This Surprises Most Young Photographers About Starting Their Own Side Business
We’ve come a long way since Kodak’s disposable cameras. Although old-school gear like photographic film is making a comeback, the photography industry as a whole is constantly transforming.
Serious photographers are apt to believe their expert skills are what produce outstanding photos. However, while creativity and a keen eye for detail are crucial, young photographers are sometimes surprised to learn that technology also plays a critically important role in their success. Here’s how budding photographers can utilize technology advancements in their side business. Cover photo by Samuel Rios.
Tech Matters When Building a Photography Side Hustle
The photography industry has undergone wide-ranging developments for photographers to maximize their art form and side hustle. Some technology has stood the test of time.
For instance, film point-and-shoots and classic digital cameras have made a comeback, thanks to a younger generation allured by retro styles and imperfections. Today, it’s easy for photographers to get their hands on refurbished cameras that have undergone intensive inspection and hardware testing to ensure efficiency.
Truthfully, photography has always been about technology — the camera itself is a manufactured innovation — from the pre-17th century camera obscura to smartphone applications.
New Developments in Photography Tech
While some photographers might reject various advancements in the photography industry, those that embrace and combine new gear hone their talent and set themselves apart from their peers. Some photography technology has impacted originality more than others, such as drones.
Military personnel were once the only people who operated drones. However, in the last decade, they’ve become more affordable. Many young photographers use drones to take distinct aerial shots they wouldn’t reach without a ladder or taking dangerous risks.
Modern cameras have also traded single-lens reflex cameras for the electronic viewfinder. This simple tech tweak lets you view the live photo on a small screen and produce videos. Electronic viewfinder cameras are much more compact with high-resolution capabilities.
For professionals just starting their side photography business, electronic viewfinders allow them to produce quality images for social media and other online platforms, which is also an essential marketing tactic.
The Continuous Evolution of Photography Technology
If history is any indication of what’s coming, photography technology will only continue evolving. Young photographers that want their side photography business to succeed would be remiss to ignore new gear that hits the market.
Photography developments will vastly increase their customer reach — a young photographer already has the artistic ability to restrategize their marketing to convert leads for their business. Artificial intelligence (AI) will likely play a role in this, influencing further camera engineering and editing software innovation.
It may seem that AI is on the tip of everyone’s tongue lately, especially with the more recent introduction of ChatGPT. While many artists — from photographers to writers to animators — worry about AI’s uprising for various reasons, many currently utilize its capabilities in editing without realizing it. Today, passionate photographers and budding photo enthusiasts experiment with tools that adjust brightness and contrast, remove backgrounds, sharpen images and improve photo resolution with the click of a button.
It’s important to note that while AI will indeed impact photography — even going so far as using machine learning to create an original image — there’s no replacement for human creativity, vision and passion. Photographers can instead leverage AI technologies to improve their workflow — for example, shooting and editing images or streamlining mundane business tasks for their side hustle.
Of course, other vital photography technologies will also improve, including smartphone cameras. Smartphones have already popularized impromptu photography and enhanced connectivity for photo sharing.
As 5G becomes more widespread, upload times will simultaneously become much faster, and photographers may be in higher demand for advertising. The latest 5G demonstrates a maximum download speed of 1 millisecond — equal to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) to 10Gbps.
Achieve Creative Outcomes Using Photography Innovations
Your success as a photographer depends just as much on the newest technology as it does on your talent. Young photographers starting their own side business should embrace the latest innovations to showcase their creativity, hone their skills and stay ahead of the competition.
