ABSTRACT
The impact of digital on the professional photography market has been immense. Many clients wrongly thought digital meant ‘free’ in the sense that once the reader had bought the kit there were no on-costs for film or processing. A professional film camera could easily earn a living on the ‘front line’ for ten years and probably give another 10–15 years’ service as a second body or back-up. Computers share the same two-to-three-year obsolescence cycle; imaging software seems to have an 18-month upgrade cycle. Camera, computer and software all need upgrading together. Digital costs need covering as clients are benefiting from the conveniences and workflow changes digital has brought. In fact, the digital imaging revolution has front-loaded the job workflow and pushed a lot of responsibility for producing finished print-ready images on to the photographer. These cost implications need carefully explaining and a true and fair charge made for all digital processing.
