Can covid-19 disease outbreak influence photos sales worldwide?

[John Mitchell]

11 hours ago, Harry Harrison said:

Two different stories on the rush to buy guns in the US using very graphic, very similar pictures of queues outside the same establishment by different photographers:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/us-sales-guns-ammunition-soar-amid-coronavirus-panic-buying

 

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-15/coronavirus-pandemic-gun-sales-surge-us-california

 

They seem to have been taken from some distance away, I think I would keep my distance if I was photographing people queuing up to buy assault weapons, puts photographing empty toilet roll shelves in Waitrose into perspective.

 

Edit: Actually from the position of the people in the queue they were taken at almost the same time.

 

 

 

Very distressing indeed. What in the world are they thinking...😲

[meanderingemu]

30 minutes ago, John Mitchell said:

 

Very distressing indeed. What in the world are they thinking...😲

 

 

interesting what some places normalize.   

[MDM]

It is what it is as the man said.  I am not going to even bother arguing this any more. Pointless. 
 

 As I said, if one supports those who support racism and bigotry then fundamentally one is a racist and a bigot. This may be out of ignorance but is that an excuse? Maybe but it is a weak one. Bigotry thrives on populism and populism is growing like a virus. 
 

Criticising politicians is not the same as criticising citizens. That is ridiculous. Criticising Boris Johnson or the British government’s approach to the  pandemic does not mean one hates Britain or British people and thankfully we have the freedom to do so. The government has made some very significant u-turns in its advice in the last few days in fact. Anyone for the pub now? 
 

The same for America. There are so many things I love about America and there are some things I really do not like. The same goes for my own country. And again thankfully I am allowed to criticise it. 

Enough said. Time might be truly short - who knows? Best of luck y’all. As Hank Williams said “I’ll never get out of this world alive”. 

 

Edited March 17, 2020 by MDM

[Ed Rooney]

If I could go back to the original question here, "Can covid-19 disease outbreak influence photos sales worldwide?"

 

The answer is an obvious YES. This virus has already taken over everything including photography. 

[Betty LaRue]

24 minutes ago, Ed Rooney said:

If I could go back to the original question here, "Can covid-19 disease outbreak influence photos sales worldwide?"

 

The answer is an obvious YES. This virus has already taken over everything including photography. 

At least, Ed, if you actually manage to shoot something, you’ve found a solution to uploading even though the Apple store is closed.  I can’t seem to get motivated. It’s very gloomy here, maybe when/if we get some sunshine. I see several more days of clouds/mist and rain ahead, though.

I would think this could be a good time to shoot architecture as long as you can do it safely. Not so many people in the way of the features. I might try to do that myself once the weather improves.

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, NYCat said:

 

Yes, Betty, I can attest to the way "Okie" was used as an insult in California when I was growing up there. Not so much now, I think, at least partly due to the enormous charm of  😗Reba McEntire ☺️..... and you, of course.

 

Paulette

Don’t forget Blake Shelton, who lives in southern Oklahoma!

[Betty LaRue]

53 minutes ago, MDM said:

It is what it is as the man said.  I am not going to even bother arguing this any more. Pointless. 
 

 As I said, if one supports those who support racism and bigotry then fundamentally one is a racist and a bigot. This may be out of ignorance but is that an excuse? Maybe but it is a weak one. Bigotry thrives on populism and populism is growing like a virus. 
 

Criticising politicians is not the same as criticising citizens. That is ridiculous. Criticising Boris Johnson or the British government’s approach to the  pandemic does not mean one hates Britain or British people and thankfully we have the freedom to do so. The government has made some very significant u-turns in its advice in the last few days in fact. Anyone for the pub now? 
 

The same for America. There are so many things I love about America and there are some things I really do not like. The same goes for my own country. And again thankfully I am allowed to criticise it. 

Enough said. Time might be truly short - who knows? Best of luck y’all. As Hank Williams said “I’ll never get out of this world alive”. 

 

Without living in your country(s), how could I possibly pass judgment? On your way of life or anything else. I can’t. I wouldn’t have the history to shape my thoughts.

[meanderingemu]

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

Without living in your country(s), how could I possibly pass judgment? On your way of life or anything else. I can’t. I wouldn’t have the history to shape my thoughts.

 

when did you live in China?

Edited March 18, 2020 by meanderingemu

[Betty LaRue]

🥱🥱🥱 Dead horses come to mind.

[MDM]

2 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

Without living in your country(s), how could I possibly pass judgment? On your way of life or anything else. I can’t. I wouldn’t have the history to shape my thoughts.

Betty. I should say that I don’t think you are intentionally bigoted but some of the things you say are very easily interpreted in that way. That is why I actually defended you to CarloBo in trying to point out that by your own admission you are very gullible. However, there is no other way to interpret some of your statements about China and the Chinese as they were originally written other than as bigotry, whether that was intentional or not. That is also why I made a bear joke about you pawsing for thought. A little hint that what you were saying could be highly offensive in this international forum. 
 

I think it is also important to be aware that on this side of the Atlantic, particularly in the English speaking countries, we are inundated by American culture in so many ways that many of us have a far greater understanding of and familiarity with American history than the average American is of British or Irish culture and history. Movies, music, the media and literature have all played their part in our absorption of American culture. The opposite happens as well but the influence is tiny in comparison to what flows the other way. 
 

And the political influence of the USA here is orders of magnitude greater than the other way round so that American  politics is of far greater significance to us than British or Irish politics is to most Americans. The presidential election is actually of major interest and importance to us for numerous reasons. 
 

Also I have been to America four times in my life as well and have loads of relatives there so I have lots of first hand experience.
 

I wish you the best and don’t want to continue with these fraught discussions but I find it difficult to  just stand by and see statements that are explicitly or implicitly bigoted, intentional or not, go by unchallenged. 

Edited March 18, 2020 by MDM

[John Mitchell]

4 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

If I could go back to the original question here, "Can covid-19 disease outbreak influence photos sales worldwide?"

 

The answer is an obvious YES. This virus has already taken over everything including photography. 

 

Yes, it seems inevitable that we'll start feeling the pinch soon. The anticipated downturn hasn't hit me yet for some reason. I'm actually having an above average month. Who knows how long that will last, though. One encouraging thing about stock photography is that it's a totally Web-based business now and hence can be carried out anywhere at anytime under almost any circumstances, unlike traditional "bricks and mortar" businesses that are being forced to close altogether.

[Chuck Nacke]

11 hours ago, CarloBo said:

Sorry no allowance for comments based on prejudice and ignorance.

China has been my second home for the last few years. While I have some reserves about their government, it's the only country who's helped Italy so far.

US? a Tweet.

+1.  I get really tired of people with small minds and little experience in the world.

 

Chuck

[Bryan]

Midway through the month and only two sales to report. Last month's payout was the lowest I've seen in a long while. Zooms have been better than my average by quite a margin, but buyers appear to be window shopping only. Given the size of the Alamy collection as compared to my modest portfolio I guess that my results are statistically irrelevant, but the signs are not good, dark clouds on the horizon, and now threats over incorrect labelling of photos - not sure I need any of the hassle. Motivation near zero....

[geogphotos]

I went out in the car yesterday and photographed some rural churches - I didn't see a single person so was in effect self-isolated.

 

I caught the part of a radio commentary about how this virus might leave permanent changes of our way of life. Things that just haven't changed will be reappraised - the way school exams are done could be one small example, or that teaching is still largely done face to face in crowded rooms. 

 

Maybe less international travel and more local, individual/small group activity?

 

In terms of stock uses I can only see this accelerating the move to online digital uses. 

 

At least we can keep working through this and as others have said there will be continuing income even if there is a 'pinch'. 

[IanDavidson]

As a Westminster (London) based news photographer I face difficult choices.  To me, it is important that there is still news photography taking place.  The UK is about to enact some of the most draconian legislation since the Second World War.  We are living in history and to me it is important this is documented.

 

To balance this I have to take public transport to London with the risks that entails.  There are far fewer events and fewer photographers (in Downing Street yesterday about half the normal tog population).  So the social distancing is less of an issue than it could be.

 

For the moment I am in “Keep calm and carry on” mode.  I guess time will tell.....

[MDM]

1 hour ago, IanDavidson said:

As a Westminster (London) based news photographer I face difficult choices.  To me, it is important that there is still news photography taking place.  The UK is about to enact some of the most draconian legislation since the Second World War.  We are living in history and to me it is important this is documented.

 

To balance this I have to take public transport to London with the risks that entails.  There are far fewer events and fewer photographers (in Downing Street yesterday about half the normal tog population).  So the social distancing is less of an issue than it could be.

 

For the moment I am in “Keep calm and carry on” mode.  I guess time will tell.....

 

Just a thought. I can understand your argument for continuing as normal as long as you don't have any serious underlying health conditions. However, even if you are perfectly healthiy, it is also important to consider the greatly increased risk of becoming infected with Covid-19 and potentially passing it on to others, especially if you are living with or in direct contact with anyone who might be in a higher risk category.

 

The risk of contracting Covid-19 is increasing exponentially by the day but it is impossible to tell at what rate due to nearly  complete lack of testing in the UK in the non-hospitalised population. A conservative estimate would be that the number of cases is doubling every 3 days and, because London is known to be well ahead of the rest of the country, the risk of infection is much greater for anyone using public transport in London, as social distancing is essentially impossible.

 

I also have to wonder if it might be more relevant and ultimately historically important to document the effects in your own area rather than risk continuing to travel at this point in time. I am sure the temptation to continue must be great, given that you have access to Downing Street and to getting shots of the people who are in the process of enacting this draconian legislation. However, as there are so many shots already of these people getting out of cars or going in and out of number 10, one would have to wonder if it is really worth the risk to capture more photos like this. If historical documentation is the goal, then most of the real action is taking place across the country and that is what will be really historically important down the line. You would also be much less at riskof contracting Covid-19, as you could practise social distancing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by MDM

[Mr Standfast]

5 hours ago, geogphotos said:

I went out in the car yesterday and photographed some rural churches - I didn't see a single person so was in effect self-isolated.

 

 

 

Did the same, maybe less churches.. took a packed lunch and a flask, so stayed away from the tea rooms...

 

1 hour ago, IanDavidson said:

 

 

For the moment I am in “Keep calm and carry on” mode.  I guess time will tell.....

 

I hope our shiny new chancellors measures help the self employed.

 

[Malcolm Park]

2 hours ago, IanDavidson said:

As a Westminster (London) based news photographer I face difficult choices.  To me, it is important that there is still news photography taking place.  The UK is about to enact some of the most draconian legislation since the Second World War.  We are living in history and to me it is important this is documented.

 

To balance this I have to take public transport to London with the risks that entails.  There are far fewer events and fewer photographers (in Downing Street yesterday about half the normal tog population).  So the social distancing is less of an issue than it could be.

 

For the moment I am in “Keep calm and carry on” mode.  I guess time will tell.....

 

Remember, Ian, that half the smudgers in Downing Street are staffers who are told to, and presumably being paid to, attend. Alamy don’t pay me to stand in Downing Street for hours on end catching a cold so for the time being I will forego another set of Cabinet Ministers entering and leaving. The risk to health in travelling to and from via the underground is too great. I’m going to concentrate on more local news and non-news stuff, I’m with MDM’s assessment.

[geogphotos]

22 minutes ago, Mr Standfast said:

 

Did the same, maybe less churches.. took a packed lunch and a flask, so stayed away from the tea rooms...

 

 

 

Spending today working on yesterday's with grey skies outside. 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by geogphotos

[Ed Rooney]

"You've found a solution to uploading even though the Apple store is closed."  "I can’t seem to get motivated."

 

Yes, that was a solution that worked . . . yesterday. Will it still be the case tomorrow? Next week? Who knows? The Apple staff were inside looking rather lost, chatting among themselves, doing nothing. Will they continue to come to a closed store? Will the super-strong WiFi be turned off or malfunction without attention? We'll have to see. 

 

Even before the coronavirus crisis descended on us, I was losing motivation. I'm not happy with what I've been shooting, the subject matter. Traveling to shoot stock is just not cost effective. To borrow a line from The King and I -- it is a puzzlement. 

[BobD]

2 hours ago, IanDavidson said:

As a Westminster (London) based news photographer I face difficult choices.  To me, it is important that there is still news photography taking place.  The UK is about to enact some of the most draconian legislation since the Second World War.  We are living in history and to me it is important this is documented.

 

To balance this I have to take public transport to London with the risks that entails.  There are far fewer events and fewer photographers (in Downing Street yesterday about half the normal tog population).  So the social distancing is less of an issue than it could be.

 

For the moment I am in “Keep calm and carry on” mode.  I guess time will tell.....

 

For once I agree with MDM.

But if you really have to carry on perhaps adjust your times. The transport system is a lot quieter, so perhaps travelling in and returning later to avoid peak times. Also carry some hand sanitiser ( if able to get any) and clean your hands before and after using anything public and make a conscious effort not to touch your face.

[Michael Ventura]

The Washington Post, as well as other major U.S. newspapers, still use mostly staff photographers for most of their content.  But one change, that I saw, is that a friend of mine who was shooting only food for their restaurant reviews, has been moved to regular news photography.  The restaurants in this entire DC region have been forced to only go to carry out or delivery (or close, as many of them have) so all restaurant reviews are on hold for now.

 

I work regularly with four regional magazines and I am trying to get a feel for what will happen (not sure they even know) with the upcoming issues.  I have my last two assignments to shoot to day and all else has been cancelled.  A good time to rearranged the furniture, I suppose.

 

[meanderingemu]

7 hours ago, Chuck Nacke said:

+1.  I get really tired of people with small minds and little experience in the world.

 

Chuck

 

+2

i have had to snooze many of my usual resources forums, because it became draining. 

[Chuck Nacke]

To All,

 

I am often short with my responses on this forum, some may think it is rude, but that is not

my intent.

 

Right now I believe it is vitally important that all humans work together.  Who is to blame for

the current situation, virus, is not important.  To me this is a lot like Climate Change and if

all the humans on this planet do not work together, play together, well we are all doomed and

I will get to put my last roll of Kodachrome in my 1967 NIKON F,  but will not need to scan it.....

 

Chuck Nacke

[Betty LaRue]

13 hours ago, MDM said:

Betty. I should say that I don’t think you are intentionally bigoted but some of the things you say are very easily interpreted in that way. That is why I actually defended you to CarloBo in trying to point out that by your own admission you are very gullible. However, there is no other way to interpret some of your statements about China and the Chinese as they were originally written other than as bigotry, whether that was intentional or not. That is also why I made a bear joke about you pawsing for thought. A little hint that what you were saying could be highly offensive in this international forum. 
 

I think it is also important to be aware that on this side of the Atlantic, particularly in the English speaking countries, we are inundated by American culture in so many ways that many of us have a far greater understanding of and familiarity with American history than the average American is of British or Irish culture and history. Movies, music, the media and literature have all played their part in our absorption of American culture. The opposite happens as well but the influence is tiny in comparison to what flows the other way. 
 

And the political influence of the USA here is orders of magnitude greater than the other way round so that American  politics is of far greater significance to us than British or Irish politics is to most Americans. The presidential election is actually of major interest and importance to us for numerous reasons. 
 

Also I have been to America four times in my life as well and have loads of relatives there so I have lots of first hand experience.
 

I wish you the best and don’t want to continue with these fraught discussions but I find it difficult to  just stand by and see statements that are explicitly or implicitly bigoted, intentional or not, go by unchallenged. 

I understand where you are coming from, Michael. Sometimes the problem is people hurriedly write something and hit send without reading over what they wrote.

I do take issue though with your saying you’ve absorbed our culture somewhat. Yes, superficially, maybe. I say unless one is born in any country, you can’t. A person absorbs a culture as they grow up, react to what happens around them and understands how it personally affects their own life, according to one’s own station in life as a subject living in their own country. 

For instance, when I was 7, I lived on a farm for 18 months. A very short time in the roadmap of my life, but I absorbed the worry of weather affecting the wheat crop. We moved away, but forevermore I was tuned into the farming community and became distressed when I saw cracks in the ground during a drought, or when the price of various crops dropped below farmers being able to make a profit. All of that absorbed by a small child during the span of 7 and 8 years of age who was still playing with dolls.

 

You see things from a world view as a member of another country, and as a visitor, you see the superficial. You weren’t here during the wars, the marches for equality, the Vietnam protests. You didn’t live it, or feel how those things affected different people. I respectfully suggest unless you have a dog in the hunt, you can never have a true understanding.

For instance, I have read about the potato famine. The distress I felt reading about it in no way allows me to truly understand how it felt to live through it.
Your relatives here are only that. Their lives, their experience. We’re they born here? Did they grow up here? Even if they were, each person is shaped by their own experiences, not by what uncle Dan’s experiences were/are.

I agree, enough said.

Betty