THE WAY AHEAD. SOME ANSWERS. MAYBE.
As I flagged in the last issue, in this one we’re attempting to find some clarity as to what’s ahead for professional photography in Australia. This has been prompted – in part – by the demise of the Australian Institute Of Professional Photography (AIPP) at the end of last year, leaving professional photographers with no collective means of representation in this country, and also robbing many of a nourishing community. So far, there are no signs of any replacement organisation emerging – which, by the way, would need to be a very different animal – so everybody is now essentially left to make their own way in an already-fragmenting industry.
Much of this fragmentation has come as a result of the digital technologies allowing us to do so much more without needing other services or support which, arguably, is a good thing, but it’s also meant a whole influx of new players, many of them operating part time. This isn’t about being elitist or snobby because some of these people are really very good at what they do, but the issue is quite a number don’t charge what would be considered professional fees. Over time, this has greatly devalued the market to the detriment of everybody… and it’s probably a case of having let the genie out of the bottle – there’s no way it’s going back in. Many clients have got used to paying less and it’s going to take a very convincing argument to make them spend more, even if they’re potentially going to get a much better product. Yet this is probably at the crux of this discussion.
No matter what the field of practice, professionalism in photography is about investing in education and training to perfect skills and techniques, as well investing in the equipment needed to realise these abilities and to deliver the end result to the customer. Professionalism is also about personal conduct and business practices needed to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity.
While the AIPP didn’t represent anything close to the majority of full-time professional photographers in Australia, it had enough members to make a difference. It was prepared to take on issues that affected working photographers in general and, in its heyday, provided valuable education, support and an accreditation system that was useful to both the photographer and the client. As you’ll read, many of those who participated in our interview believe that a professional body is very important if not essential. Penny Boyer, who spent over three decades in photography education in Australia, stated, “I believe there needs to be a professional photography voice… because without it, the industry is being degraded. Where are the standards?”
What this organisation might look like, how it will operate and be funded – so it’s effective as the voice of professional photography in this country – are questions that are much harder to answer. Nevertheless, this discussion needs to be continued and with some urgency. This is reflected in another observation from Penny Boyer, “Unless a group of young like-minded professionals get together again to recreate a version of the AIPP, the industry is facing collapse”.
The young Australian professional who contributed to the discussion is Jesse Lizotte (yes, you might recognise the surname if you know your Australian music) who, at 31, has already enjoyed considerable success – in his own right – as a fashion photographer working around the world. He’s going to be part of the future and he’s got some constructive things to say about how that might pan out. I was particularly taken with Jesse’s response to the question about whether part-timers can still be considered to professional photographers.
He states simply, “My definition of a ‘professional’ is someone who is devoted to their craft and treats it with the utmost respect”.
It’s got to be a good starting point.