Photo Industry Editorial

I've been posting news about the photographic industry for over three years now and, during that time, have been fortunate to communicate with photographers, developers and other industry veterans.

The game has changed over the past few years, both with the growth of digital cameras and the plethora of new products. Today, photographers, from novice to professional, have a marketplace rich with opportunity to further their craft and gain new skills.

While the megapixel race has slowed, what we do with those megapixels has diversified exponentially. I believe the reason for the slowness is due to hitting a sweet spot, where the current amount is enough to provide quality enlargements for a core group of photographers. This is not to say that cameras, now hitting the 20 megapixel mark are not selling; they are, but to really advanced amateurs and professionals needing the higher resolution.

The core group, hobbyists and pros (wedding, editorial, etc.) have no need of the upper megapixel count, as they get what they need with eight to 14, or so, megapixels. While I thought, at one time, when full-frame sensor cameras came down in price, they would supplant the APS-C cameras, this has not happened. Now, I'm seeing room for both formats to coexist.

The APS-C sensor offers considerable quality and also an advantage for some photographers--the magnification ratio. The 1.5/1.6 magnification factor allows a photographer to get more throw from their lens kit. While there is some trade-off in the wide-angle range, the telephoto lenses become longer. For the average consumer, this is the baker's dozen concept; purchase a 70 to 300mm lens and get a 112 to 480mm.

As more SLR cameras enter the marketplace, with prices just north of $500.00, increasing numbers of consumers are leaving the point-and-shoot models behind. This leads to additional accessory sales and opens a window for quality third-party lenses at reachable prices. I see this market exploding over the next few years.

Not to leave the P&S cameras out of discussion here, as manufacturers replace models with increasing frequency and have added additional features. The only downside to this is the confusion, by the consumer, as to which one fits their needs.

The photographic software market has matured considerably this past year. Management software (single function), such as ACDSee and Thumbsplus, is now being consolidated into image editing; Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture and Bridge, for instance.

There is still room, however, for management software, especially for the non-professional photographers, who are amassing prodigious amounts of images on their computers. Where the proverbial shoebox was the catch-all for prints and negatives, the home computer and CD-ROM/DVD house increasing collections of pictures.

The second generation of photo editing software, beyond Photoshop, offers the working pro more options than ever before. The Aperture/Lightroom work flows, incorporating image management, noise reduction, sophisticated lighting alterations and more, have become, in some instances, a one-stop interface for advanced hobbyists and working professionals.

Although the world economy has slowed, photography, as a hobby, has always been supported by discretionary income. As money tightens, we may see less purchases overall of the higher end cameras and accessories, but not a real slow-down of picture taking. People still get married, have babies, celebrate events, such as birthdays and Christmas. While some will vacation at home, they will mark day-trips and their experiences with pictures.

Professional photographers may see some rough times ahead as more and more companies, the mainstay for professional income, fall by the wayside or reduce their budgets. This, of course, impacts new purchases of cameras, lenses and high-end accessories, but most photographers should be able to weather this storm.