Amateurs Threaten Livelihood of Professional Photographers

Wednesday, 31 March 2010 | by Pat's Picks

These days, it’s not just the professionals calling the shots. The New York Times says in the age of Flickr, amateurs photographers “have increasing opportunities to make money on photos but are underpricing professional photographers and leaving them with limited career options.”  Not only are stock image companies paying amateurs for their work, magazines and newspapers are scaling back the number of photos they buy. The Times says the developments have left pros with a “bit of an identity crisis.” I have to say that aside from the highest end pictures, the argument in favor of the almost amateur picture is compelling.