends and family!
DeleteReally interesting post. I love instagram because it provides a variety of ways to make a boring picture, an artsy one. I like all the effects the app offers. Now, I wouldn't compare my "artsy" pictures to the real deal pictures that are taken by professionals. I don't think the two compare at all.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I love using the filters to make them more dramatic. How do you like the new upgraded Instagram videos?
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