Profit vs. Popularity

There was a recent announcement that DPReview (its website, social media and YouTube assets) would be shut down by April 2023 after 25 years of activity. The published outcry has been huge, with opinion firmly expressing the view that this is a big loss for the photographic community.

How is it that something universally popular can be deemed unnecessary? It seems to happen a lot. This piece isn’t a commentary on the merits of any particular service. It’s about the decision-making of corporate owners.

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Cornering the Market

What do you do when you are the recognized leader in a market, have high demand but cannot bring product to that market? You abandon some of your market, apparently.

Canon has teased us with some new product announcements over the past year, but in comparison to their typically prolific advertisements prior to Covid, the announcements have been like raindrops in a desert. Eagerly sought out, with immediate impact, but within a split second, evaporating into nothing.

It seems that camera manufacturers are rethinking what it means to be in this business. With raw materials unavailable, production lines decimated and even transportation options a mere shadow of years ago, it’s definitely time to rethink the business.

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The Business Side of Photography – My First Year as a Photographer

Photography is a tough business to be in.  The advent of cellphone cameras has meant the demise of staff photographers on many publications or even the demise of the actual publications.

Business PlanMost often, photography jobs are contract or freelance, paid by the job or image, or not paid at all.  The business owner who might need a few pictures for publicity doesn’t understand why these cost hundreds of dollars.  Often they wonder if the photographer should be paying them, for the opportunity to publish the work and be noticed. Continue reading “The Business Side of Photography – My First Year as a Photographer”