September 28, 2013

"The greatest mystery is not that we have been flung at random between this profusion of matter and the stars, but that within this prison we can draw from ourselves images powerful enough to deny our nothingness." Andr'e Malraux's Les Noyers de l'Altenburg

We all seem to know and understand what photography is.  Robert Frank wrote, " Mass production of uninspired photojournalism and photography without thought becomes anonymous merchandise.  The air becomes infected with the "smell" of photography".

Photography is now a commodity to be bought and sold from the lowest common denominator, free.  When someone contacts me now from the many sites I have my images on, they will invariably ask me if I would "let" them use my image for a project they are working on.  They will then give me the hard luck story that they are a non-profit organization and have meager funds and will not be able to pay for the image usage.
 I could ask them how much are they being paid for their services at this non-profit organization, but really, why bother.  Everyone knows and understands that photography is cheap, it is plentiful and it can be given away for free.  I am always respectful and grateful that in their search on the web one of my images interested them.  I always send back a license fee for the usage they want and rarely do they accept the charges.
 How low will photographers go to make a sale?  Given the pervasive quantity of images in the photo market cage arena, we have hit bottom, they will give away I presume, their hard fought efforts to create a meaningful image, for nothing.   

Images are easy to create if you don't have a thought, a purpose behind the shutter release.  What will it take to enlighten image creators that a lack of finance undermines inspiration, and to maintain a creative economy we need to stop the incessant saturation of laissez faire image making. In other words, the combining of consumer generated content will continue the degradation of intentful image creation pricing.

Why go to all the trouble to fight for an image, making sure we have delved into the subject and have exhausted all possible emotions, to find that your return on your effort is nothing.  What is the incentive to work at your craft if everyone else is undermining the very foundation of economic value, a worth measured in an acceptable price for your efforts?  What happens when the lemmings follow the gurus of the industry and accept the pattern of spiraling down pricing?  We are left as small actors looking for bit parts along Hollywood Boulevard.  There is a value to Art. Art is precious, it is a necessity that inspires us and makes this over commercialized physical world we live in bearable.

I believe if you love creating images then nothing will stop you from your goals.  Persistence under extreme pressure should make you more determined, not less.  You might have to find other avenues of revenue and balance your obsessive need to create images with love of family, friends and your local community.  Alot of my friends in the photography business began looking for other outlets for their creativity as the photo industry collapsed.  In some cases these outlets were their first loves.  My friends are now back to writing comedy, playing and performing music, writing essays, writing books and poetry, teaching and painting.  We as creative humans must express ourselves and this expression is not limited to just photography. Keep making meaningful images but also don't get obsessive about just one means of expression. Fulfill your lives in as many ways you can. In other words, it is a good idea nowadays not to put all your skills in one basket.