3 The Photo Imaging Sector
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The Photo Imaging Sector
The Photo Imaging Sector within Skillset's remit, comprises the following sub-sectors:
The industry as a whole has undergone massive changes over the last few years, driven primarily by the transition to digital technology throughout the supply-chain, from image origination, through to manipulation and processing, storage and archiving, distribution and sales. Photography is now widely used across all sections of industry and society. There has been a huge growth in access to cameras and it is now commonplace to exchange images via mobile phones, email and the Web.
Digital technology has created opportunities, in the form of new markets, products and services, but also threats - in particular:
This upheaval in the industry is illustrated by figures from Plimsoll3 showing that, of the 138 companies analysed across the Photo Imaging sector as a whole, 52% experienced flat or negative sales growth last year.
In the consumer equipment market, digital technology has almost completely taken over, with many retailers no longer stocking analogue equipment. In the professional market, however, there is still some reluctance to come to terms with the impact of digital technology and the debate over its relative merits compared with analogue continues. Throughout most sectors there is concern that digital is partially responsible for making the industry accessible to those with an inadequate skills base.
There is also a growing realisation that practitioners will need to embrace its benefits and work to develop their markets in the digital environment in order to remain successful and competitive.
A controversy is also emerging over the increasing prevalence of royalty-free stock photography, which some feel is damaging the industry, while others consider it a useful way to gain wider exposure or an easy way to make sales. Royalty-free images are popular amongst end-users because they are easy to obtain via the web through simple searches that require no specific Picture Research skills, and are an obvious solution where budgets are constrained. However, this often results in the same images being used repeatedly, and there is concern over the quality of the images on offer. There is also concern that many users of royalty-free photography may not be aware that there are often still terms and conditions attached to their use. This, combined with a widespread lack of awareness of intellectual property rights and few attempts to educate end-users of those rights, has led to fears that poor business practise (such as assuming that royalty-free images can be freely passed on to other users) will open the way for potentially widespread breach-of-copyright litigation .4
Much of the Photo Imaging industry is largely felt to be a hidden one5 - there is low awareness amongst many new entrants of its different sub-sectors and the opportunities they offer, with many people simply 'falling into' jobs rather than taking a planned approach to their careers. The industry could benefit greatly from raising its profile as a whole amongst end-users, and by drawing attention to the quality and value that its constituent sub-sectors can provide - indeed the industry itself recognises this as a priority .6
1 Photo Imaging Council Industry Overview, August 2005
2 Correspondence with the Photo Marketing Association, September 2005
3 The Plimsoll Portfolio Analysis - Photography, Plimsoll, 2005.
4 Skillset Image Buyers Focus Group, September 2005
5 Skillset Photographers and Picture Libraries Focus Groups, July 2005
6 Photo Imaging Employer Survey 2005, Pye Tait for Skillset, September 2005
The Photo Imaging Sector
The Photo Imaging Sector within Skillset's remit, comprises the following sub-sectors:
- Photographers
- Picture Libraries and Agencies
- Laboratories
- Manufacturers
- Photo Retail
- Support Services
The industry as a whole has undergone massive changes over the last few years, driven primarily by the transition to digital technology throughout the supply-chain, from image origination, through to manipulation and processing, storage and archiving, distribution and sales. Photography is now widely used across all sections of industry and society. There has been a huge growth in access to cameras and it is now commonplace to exchange images via mobile phones, email and the Web.
Digital technology has created opportunities, in the form of new markets, products and services, but also threats - in particular:
- The cost of keeping equipment up to date
- The time and cost involved in acquiring new skills
- The ease with which intellectual property rights can be abused
- Increasing reliance on technical support services
- A reduction in the perceived value and quality of Photo Imaging amongst some end-users
This upheaval in the industry is illustrated by figures from Plimsoll3 showing that, of the 138 companies analysed across the Photo Imaging sector as a whole, 52% experienced flat or negative sales growth last year.
In the consumer equipment market, digital technology has almost completely taken over, with many retailers no longer stocking analogue equipment. In the professional market, however, there is still some reluctance to come to terms with the impact of digital technology and the debate over its relative merits compared with analogue continues. Throughout most sectors there is concern that digital is partially responsible for making the industry accessible to those with an inadequate skills base.
There is also a growing realisation that practitioners will need to embrace its benefits and work to develop their markets in the digital environment in order to remain successful and competitive.
A controversy is also emerging over the increasing prevalence of royalty-free stock photography, which some feel is damaging the industry, while others consider it a useful way to gain wider exposure or an easy way to make sales. Royalty-free images are popular amongst end-users because they are easy to obtain via the web through simple searches that require no specific Picture Research skills, and are an obvious solution where budgets are constrained. However, this often results in the same images being used repeatedly, and there is concern over the quality of the images on offer. There is also concern that many users of royalty-free photography may not be aware that there are often still terms and conditions attached to their use. This, combined with a widespread lack of awareness of intellectual property rights and few attempts to educate end-users of those rights, has led to fears that poor business practise (such as assuming that royalty-free images can be freely passed on to other users) will open the way for potentially widespread breach-of-copyright litigation .4
Much of the Photo Imaging industry is largely felt to be a hidden one5 - there is low awareness amongst many new entrants of its different sub-sectors and the opportunities they offer, with many people simply 'falling into' jobs rather than taking a planned approach to their careers. The industry could benefit greatly from raising its profile as a whole amongst end-users, and by drawing attention to the quality and value that its constituent sub-sectors can provide - indeed the industry itself recognises this as a priority .6
1 Photo Imaging Council Industry Overview, August 2005
2 Correspondence with the Photo Marketing Association, September 2005
3 The Plimsoll Portfolio Analysis - Photography, Plimsoll, 2005.
4 Skillset Image Buyers Focus Group, September 2005
5 Skillset Photographers and Picture Libraries Focus Groups, July 2005
6 Photo Imaging Employer Survey 2005, Pye Tait for Skillset, September 2005
