Paper (Proposed) - payment for the still image

Proposed paper specifically looking at payment for the still image, with the title: “When was the last time you paid for photography?”

Over the last 10 years there has been a consistent further erosion of fees paid to photographers for their work, this paper proposes to look at possible causes, what the continuation of this practice could lead to and possible solutions to the situation.

Potential causes identified consist of:

·      The democratisation of photography via the digital camera.

·      The rise of ‘content over quality’ in this Instagram age.

·      The movement over to video in artistic/technical terms.

·      The arrival of new gatekeepers with unclear objectives.

While some of these do seem at first to have altruistic motives, there is a concern of the possibility of ulterior, nefarious objectives. This paper will also look at possible outcomes of this arc, such as:

·      What images are made and shown?

·      The teaching outcomes of photography as a subject both in schools/university

·      The option of pursuing a career in photography for the working class.