Last month I went for a job interview at a pretty well-known photoshop here in Berkeley. Here it's the "photographers" photoshop. You can get anything there kinda place....I really wanted to work there, figured I'd learn alot, but one of the guys that interviewed me was dog set on believing that film wasn't all that endangered, and they could continue on in bascially the same way they had, maybe losing a little business to digital. Well, I think one of the main reasons I didn't get hired was because I was honest enough to disagree with him on that stance.
I'm not saying that there won't always be a market for film, but what I am seeing is that the market is shifting drastically in favor of digital and that even a lot of pro photographers are making the transition at least to some extent. I can't help but think that the market for film and processing is going to suffer dramatically over the next few years unless they get into doing both ends of the spectrum. I think there will always be some film work, but the average amateur and new kids coming out of school are now both leaning heavily towards digital. No offense, but the photo stores can ignore that trend at their peril. When major camera makers stop making point and shoots that use film? You know things are changing drastically.... I'm primarily a digital gal, though I do have an interest in film too. I intend to do both, but the bulk of my work is going to be digital. It's just as good for the most part quality-wise given that I have a very good digital camera, and though I can't do everything in digital I see no reason costs-wise not to use digital if I can. It's just as easy to edit the pics and pop them on a CD to be developed as it is to take a bunch of rolls to the lab, and IMHO far more satisfying because I can see the work I have done and simply kill the bad shots before I make unneeded lousy prints. I don't care to really print them all print them myself, too expensive.... I'm looking forward to learning more about film, but I have no intention of making it my main choice. About 1/3 maybe.... And that attitude is why that photo store is going to suffer if they don't get a little more on the digital bandwagon then they have been.... I'm all for BOTH, but I'm not going to ignore the fact that digital is taking over the larger part of the market.... Film is going to end up being a niche market 20 years down the road...I think at this point it's pretty undeniable, and that industry folks who do choose to ignore it will rue the day.... They'll either have to adapt or go under.... My 2 cents...
