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)
Evolution is a must, software cannot replace humans but only decrease the dependance on them.
To be honest I’ve been doing 3D work for years both in films and independantly, and I have to disagree if you shoot products for web site ecommerce web site which pretty much fit into your statement
“You take the kind of photo that actually requires no personal vision…”
It’s 10 – 100 times faster to take photos rather than to start modeling objects, this stuff does not just appear! It has to be modeled, textured and then lit, all of which takes time. There are A LOT of things you get taking photo that you get “for free” so to speak where anything in a 3D scene has to be created.
I’m current working on a inhouse production where we have moved AWAY from 3D because of the time it would take compaired to doing things in camera in fact. 🙂
I’m not scared, I know how to make 3d stuff in the computer because i’m a GA but taking a dramatic shot… taking the exact moment that would last for a lifetime is something else… Yes you have the capacity or the passion to recreate the ones you took but nothing feels like taking and keeping the perfect moment with right light and the right drama as it happen…
I have heard this all before. “Oh, the robot is going to replace the human worker in a factory…” blah blah blah. Automation and software only push our human butts to do more with our brains. The simple worker of the past is now having to use his brain to repair the robot when it breaks. True, the days of the photographer simply showing up, setting up the lights and pressing the shutter on his nice camera are limited. There are hundreds of people with nice cameras now that are becoming “photographers”. Most of these people have limited knowledge of what to do after they press the shutter. Photographer’s world will end up in a computer, with more and more complexity after the shutter is released. THAT is what will set professional photographers apart from the AMWAC (Another Mom With A Camera).
Blender isn’t a simple turn key software package. It has a learning curve just like Photoshop and some people will suck it up and learn it and some won’t. That decision will polarize who we are and what kind of work we do. The more customers that want a 3D rendered piece with integrated photography will find those that made the jump and pay them for that skill.
If you really want to see where things are going, check out http://www.elevendy.com/. These guys are shooting photography and using rendering software together to make some pretty kick ass imagery. AND they are busy all the time. AND the just happened to have won 11 Addy Awards. I know what I am going to be concentrating on…
I tend to agree with Chase – just like in photography, there will be people that can put the tools to amazing creative uses, and those than can churn out simple work or copy what has been done. The creative artist will always be a step ahead of the latter group… To think that anyone with Blender can serves the needs of clients is to say that the client walks up to the plate with a fully formed idea they want implemented, rather than hiring someone to bring THEIR vision to the table.
To me, the artists and professionals push the boundaries of what can be done with the tools, the clients fund that. Of course, none of this is to say that programs like Blender aren’t already impacting some areas of photography, but I think the article is a bit too sensational.