Last Updated on 06/20/2013 by Chris Gampat
Right after I watched the video embedded after the jump, I needed to step away from my computer and pace around my apartment to relieve the anger inside of me. Annie Leibovitz, one of the most inspirational photographers of our time, essentially fumbled recently at the Cannes Lions Festival when asked about the future of professional photography.
One of the reasons for the question is because everyone says, “Oh, I can take an awesome image with my smart phone and sensors are getting so much better. Give me that DSLR and let me shoot in Auto and I’ll get a better image. Why should I pay you?”
While Annie says that there will always be a need for the high end photographers, what infuriates me is that she said nothing about being a creative. Sure, you’re a photographer, but are you a creative? Can you create a scene that you see in your head and can you create something that Uncle Bob with a camera can’t? The other day at Reddit Global Meetup Day a guy laughed at me for using a Panasonic GH3 and talked up his Hasselblad film camera–that he has no idea how to use to its fullest potential.
Come on Annie: what about the creative? Photographers don’t necessarily pimp their gear when selling themselves, they pimp their portfolio of work. Creatives have ideas and the knowledge of how to accomplish them. Look at our Creating the Photograph series!
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