Photography Consumer Insights

Implications - The dramatic cost reduction in professional cameras combined with photo sharing platforms like Flickr has caused a photography boom among the Internet Generation. With the cost of development gone, and the price reduction in digital SLRs, everyone is capable of becoming a photo “pro.”

Implications - Instead of hiring staff photographers, several leading newspapers and magazines are turning to photo sharing sites like Flickr to obtain their images. Flickr members are the new photojournalists as news and entertainment sources are turning to people who are already there to shoot their photos.

Implications - The combination of global population growth and the constant stream of new technologies is causing a demand for innovations to shrink in size. This doesn’t just include the rise in small-space living and the surging development of compact cars, but also new pocket-sized consumer goods.

Implications - Faux-vintage innovations continue to be influential as consumers seek new avenues of inspiration from past decades. The Web has made it easier to study old techniques, technologies and favored aesthetics of then-pros, allowing today’s amateurs to create similar results with affordable and accessible tools.

Implications - When an innovation once explored only by a certain group of people becomes mainstream, trend junkies begin seeking something to one-up the furor. These niche hobbyists seek unique twists on things that are already popular, looking for newfangled ways in which to pioneer the next big thing.

Implications - The digital camera industry has become increasingly saturated, forcing companies to look for new, untapped markets for their products. A variety of YouTube compatible devices have hit the market that allow users to upload YouTube content to display personal videos or store their favorites. These Web 2.0 cameras will change the ease with which consumers are able to contribute to YouTube, thus fueling the growing amount of online video content.

Implications - Modern surrealism is an art form accessible to many as its canvases, brushes and paint are all found within Photoshop, and its art lessons readily available for free through websites and online videos. Just as with traditional surrealism, digital surrealism is full of unexpected juxtapositions.

Implications - No longer just available in select movie theaters, 3D is penetrating all areas of entertainment. In addition to several 3D media debuts in 2009, the dawn of several next generation 3D entertainment devices at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show shows this immersive technology promises to have mainstream influence.

Implications - Video surveillance no longer rests with authoritative institutions, as spy cameras incorporated into ordinary household objects empower those who feel the need for constant video documentation. Consumers now have more options at their fingertips to record daily activities--and all in a covert fashion.

Implications - Once considered exclusively a photography faux-pas, pixelation has now lent itself to the art and design world. Innovators are drawing inspiration from computerized images in order to create imperfect-looking products in the realm of furniture, films, eye wear, gadgets and more. Collage-esque pixelated styles coincide with a consumer desire for imperfection and a DIY ethos.