I actively read the APA message group on Yahoo. It’s a great place to share ideas and questions with other advertising photographers. The topic has been brought up in the last few days of the many changes in the photography industry.

Many are bemoaning the way things are headed with budgets, usage, etc. It seems many are going out of business, taking part-time jobs or finding new ways to broaden their horizons. Many, many photographers are blaming shooters who will shoot for peanuts. They feel that those who are racing to the bottom, shooting for next to nothing, are bringing down budgets across the board. This all got me thinking and I replied to a thread with this response:

“I feel like the photography industry is paralleling Communism. When a Communist government takes power their aim is to rid society of the middle class. The middle class is where the stability and security of the nation lies. There ends up being only the poor who are under the government’s control and the wealthy elite.

Photography is headed the same place. I believe there is a place for the low-end bargain shooters and the high-priced elite shooters. But it’s the middle class of photography that is being systematically killed off.

What a shame because those of us who make up photography’s middle class are it’s best chance of survival.”

A note: I don’t think there is some Communist plot to overthrow photography. It’s just a metaphor I thought of.

What do you think?