The rise of social networking has transformed the way people interact and share information. Twitter is quickly establishing itself as the world's favourite newsfeed, and Facebook is on the verge of reaching the 700 million user milestone. This revolution has coincided with major advances in the world of photography, with digital imaging becoming the norm and high-performance equipment moving within the budget of the average Joe.
One website marries the social media ethos with the ascent of digital photography - Flickr. Flickr lets users share photos online using an intuitive, well-designed platform, and is the most popular website of its kind. Billions of images have been uploaded by a community predominantly made of amateurs - some of them are very impressive, some of them less so. For commercial photographers, there is a definite sense of apprehension about what implications all of this has for their ability to make a living.
In particular, there has been an obvious impact on journalism. Recent catastrophes such as the Australian floods are a good example - they were documented extensively by amateur photographers on Flickr, providing news outlets with a quick, cheap source of relevant images. Where they would once have had to send a photographer to the scene, this is no longer always the case.
For an idea of how important Flickr has become, just consider the fact that world-leading stock photo agency Getty Images have partnered with the site. Getty can now issue a request to add any photo on Flickr to its own library, which also means amateurs can potentially get better exposure and more money for their work.
The reasons for Flickr's success are obvious. We live in a world where cameras are ubiquitous - everyone has a phone that can take pictures, most people have a compact digital camera, and DSLRs are an increasingly common site. Nonetheless, commercial photography remains important in its own right. Many professionals showcase their unpublished images on Flickr. Indeed, the site can be used as a free promotional tool and a means of generating business for commercial photographers who are willing to embrace it.
One website marries the social media ethos with the ascent of digital photography - Flickr. Flickr lets users share photos online using an intuitive, well-designed platform, and is the most popular website of its kind. Billions of images have been uploaded by a community predominantly made of amateurs - some of them are very impressive, some of them less so. For commercial photographers, there is a definite sense of apprehension about what implications all of this has for their ability to make a living.
In particular, there has been an obvious impact on journalism. Recent catastrophes such as the Australian floods are a good example - they were documented extensively by amateur photographers on Flickr, providing news outlets with a quick, cheap source of relevant images. Where they would once have had to send a photographer to the scene, this is no longer always the case.
For an idea of how important Flickr has become, just consider the fact that world-leading stock photo agency Getty Images have partnered with the site. Getty can now issue a request to add any photo on Flickr to its own library, which also means amateurs can potentially get better exposure and more money for their work.
The reasons for Flickr's success are obvious. We live in a world where cameras are ubiquitous - everyone has a phone that can take pictures, most people have a compact digital camera, and DSLRs are an increasingly common site. Nonetheless, commercial photography remains important in its own right. Many professionals showcase their unpublished images on Flickr. Indeed, the site can be used as a free promotional tool and a means of generating business for commercial photographers who are willing to embrace it.
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