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We are privileged to be living in an age of visuals and communication. The power of visual communication have grown exponentially and social media is brimming with content to captivate the target audience. One profession that got transformed the most due to the intervention of the digital age is that of a photographer. Technology enabled users to takeover the role of a photographer instantly with few swipes of a finger. Powerful communication tools equipped with cameras and editing software changed the way photographs were composed and circulated. The traditional business model of a professional photographer have faced severe challenges due to the change in technology. Owning a camera may not ensure an individual their livelihood anymore. So did digital age and technology decimate a profession or made it even more professional? In my opinion, photography had never been through better times.

Let me open my argument with a simple statement. Technology cannot replace creativity. From time to time inventions have replaced existing technology, however the human element behind the technology was hardly replaced. The industry have not changed but accessibility and the mode of operations did change to a great extent. Demand for quality photographs have increased manifolds resulting in opportunities for the specialized professionals. At the moment an individual can compose an image with a few flicks of their fingertips, however to compose an image that will captivate the minds of the audience and drive in a message that will make certain change still requires creativity and a set of specialized skills. That means, the role of a photographer have changed from that of a bystander with a camera to that of a problem solver. A successful photographer is the one who shoots the right perspective at the right moment while communicating the intended message to the right target audience.

In the digital age, to survive as a photographer one is required to be an artist, promoter of ideas and a student - all at the same time. To retain the artistic perspective while communicating sensibly and right to the point have redefined the power of visuals. The trend is organic which keeps evolving from time to time and from message to message. Unless a photographer is willing to learn constantly and evolve, one cannot ride into the future with the same unbridled passion they started their career with. Keeping up is tough and many who started clicking a decade ago have changed their interests or have adjusted to the changing trends. At the very moment a photographer can succeed financially only if they can provide creative perspectives to enchant the audience and achieve the goals of communication, while reducing the costs to an extent of saving even taxes and legal liabilities while adding value to the perspective of business.

In other words a professional photographer must go beyond clicking a photograph for their client. One must understand why the client needs the image and try to provide a professional solution that is viable, appealing and can yield results. A certain business acumen is required to manage multiple aspects of the business of photography while keeping the art alive. The message is simple, one can either change the world or be changed by the world.