Photography as an industry has evolved exponentially from its infancy in only a few hundred years, especially the last 75 years. It sounds like a great deal of time has passed, however, in the scheme of history, that is not the case. Since photography’s inception in the early 1800s - yes, you read that right - there has always been one objective: accurately and clearly capture the image of its subjects. With that objective, there have also been the development of trends in how this was accomplished. With that in mind, let us discuss the evolution of photography.
Reflection of the past
I have covered previously in “How Wedding Photography Transcends Time”, that Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, according to Wilfred Baatz’s Photography: An Illustrated Historical Overview (1997), was responsible for the creation of the photographic art form in 1826-1827. According to Neil Boyd, the first photography process was created in 1837 - approximately ten years later - by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, who subsequently named the process as the “Daguerreotype” (2020). Daguerreotype photography produces a unique image on a silver copper plate, a process that was confined to the studio (Boyd, 2020). By 1851, a more affordable type of photography was developed and made mainstream, called the ambrotype.
Now, for a brief lesson in the economy. The daguerreotype cost $3-$6 to acquire, while the ambrotype cost was as cheap as 25 cents (Verplanck, 2017) (Congress, 2024). $0.25 is the equivalent of $9.01 in 2024 (Data 1, 2024). Meanwhile, $3-$6 in 1855 is equivalent to $108.12 - $216.24 in 2024 (Data 2, 2024) (Data 3, 2024). Needless to say, the disparity in cost is significant. Back to the photography side of things, most of the subjects in these old photographs were required to stand perfectly still for a long period of time in order to not cause blurring in the photograph. This is likely the reason why photography was stiff for the longest time, rather than the far more authentic appearance of today’s photography (LinkedIn, 2023).
As the art form evolved over the ages, so did the use of branding. Supposedly, one of the most iconic photos in branding is of IBM Founder Thomas J. Watson, which helped boost IBM into one of the leading corporations of today’s industry (Amanda, 2024). Watson’s photo portrays him as stoic and authoritative (Amanda, 2024). Although branding photography evolved a great deal between the image of Watson and today, it established a precedent of professionalism.
As it stands today
I think it's well established at this point how the art of branding photography has changed from the early ages with the evolution of the technology. With that in mind, there has been the development of numerous trends that fall within that industry. This may sound counter-intuitive, but oddly enough, branding photography nowadays is far more scientific and complex than it was in the days of the past. Branding photography has progressed far enough to where it is utilized much in the same way as marketing applications, not to mention that it is usually used in marketing materials. Currently, there is a trend of identifying and studying your target audience and determining the relevant criteria of demographics, occupations, and interests, which is simultaneous with standard marketing practices (Mireles, 2022) (Jenkins, 2023). With that knowledge that you receive from studying your target audience, you gain a good understanding of who they are. By understanding your audience, your brand should start building an emotional connection, which will eventually culminate in brand loyalty (Rodrigues, 2023).
An additional element of branding is the use of logos, color palettes, fonts, taglines, and tone, just to name a few (Rodrigues, 2023). I think for the sake of the article, I will focus on logos and color palettes (Mireles, 2022). In branding photography, logos are best used in the business equivalent of marking your territory: watermarking. For your photographs, it is futureproofing your material. Even in the chance of your images getting stolen, the watermark acts as a perpetual calling card that will redirect potential customers to your practice. All of this goes into crafting a compelling visual identity (RedFork, 2024). Between a compelling visual identity and an emotional connection with your audience, you’ve set your brand up for certifiable success, as long as you maintain and respect those processes.
Potential trends of the future
As the future becomes the present, technology has continued to evolve. There are three trends that I believe will have a larger impact in branding photography going forward. The first of these trends - which I have covered in another blog about its impact on wedding photography - is the implementation of drone photography. The photography industry has already seen a great deal of use already, especially in commercial brand photography. Drone photography is used mostly in landscape shots and is great for capturing events. The further technology evolves, the specifications of the camera quality will continue to improve (Pixifi, 2024). Not to mention, it’s just really fun to fly a drone around. It’s even cooler to capture pictures from any height above eye level (ProEdu, 2024). However, if you consider using drones, you need to do thorough research about airspace restrictions enforced by the Federal Airspace Administration (FAA) (Rupprecht, 2022).
Meanwhile, the second trend I would like to discuss is the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the photography industry. Now, the use of AI is considered extremely controversial in most industries because of the fear of automation, which many see as synonymous as being replaced. However, I think the best perspective I’ve heard about the topic was from a college professor of mine. She remarked that seeing AI as a tool rather than your replacement is the healthiest way to approach the subject. So, with that in mind, AI can be used as a tool to automate processes like color corrections, noise reduction, and image sharpening (Pixifi, 2024). Editing and post-processing will be streamlined, which is probably the most time consuming factor in photography. With those actions streamlined, the turnaround time is reduced by exponentially.
Third and final trend I believe will be important is the impact of social media. It sounds dumb to mention, however, social media has revolutionized how photos and videos are shared. With that industry, it started with Myspace, progressed into Facebook, which evolved into the current climate of Instagram and TikTok. Not to mention the fact that YouTube has replaced cable television in the Millennial and Generation Z demographics (Cobb, 2024). Social media has even continued to develop e-commerce add-ons into their sites (ProEdu, 2024). Photography has been at the foreground of platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, which has allowed photographers to establish their own niches and develop their personal style (Pifixi, 2024). Those personal styles have become their brands, which allows them to continue to develop their business. Branding photography will certainly be impacted by social media going forward.
It is with great remorse that I have come to the end of this article. This is by far the most thorough article I have investigated in, simply to bring the best information to you. Photography has developed exponentially since its inception and branding has evolved alongside the art form. The relationship has become symbiotic in so many ways. The trends have continued to progress since the art was established. Trends of the past will likely be the answer to predicting future trends. With all of that said, I believe that brings our time together to a close. I hope you have learned something from this and that you have a great week.
All the best,
Logan Clark
Works Cited
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