Race to the bottom

Can you really get good commercial photography for $19?

Nov 16, 2018 by John Aldred 4 Comments

The race to the bottom never seems to end. The latest is a new service claiming to produce marketing photography for as little as $19. Yes, that’s right, photography that normally costs thousands for only nineteen bucks. The service is called Catalog and they’ve raised $1.5 million to kick the business off.

They’re not the only company starting up with a similar model, either. Photographer Daniel Norton discusses these types of services in this video, and how they’re really not a great thing for either the customer nor the photographers who might shoot for them.

Snappr is a new photographer client matchmaking startup that wants to put photographers out of business

Aug 26, 2016 by John Aldred 8 Comments

I don’t know why so many photographers seem to be obsessed with racing to the bottom. But, for those that are, new Australian startup “Snappr” wants to help you win. Or, lose, depending on your perspective. That’s the thing about racing to the bottom. Even if you win, you lose, because you’re not making any kind of sustainable income.

With prices starting at only $59, it’s certainly not going to make photographers a whole lot of money. Oh, and if $59 didn’t appear bad enough already, bear in mind that’s Australian dollars. This means around around US$45. Yes, that’s right, a photographer will travel to you, photograph you for however long, and give you 5 high res digital files for only US$45.

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

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