When the camera merged with the computer to give us digital photography, the skills to be a successful photographer changed dramatically. Before digital photography, professional photographers only had to know how to use a camera.
Almost everyone working before the computer became commonplace has experienced this phenomenon. After that, jobs were integrating computers into many people’s jobs was commonplace. As a result, everyone has had to learn how to do word processing and e-mailing the computer to maximize their efficiency for work, depending on their comfort level with computers.
Transitions
Some didn’t handle this transition well. Many employees always had to ask the office’s resident “computer guy” to help them with everything e-mail merging, printing envelopes, attaching documents to e-mails, and so on. Because they didn’t learn, they became less valuable employees, while the computer guy became more valuable.
Recessions
In 1990, the publication industry took a big hit. I lost my job due to the recession. My friends also lost their jobs since newspapers were dropping like flies; many two-newspaper towns lost one of their publications.
Fortunately for me, I had computer skills to fall back on. These skills helped me to sell computer systems to corporations in Long Island for Tandy Corporation. I used my knowledge to help design client networks and create mass-marketing databases. I enjoyed the photography forums on CompuServe long before 1993. It was 1995 when the World Wide Web took off. I took a class at Georgia Tech on designing Web sites and created my Website in 1995.
Scanning
In the early 90s, I scanned transparencies and film to digitize photos for publication. Once the digital camera surpassed the quality of this process, it was easy for me to make the transition. Today I speak to my peers at conferences and workshops as an expert on digital photography and how to use the computer to run their businesses.
Since moving from a staff position to a full-time freelancer, I have watched my business average 20 percent annual growth. Many friends have been losing their businesses and staff jobs during this time. I’ve realized that the most significant single factor in my success is the knowledge of computers as it relates to photography. Those who have failed have generally not kept up with technical developments.
The successful photographer today is the integrated photographer. In technology, “integrated” refers to two or more components merging into a single system. The integrated photographer is a professional who has combined mastery of the camera with computer skills.