The competition is fierce and every professional photographer knows that to be successful, they have to be smart and aware. Working in an industry labelled with a dog eat dog mentality, the ability to take a good photograph is one thing, but having the business acumen to get ahead and give you the edge will not only secure profits, but will support the creative backbone of your photography.
Portrait and Wedding Photographer Ingrid Weel used to enjoy the ‘hands on’ approach of working on film. She says ‘ The anticipation of seeing how your shots turned out; logging the negs; the discipline and skills gained through experience, all meant you knew you had a great shot before you saw the result.’
Traditional photography, for all its creative licence, was soon superseded by the digital era and influenced photographers such as Ingrid to step up their game. Professional photographers were forced to give up their dark rooms as digital photography and digital printing methods evolved and promised the industry and paying clients faster results.
More than a decade ago, Indigo founder, Benny Landa, said ‘In the future, everything that can become digital will become digital’ and he was right. First came the digital camera in 1973, digital image processing in the late 1970’s, digital television in the early 1990’s and digital radio in 1999. The coming together of the advanced digital camera and developments in digital printing in the 2000’s meant a more accurate and more immediate turnaround on jobs, beneficial to both the client and the photographer.
As more and more photographers swapped film for a digital camera, professionals were forced to look outside the box to attract new clients and retain existing ones. Digital Printers were watching from the sidelines and overnight, re-enforcements were brought in to assist the savvy photographer.
Ingird Weel is now a great supporter of digital photography and a fan of the variety of print formats available. The selection of print mediums sold and produced by companies on the outside gave professionals the opportunity to offer value-added service. This led to an increase in profits and kept jaded clients inspired by portfolios of work presented in a fashionable and up-to-the minute format.
Alex James, a freelance professional photographer specialising in fashion and advertising, has replaced his traditional portfolio with a digitally printed photobook. He says: ‘Using the traditional method for my portfolio, I had to produce prints and my portfolio in-house and had to constantly send it by expensive courier. Photobooks are a more cost-effective option as I can print a high number and leave them with clients for a long period of time or even indefinitely. Now using photobooks, the inconvenience of the large portfolio no longer exists.’
Digital printing forms the absolute core of the photobook industry. Oliver Carey, the UK Photo Segment Manager of HP Indigo agrees digital production is by far the most popular way to produce photobooks. He comments: ‘While photofinishers are seeing silver halide decline 30-40% year on year, the demand for high-quality printed photos and photo products continues to grow. The digital camera user is taking in excess of 400 images each year, which is nearly 10 greater than the volumes taken when silver halide was at its peak.’
Oliver Carey continues: ‘At least three out of four consumer photobooks in Europe are printed using HP Indigo technology and photo-speciality products (primarily photobooks) have had a spectacular evolution in the past three years.’
A report by Understanding & Solutions forecasts the photobook market will grow 70% in 2008 and will increase by 2.5 times from 2007 by 2010.’
Oliver Carey from HP Indigo says: ‘Today’s online players are in the best position to capitalise on the new products opportunity. Some 90% of photobook orders are placed over the internet, so it’s the key channel at the moment. However, some volume will shift towards retail in a few years when the photobook becomes more of a mass-market product. Delivery time will become increasingly important; hence the local players will have an advantage.’
Like the professional photographer, the digital printer is always aware of the need to secure and attract custom, such as a quick delivery time, a wide range of products or a bespoke and personal service. Photographers are sticklers for quality and they expect the same from their digital prints and photobook.
Professional photographer Kristina Oliver often photographs nightclub scenes and says: ‘ I have a concern about digitally printed photographs because I worry the vibrancy of my images will be lost during production. There is always a large range of colours captured in every photograph I take and I am understandably keen to protect this.’
