This post on AdRants got me thinking about the increasing ubiquity of cameraphones, photosharing and the Creative Commons license.

Sure, sites like iStockphoto and ultravertex are currently a threat to commercial photographer's livelihoods.

But the real killer app hasn't fully arrived yet:With the advent of hi-res cameraphones and pervasive hi-speed wireless internet, everyone out there is shooting hires images and sharing them with tags to help in searching and everyone can license their images for re-use.

All of a sudden the whole world is a stock agency.

In this scenario, what will set the commercial photographer apart from the unwashed masses isn't so much his style or look, as anyone can crank off that lucky shot, but his consistency of work. A client will hire a pro not because they'll get a unique shot (those will be found online), but because they'll know what kind of a shot they will get, and they'll know the shot they're getting will fit their needs. What will matter then is knowing what you shoot well, and being able to do so for your client.

Which, really, is what matters today, too.

This entry was posted by Kevin Creighton, on 9.27.2005. You can leave your response.