4 reasons for the downfall of the photography market

 It has been now 3 years since I am doing photography as a hobby. Like many prospective budding photographers, I also thought of choosing this as my profession and I was serious about it. The picture didn’t remain so rosy after a conversation with a professional photographer and my own experience working as a freelance photographer.

I have a Canon 600D which is rated (4/5), a decent camera for beginner's level photography. I had taken many mesmerizing clicks with it. After finishing my high school examinations, I got an opportunity to work as a photographer at a home decor startup. It was exciting, challenging, and taught me a lot about product photography. The staff was kind and helpful and I am thankful to them for helping me at every step. My manager was an experienced photographer from Greece who had been working in India for almost a decade. She was a charming and well-read woman. When I told her about my plan, she appreciated my motivation and eagerly told me about the struggles that she faced as a photographer.

1. Amateur photographers in the market

There are lots of amateur photographers in the market who click photos for a very cheap rate. They are mostly teenagers of 17–18 years who agree to click dozens of shots in less than 300 Indian Rupees (~2.8 USD). This affects other photographers too.

2. Low entry barriers

Every other person having a digital camera calls themselves a photographer, but scarcely do they know that photography is not just clicking on auto mode, but knowledge and skills of light, exposure, aperture, and composition, etc are equally important. As much as buying a computer doesn’t make you a programmer ninja, in the same way, buying a DSLR doesn’t make one a photographer. Diversifying skillset with a knowledge of other tools and techniques makes one unique in the market.

3. Availability of work

The major work in North India is during the months of November to April. This shows that one is to prepare for the rest of the months too. Some people offer workshops, lectures, or work for the non-profits in the region to make their skills better and also grow their network.

4. Paying scale

Although having a 3 years degree in photography, and an experience of a decade, my manager still struggled to make the ends meet, because of a meager figure of less than 60K a month. This is certainly not a fair price.

These are some reasons for the downfall of the photography market, in my opinion, .and after talking to a professional one he also suggested me to do some professional degree if I want to step into this market we may choosing some more secure and valuable field for the current situation of the market.