Skip to main content

Direct from the artist

Don't get left in the steam age. The digital revolution is here and it affects the future of image buying.
The digital revolution offers agencies, art buyers and designers unprecedented direct access to photographers. However the old fashioned business model of using stock libraries persists.

Stock libraries have tried to adapt to the digital revolution and market themselves around technological tweaks such as facilitating different types of searches using keywords, emotions, colours...

This type of tinkering can be compared to putting rubber wheels on a horse cart. Yes, it makes for a smoother ride but the reality is that there's a revolution happening. To continue the metaphor, the automobile has arrived consigning horse carts to history. That automobile is social media, refined website SEO and sophisticated image search engines. It has never been easier to find an image and identify the artist.

Of course we're not quite there yet. But artists need to start acting now because the digital revolution is moving at warp-speed.

Why buy direct from the artist?


  • Great work and talented photographers are getting easier to find. Take a look at sites like 500px, Flickr, Facebook and  Google + (keyword, titles, locations, lots of ways to search).
  • Most images today are bought for display on screens, so quality control is easy.
  • Surely it is preferable to reward the talented individuals who produce remarkable work. They should get 100% not 10, 20-30% royalties!

Why photographers should sell direct wherever possible


  • In the past it was perfectly reasonable for large corporations and stock libraries to take a percentage of the sale of an image. They were performing vital business tasks on behalf of the photographer such as providing storage, admin, marketing and ecommerce functionality.
  • Today online storage is cheap (free on Flickr), ecommerce websites are easy to setup and cost virtually nothing and marketing is shifting to building a dialogue through social media channels and understanding your audience and attracting them with great visual content, which suits photographers extremely well!
  • Why make big corporations richer and give away 50, 70 or 80% of the revenue for your hard work and creativity? 

What next?

I believe that in less than 10 years all but a few niche stock libraries will still be around. Their business model is broken, obsolete. Photographers that create remarkable images and have built relationships with image buyers will thrive.

If you're a photographer or a buyer and you agree with the above then please help spread the word. The time to take action is now. Buyers, please give it a try when you next have a project and photographers start building your profile and looking into alternative ways to sell your work direct.

I sit on both sides as I both produce images and buy them. If you would like to chat about the future please get in touch.

Thanks for you time,
Paul
www.indigo2photography.co.uk







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The portrait photographer's motivation

Easy access to the Internet and digital photography has resulted in an ever growing number of photographers uploading their images for comments and ratings from peers. Online communities evolve and these mini-societies each have their pecking order, internal groups and communal preferences. Photographers learn from each other. On sites that have a rating system there is often pressure to conform to certain styles, techniques and even subject matter. Although I participate in numerous sites (it's great fun), I recognise the danger of becoming a herd animal and losing the edge of individual creativity. There will always be the creatives that lead the way and the imitators that can only try to follow in their footsteps. This lead me to think about classifying photographers according their inner motivation. So as a bit of fun here are a few different types: The innovator Driven to always find something new, different and creative. Wants to be leading edge. Motivated by creative satisfa...
6 comments
Read more

Beyond the Obvious: Lessons from the Masters of Photography

  In photography, there’s more than technical skill or gear; the real art is in connection, storytelling, and moments that matter. In this blog, I’ll explore what I have learned by taking master classes with photographers like Steve McCurry, Joel Meyerowitz, and Albert Watson. One of the surprising outcomes of learning from them was discovering just how closely my  thoughts and practice aligned with theirs although I've always carved my own path. There is something delightful about finding kindred spirits. I wanted to share what I've learnt and remind us of our true practice as photographers behind the lens. Storytelling Through Human Connection A photograph should convey more than just skill—it should capture a story that resonates. Steve McCurry’s iconic Afghan Girl does this beautifully, capturing strength and vulnerability in a single frame. Like McCurry, I believe photography should reveal the depth and uniqueness of our subjects. This requires empathy, patience, and a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why do you take photographs?

Have you ever asked yourself why you photograph? It's a question that can be answered with a simple one-sentence answer until you start delving deeper. The answer then becomes increasingly complex and challenging to unravel. I've again undertaken this journey recently, and my answer is below. Portrait of Paul Indigo by Magda Indigo. Thanks Magda! I also reviewed my images over the last ten-plus years, selected 30 of my favourite photos, and compiled them into a slide show. This was a challenging task. My favourites change by the day, probably by the minute. Still, eventually, I got to a selection I titled "That's Life." Please click through to YouTube to view the full screen. My approach to people and landscape photography is characterised by a distinctive blend of documentary and fine art techniques. I aim to create images that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. Through portraiture, I strive to showcase the broad spectrum of human experience. I a...
2 comments
Read more