The end of the 20th century saw a significant increase in our ability to capture images, with photography becoming a true mass medium. Largely driven by the proliferation of smartphones and our ability to edit, store and share images, what’s the picture look like for the future of this category?

1. THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF
PHOTOGRAPHY
GfK 2012

2. TECHTALK - THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
The end of the 20th century saw a significant increase in our ability to capture images,
with photography becoming a true mass medium. Largely driven by the proliferation
of smartphones and our ability to edit, store and share images, what’s the picture
look like for the future of this category?
By Oliver Robinson and Heribert Tippenhauer
“Photography has the capacity to provide images illustrates the consequent decline in the compact
of man and his environment that are both camera category, with total value down 14% in the
works of art and moments in history.” Cornell first half of 2012.
Capa’s description of photography outlines This disruption follows a pattern evident in the
two objectives: documenting the present, and portable gaming market. When the equivalent
producing an artistic interpretation of it. experience on a smartphone improves at a faster
Looking at the first objective, video is arguably rate than the stand-alone device, we’re less inclined
better suited to recreating the present. Indeed, to carry one (much less purchase one). Eventually,
the advent of 3D could raise the bar even higher, the stand-alone device is either rendered obsolete
with the increasing preference for integrating or evolves into a niche market for needs that its
multimedia elements within digital publications smartphone competition cannot meet.
being perhaps an early indicator here.
So, what of the second objective? Will the creative Logically, this should be bad news for camera
and artistic elements of photography prove manufacturers. However, a closer look at the
more resistant to changes in our technological data shows considerable growth at the high-end
landscape? of this category. With digital single-lens reflex
cameras (SLRs - total value up 11% in the first
Smart-photography half of 2012) and a new generation of ‘compact
Smartphones have changed the nature of system’ cameras (up 56%), the average price paid
photography, not only in expanding camera by consumers globally for a stand-alone camera
ownership, but also in ensuring that our cameras in 2012 has actually increased – from €206 to
are in our hands (or at least, in our pockets) €223.
throughout the day. Thanks to this accessibility, Encouragingly, this high-end growth is almost
we now produce more photographs than ever enough to offset the value lost at the low-end.
before. So, what’s driving it?
The vast quantity of images collected is changing How we all became photographers
the way we document life, both simplifying and Growth in smartphone adoption may have
complicating the task for historians of the future. brought photography to wider audiences. We
But what does it mean for manufacturers today? can also assume that this growth has encouraged
Crucially, as the quality of smartphone cameras wider participation. However, this does not seem
has increased, they’ve become ‘good enough’ for enough to explain the growth in the high-end
many of us; the need for an ‘even better’ stand- camera category and we also need to look beyond
alone camera is decreasing. Our global sales data the camera itself.
GfK 2012

3. TECHTALK - THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Two of the key differences between smartphone field of interested amateurs. It’s these enthusiasts
cameras and their predecessors are integration that are likely to be driving the high-end camera
and connectivity; integration with other growth outlined above, equipping them to (at
functionality on the device, and connectivity with times) compete with professionals.
the rest of the ecosystem they inhabit. As an So, what does all of this mean for the future of
example, consider these two methods of sharing photography?
a photograph:
Photo opportunities
taking it with a digital camera, sideloading it For a long time, success in this category was
to a computer, uploading it to a website and defined by the ratio between picture quality and
sending the link to a friend price. Smartphones have competed with this,
taking it with a smartphone and uploading it driving accessibility, sociability, and engagement
to Facebook with photography across a wider audience.
Working together, the products and services have Though image quality may have become a hygiene
streamlined the user experience and socialized factor (at least, relative to past importance),
the activity. The 300 million photos uploaded to significant opportunities remain at the high
Facebook daily are testament to their success. end where a growing segment of enthusiastic
Alongside socialization, apps like Instagram have amateurs are seeking increasingly professional-
empowered users to edit and manipulate their grade solutions. Devices like Samsung’s new
photographs. Such easy-to-use apps provide Galaxy camera, which offer a transitional step
another example of simplified solutions driving between the integrated, socialized world of
wider engagement with the category (Instagram smartphone cameras and the serious, financial
alone recently passed 80 million users ). investment of SLRs and Compact Systems, also
seem well positioned.
The connectivity of devices including smartphones,
tablets and televisions has provided a further However, while product innovations will continue to
catalyst to engagement with photography. The move the category forwards, the most significant
synchronization of these platforms, and take- innovations are likely to come through services;
up of cloud services that function across them, harnessing our growing engagement with the
is improving the accessibility of our photo category to integrate it further into our digital
collections. Increasingly, we can view our photos at lives. Enabled by technology, we’re getting closer
any time, in any place and across different devices. to another of Cornell Capa’s ideas: the camera really
The cumulative impact of these changes is is becoming an extension of ourselves.
perhaps most evident in the ongoing debate about
whether amateur photography is impacting on its For further information, please contact:
professional counterpart. While Instagram doesn’t Oliver Robinson, oliver.robinson@gfk.com or
replace the skill set required for professional Heribert Tippenhauer
photography , it’s undoubtedly expanding the heribert.tippenhauer@gfk.com
GfK 2012