For Photographers and Graphic Artists, Not A Pretty Picture Out There

This was a tough read and a tough pill to swallow. Creativity becoming a commodity. My mindset has changed a lot these past few years concerning this topic. As a consumer, I see the value in “Free” and “Cheap”. As a creative and a content creator, I see it for the double-edged sword it is. It is still something I struggle with. As a designer, how do I compete with someone who uses Photoshop and charges nickles and dimes for what they produce? My solution so far? I don’t compete with them. I would be doing my industry and my peers a great disservice in lowering the value of my skills and talent.  That’s not to say I don’t take on free projects now and then, especially those I am personally invested in. But even then, I try to make sure those I work with know that they are not paying for product… they are investing in people. They see value in not only what I make but also in how I make them.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-onthemedia22-2010jan22,1,3750639.column

I was on YouTube yesterday just wasting time and I noticed that they have undergone a lot of significant changes. One of the many important changes includes an implementation of a video rental service. They were beginning to charge for video content! I believe it was for 2009 and 2010 Sundance films. What was most astonishing was that these videos were being rated down in protest of YouTube charging for content! I was a bit upset! I think as a generation that has grown up with the availability of the Internet, we have been conditioned to think that content should be free. In all honesty, $3.00 per rental is too expensive. Netflix has a great subscription service. Hulu has a great advertising model. Rentals by Redbox are about $1.00. I’m glad to see Google and YouTube experimenting.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aUZh2yerMsfc&pos=5

New York Times has a proposed plan to start charging readers for online content in 2011. Especially online, where the lines blur between blogs and the news. This isn’t a new idea and has been in constant debate the past few years. I, for one, don’t mind paying for quality content.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/20/AR2010012004568.html?hpid=sec-tech

It’s tough for me to accept this as . As a consumer, free is extremely appealing. I mean, the only reason I could be doing these blog posts about articles I read is because they are free in the first place. But for myself, I’d hate to see many of my friends, who are musicians and artists, spending their time and hard-earned money to produced quality music and art not get compensated for it.

It’s insane how much the internet has changed things and like many things that change, some change is good and some is bad.