Photographer Mark Meyers just wrote up a nice enough story aimed at driving awareness fear in professional photographers … fear about the future of their career, their well-being, their jobs.
Depicted in that article this image at left, which was completely generated by the author of the post using an emerging 3d modeling software called Blender. The quote that stands out from the article is this one:
“If you are a photographer that makes a living shooting still-life photos, this should scare you…”
Bullshit. Unless of course…
You take the kind of photo that actually requires no personal vision…or
you’re unwilling to evolve with the industry…or
you’re somehow deluded that photography should be bound to wait for it’s sectors that can’t evolve…or
you’re unable to comprehend the definition of photography expanding into new horizons.
In which case it SHOULD scare you because you should be replaced.
Because whether the camera is 6 megapixels or 60, it’s a point and shoot or a dSLR, or … gasp…the “camera” is a dude sitting at a desktop computer…these tools are JUST TOOLS and cannot create compelling content without a human driver, a storyteller, a visionary at it’s helm. And those photos are the only photos you should be aiming to create…unless of course, you’re ok being replaced by a lower priced pork belly.
This might seem like tough love if you’re hearing this for the first time. Apologies. But, get used to hearing no. If you’re an aspiring amateur or new pro, it’s fair to be disappointed, frustrated, or to find yourself in a position where what’s sitting in your lap is something different than you thought you signed up for. But it’s not smart for any of us to feel entitled — to complain about an evolving creative marketplace or desire to freeze an entire industry in time. Whether we like it or not, all industries march on.
Consider this your prime opportunity to start (or continue) to differentiate yourself, your work, your vision from that of your peers.
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(via petapixel)
That is really old news and nothing that I worry about. I just use the tool that fits the job wether it being a camera or a computer. I started doing 3D graphics in 1999 and learned about the fundamentals of setting light. About 2005 I started doing photography and realized that the things I had been doing in 3D were exactly the same in the photographic world regarding spill light, soft boxes, color temperatures, DOF, focal length and so much more. The principles are the exact same.
It is a lot faster to model a cogwheel in 3D and directly render a cool front page image than it is to set up a studio lighting just for that one object which also has to be post edited a lot to make it look as clean and nice as we want it to.
In 2009 the Air Force One backup plane was flying over New York with some F16’s following it just to take an official picture of it. That was understandably a very frightening scenario to the citizens of NY after 9-11. My first thought was – why on earth didn’t they just send up a much smaller helicopter to shoot some background images on which a 3D model of the plane could be post edited on to? No man on earth would be able to spot the difference if it was made the right way and it would probably cost way less money and most certainly wouldn’t frighten any citizens.
Don’t be afraid of new tools. New tools have always been invented and will always be.
^ Totally agree
I would disagree with Chase only on the point that Blender is emerging. It’s been around for a long time and it’s rendering engine has been this good for a while now. Other software has been around even longer (e.g. 3DS Max) but Blender is unique in that it is FREE.
But that’s beside the point… this kind of stuff actually gets me excited because the tools available to us these days at very little cost are incredible. When you put this kind of capability in the hands of those with the creative vision to use and abuse it, it only pushes the bar higher as to what amazing imagery can be created. If you’re one of those that’s willing to evolve and grow with the industry it shouldn’t produce fear but pure excitement!
I think Chase’s outrage is misplaced here.
Exactly why couldn’t standard, boring product shots (like much of the stuff done in magazines that pays good $$ to commercial photographers) be replicated much cheaper in software?
The accountants don’t give a damn who makes the image, it’s about who’s cheaper.
Seems easier to pay some guy in a 3rd world country to make an image than hire a commercial photographer and pay for his time, licensing rights, assistants, equipment rental, etc.
Forget about what is artistically right or wrong, this is about commercial reality.
Well said! 🙂
I read this somewhere….
“Not everyone who owns a hammer is a carpenter.”
Derwinism
Great read! Every so often we need to stop learning and just start thinking and creating. It is not the next editing technique, camera, lens, software…those will get you a few likes here and there from friends on FB….be you without fear of judgement.
One Love.