One of my favorite reads in the business of imaging is the trade journal Digital Imaging Reporter. On January 19, 2017, Don Franz and Andy Gordon penned a rather interesting article published in the DI Reporter’s Finisher’s Corner. It is about diversification within the photo output market.
Throughout Franz and Gordon’s article, studies about digital photo capture devices were cited. One of them was sourced from the organization Futuresource Consulting. This group has been supporting key players in the photo output markets with annual analysis and forecasts for more than 15 years. The particular citation from Futuresource Consulting was an evaluation of what people did with their digital photos in 2014, as compared to 2015. The research was conducted in France, Germany, and the U.S.
What’s Changing?
Data indicated there were some significant changes in what people were doing with their digital photos. Out of the 14 different categories evaluated, nine of them changed their ranking. Five categories dropped in rank, while four others gained in ranking. The percentage of change ranged from -17% to +183%.
The biggest downward shift includes sharing photos via email or websites (using a browser) and viewing photos via photo prints or smartphones. Those methods gaining the greatest uptick in use are viewing photos on TV screens, media players, desktop PC's and sharing of photos via smartphone, tablet, or text messaging. The measure of people indicating they don’t share photos grew over 50% in the 12-month period.
What Does This Change Mean?
These shifts indicate people are quickly accepting to view or share their digital photos no longer limited to more traditional methods of email, photo prints, or on a website. For example, we are adopting methods like viewing photos via a TV screen (wireless or cable connection) that increased 183% between 2014 and 2015. Sharing photos via text messaging was up 33%.
Meanwhile, over the same period there was a drop of -17% in email sharing. This change parallels the recent exponential growth in popularity of text messaging. Viewing photos on a laptop, camera screen, tablet, or photo books saw modest gains with little or no change in their rankings during the 12-month period.
Photo viewing and sharing methods will continue to adapt as technological advances and digital trends develop. This will no doubt maintain forward movement at a fast-pace. As this occurs, what people do with their digital photos will continue shift quicker than ever.
