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Summary of our market study
In France, the market for professional photographers is estimated at around 1.3 billion euros.
The global photographic services market is estimated at around $42 billion, and is growing at an average annual rate of 5%.
The proliferation of high-quality smartphones and the democratization of amateur photography have resulted in a surplus of images available at little or no cost, exerting downward pressure on professional rates and revenues.
Businesses are the main source of revenue for professional photographers, contributing over half of total sales, while private individuals account for just over a third. Almost 87% of customers are French.
Specific photographic services such as wedding and identity photography continue to be in demand.
Self-employed status is common among professional photographers.
Digitization has opened up new opportunities for professional photographers to showcase their work and reach a wider audience.
Start-ups such as Meero have emerged as intermediaries between photographers and customers, offering comprehensive services ranging from matchmaking to image retouching.
The rise of digital advertising offers a promising avenue for professional photographers.
Players in the professional photography market
- Nikon, Canon, Lumix (Panasonic) and Sony are major players in the photographic equipment industry
- Meero is a platform that brings photographers and customers together
- AP Production Paris is a well-known studio on the French market
- CEWE and Photoweb specialize in photo printing, with a particular focus on personalized photo products.
- Caméléon, Alliance and Maison Thieullent have established themselves in the professional photography landscape
- Négatif + and Photomaton have become synonymous with instant photography services
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Market definition
Photography refers to the practice of obtaining fixed, lasting images of objects through a physical mechanism based on light. Professional photographers are individuals who take photographs for commercial purposes.
The market for professional photographers is characterized by a wide diversity of players on both the supply and demand sides, ranging from photojournalists to craftsmen.
In fact, there are many different customers, which explains the diversity of professional photographers' activities, who rarely confine themselves to a single market segment.
The main market segments for processional photographers include :
- Fine art photography: these are photographs taken by the artist, printed by him or under his supervision, signed and numbered up to a limit of thirty copies, in all formats and media, and which can be found in exhibitions and art galleries.
- Illustration photography: illustration of products, concepts or services (corporate communication).
- News photography: photographs for newspapers and magazines.
- Social photography: photography carried out by professionals in a private setting for private or domestic use: passport photos, wedding photos, school photos, etc.
It's important to understand that these different market segments remain porous, particularly from the point of view of photographers, who rarely specialize in just one sector. According to ARCOM, 80% of photographers operate in several market segments.
In addition to these players, there are alsoancillary activities such as photographic development and printing, networking between professionals and customers (Meero), photo restoration and retouching (retouchephoto.fr), for example.
In France, photography has enjoyed rapid growth since the 2000s, with the practice becoming much more democratic. Thearrival of digital photography, which developed particularly strongly in the 2000s, and the subsequent surge in smartphone sales and the increasing quality of their cameras, have led to a radical transformation in the market for professional photographers.
The professionalization of amateurs, the profusion of images and their massive communication have fuelled growing difficulties for photographers to add value to their business. The main effects have been a drop in rates and therefore in remuneration, the widespread use of the auto-entrepreneur status, an increase in copyright infringement and the trivialization of free photography.
Professional photographers are thus facing new challenges, but can nonetheless count on significant growth levers. The main growth drivers are digital tools that facilitate communication, but also the massive segment of digital corporate communication.
1.2. The global market for professional photography
The global photography industry
The industry is dynamic and diversified, encompassing several segments such as equipment, services, software and media.
According to Grand View Research, the size of the global photographic equipment market was valued at $**.** billion in ****, and is expected to grow at a CAGR (***) of *.*% from **** to ****.
The size of the global photography services market was estimated at $**.** billion in **** and is expected to grow at a CAGR of *.*% from **** to ****. This growth is influenced by several factors, such as: increasing demand for professional photography services, the emergence of new photo-sharing platforms,
Photographers and revenues worldwide
revenue trends for photographers between **** and **** World, ****-****, in Source: ****
We can see that photographers are still in a very precarious situation, with incomes continuing to fall , with nearly **% of journalists reporting that their incomes have fallen by **%.
1.3. The national market for professional photography
After the disruption caused by the advent of digital technology in the ****s, the photography market in France appears relatively stable.
Let's begin by analyzing the visual arts sector, which includes photographic activities. The visual arts sector comprises photographic activities, artistic creation activities in the visual arts and specialized design activities.
In the first quarter of ****, visual arts sales contracted year-on-year by *% in volume and *% in value, representing a loss of ** million euros.
Within this subdivision, photographic activities account for almost **% of the visual arts sector.
Below, from INSEE processing with NAF code **.**: Photographic activities.
This sub-class includes:
commercial or private photographic production :
passport photos, class photos, wedding photos, etc. advertising, publishing, fashion, real estate or tourism photography aerial photography video production for events: weddings, meetings, etc.
film processing :
developing, printing and enlarging photos or films produced by customers photo and film development and printing laboratories photo boutiques with one-hour processing slide editing photo copying, restoration and retouching
freelance photojournalist activities
We can see how sales of photographic activities will evolve between **** and ****. By ****, the industry's sales will reach *.* billion euros.
sales trends in the photographic sector France, ****-****, Source: ****
Professional photography
Let's take a look at the professional photography ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1. Photography consumption on the rise
With the advent of social networking, the consumption of photographs has increased in recent years.
In addition, the rate of smartphone ownership among households has risen from **% in **** to almost **% in **** (***), making the production and consumption of photographs both faster and more accessible.
Household smartphone ownership rate France, ****-****, in Source: ****
what's more, according toARCOM, **% of French Internet users say they take photos with their smartphone, with **% indicating they do so very often.
Devices used to take photos France, ****, in Source: ****
These two trends have helped lower the barriers to entry into the professional market: **% of French Internet users now declare themselves to be "amateur photographers", as shown in the graph below.
French personal relationship with photography France, ****, in Source: ****
What's more, a large majority of French people take part in hobbies related to photography, even if only rarely, such as visiting exhibitions and art galleries, or shooting photos.
Photo-related leisure activities France, ****, as % of total Source: ****
Younger people (***) have a stronger connection to photography: more frequently than the rest of the population, they engage in photo-related activities, call themselves photographers and subscribe to specialized accounts on social networks.
Consumption framework for photography France, ****, in Source: ****
2.2. Photo demand trends
Many factors influence the demand for professional photography, and the different segments involved.
Speed of distribution
Today, the speed with which photographs are distributed, whether on the Internet or social networks, inevitably influences our relationship with them. For several years now, we have been witnessing a growing increase in photo searches on the Internet.
Nearly * out of ** French people search for photos on the Internet, and almost * out of ** do so on a daily basis.
Internet photo search frequency France, ****, in % Source: ****
Among the photos searched for, the most popular remain nature, landscape and animal photos.
Types of photos searched for on the Internet France, ****, in Source: ****
In addition, the unprecedented rise in the need for visual content linked to the growth of e-commerce and digital marketing is boosting demand for professional photography.
This increase can be seen particularly in spending on communications and display advertising in France. Since, ****, we've even seen a slight increase in these display advertising budgets below.
Evolution of press and billboard advertising expenditure in France France, ****-****, in million euros Source: ****
In addition, as mentioned above, social photography represents the largest segment of professional photography. Thus, demand in this sector is directly impacted by the number ...
2.3. Levers used to stimulate demand
A number of initiatives have been launched to boost demand for professional photography.
The number of photography competitions is on the increase.
In addition, France boasts some fifty photography fairs and festivals that contribute to its international renown (***).
The Arles Festival, in particular, is considered the world's leading photography festival, and Arles the world capital of photography. The **** edition attracted ***,*** visitors, *** artists and **,*** professionals for the opening week.
Breakdown of Ministry of Culture funding allocated to photography festivals France, ****, in Source: ****
The graph below shows that the French government attaches great importance to subsidizing photography festivals such as the Arles Festival , in order to promote this type of art.
3 Market structure
3.1. professional photographers' value chain
The value chain for professional photographers in France extends from equipment to the distribution of photographs to the general public, including creative financing and remuneration activities.
Source: ****
Equipment
This covers everything from camera manufacturers, for example.
Creation
This is one of the most important stages in the professional photography market. It covers everything from the conception of the photograph to the actual shooting, as well as all the stages of editing, retouching and selection, for example. As far as creation is concerned, it's almost exclusively the photographers themselves who are involved. However, some companies, such as the B*B platform Meero, can take charge of part of the creative process, automating post-production and selection.
Printing
Printing refers to the development or printing of the photograph, which can be carried out on any type of support.
Distribution
Distribution covers all companies that, for example, market archive stocks or reuse images in post-production.
Distribution
We can distinguish between two types of distribution, either through marketing or direct distribution of photographs to the general public, or through image redistribution on search engines.
Below, we can find a more detailed value chain by the four different segments of the professional photography market, namely social, artistic, ...
3.2. The different players in professional photography
There are two main types of players in the professional photography market:
independent professional photographers, who make up the vast majority the platforms that put photographers in touch with each other
Freelance photographers
These are mainly self-employed or freelance photographers, working full time or as a complement to another activity, without their own business premises. They offer their services to a professional clientele (***), as well as to private individuals for coverage of events such as weddings, birth photos, anniversaries, religious celebrations, etc.
Networking platforms
Acting as intermediaries between freelance photographers and BtoB or BtoC customers, these platforms offer photographers targeted visibility to attract clients, while customers can access a wide choice of service providers at competitive rates thanks to increased competition.
In France, two agencies largely dominate this market:
Primavista, with sales of **.* million euros in ****, is the leader in maternity photography, covering almost ***,*** births a year thanks to its team of photographers present in almost half of French maternity hospitals. It also offers other types of coverage (***). PhotoPresta is the leading community platform in France. It offers turnkey shoots where individuals and companies can easily find and book a photographer for their events/projects. It is the industry leader with ...
3.3. Business model for professional photography
Let's analyze the business model of professional photographers.
First of all, we note that photos are largely consumed by the French free of charge(***).
Free or paid photo consumption France, ****, in Source: ****
Photographers' remuneration has evolved in step with the economic logic of the market, with highly disparate situations depending on the market segment concerned.
News photography
The remuneration of photojournalists has been the subject of much debate. The **** Cressard law stipulates that a photographer working for a press organization must be legally paid a salary. However, more and more media outlets are paying for commissions in royalties, which is normally illegal and denounced by some photographers and agencies, while others consider that the Cressard law is no longer adapted to market realities.
More generally, media remuneration practices in France are being criticized, as in the **** #PayeTaPhoto movement .
Art photography
Relations between photographers and galleries follow the same rules as for any artist. Thus, the sale price of the work is shared between the gallery and the photographer, and in the event of resale, the artist benefits from droit de suite.
As for remuneration of photographers by exhibition venues such as fairs and festivals, the situation is more tense and varies ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1. Photographer typology
We can attempt to draw a portrait of a professional photographer in France.
Over the years, we have seen an increase in the average age of a photographer here between **** and ****.
Age pyramid for photojournalists France, ****-****, in Source: ****
What's more, professional photography is a male-dominated profession overall.
Women are over-represented at the start of their careers: they make up **% of photography school graduates, yet represent only **% of the profession as a whole.
However, progress is being made in this area. Indeed, while from **** to ****, an average of **% of the iconic photography awards went to women, this figure will be closer to **% in ****.
Gendered breakdown of the professional photography profession France, ****, in Source: ****
In addition, the profession of professional photographer is evenly distributed by region. The Île-de-France region is particularly strong, accounting for nearly **% of French photographers, according to the graph below.
Photographers by region France, ****, in Source: ****
Professional photographers logically prefer densely populated areas to conduct their business, and most photography businesses (***) are located in the Île-de-France region, as can be seen on the map below.
Source: ****
4.2. A changing profession
The photography profession has undergone profound changes in recent years, leading to a certain reorganization of the sector.
The black spot is the increase in casualization in this sector.
According to the **** Racine Report, which took stock of the situation of artist-authors, between **** and ****, the number of photographers affiliated to Agessa (***) rose by **%, while their income fell by **%.
While nearly **% of photographers consider their profession to be "varied and fulfilling", according to the "Health of Photographers" surveya quantitative and qualitative study commissioned by Saif and Scam, carried out by Céreq and sociologist Irène Jonas in ****, **% of them are "afraid for the future".
However, since ****, the number of salaried employees in **** in photographic activities has been steadily declining, reaching **** in ****, highlighting the growing success of freelance status compared to larger structures.
evolution of salaried employees in the photographic services sector France, ****-****, in number of employees Source: ****
The population of photographic service businesses jumped by almost **% between **** and **** (***), reaching **,*** structures in **** as shown in the graph below. This dynamic growth can be explained by the low barriers to entry in the sector, and by the creation of the autoentrepreneur status in ****, which facilitated administrative procedures.
growth in the number of ...
4.3. Supply trends
Several trends are emerging in the professional photography market.
Sectors on the rise
Firstly, certain sectors, particularly since the Covid episode, are becoming increasingly buoyant. One example is the culinary and lifestyle photography sector , thanks to confinements that have seen the emergence of "home-made" products, as evidenced by the **%-plus rise in the DIY market.
What's more, the e-commerce sector has seen a sharp rise in demand for illustration photography.
Estimated e-commerce sales in France France, ****-****, in billion euros Source: ****
The emergence of Artificial Intelligence
The rise of Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the world of photography. Its tools enable visual content to be produced automatically and much more rapidly.
These tools therefore have a negative impact on professional photographers positioned in this B*B segment. They often have to integrate AI into their services in order to remain competitive, for example in photo retouching. What's more, these tools create regulatory issues, particularly with regard to copyright.
In this spirit, competitors to professional photographers are emerging, such as Photoroom in ****, which raised nearly $** million with its AI-based photo retouching technology.
Offer diversification
Faced with recent demographic changes, such as the drop in births mentioned in the demand section, a number of ...
5 Regulations
5.1. Current regulations
Legal status
Auto-entrepreneur / Micro-entreprise: Most beginner photographers choose this status because it offers tax and social security advantages, notably a simplified income declaration system. However, this status is limited in terms of sales (***).
Sole proprietorship (***), SARL, EURL, SAS: For photographers who exceed the micro-business thresholds, or who wish to structure their business further, other legal forms can be chosen. These involve more complex accounting obligations and different taxation.
Copyright
Copyright: Photographers who create original works of art enjoy copyright on their creations. These rights protect the reproduction and distribution of works. In France, copyright applies automatically from the moment the work is created, with no special formalities, but it is advisable to prove the date of creation (***). Authors-photographers (***). They benefit from a special scheme with specific contributions.
Copyright is a real issue in France, and certain tools have even been put in place to encourage respect for copyright, such as prevention messages indicating restrictions on use.
Tools to encourage copyright compliance France, ****, in Source: ****
Regulation of image rights
In France, a person's image is protected by the right to privacy. Photographers must obtain prior authorization from the person photographed before distributing photos in which he or she is recognizable, with certain ...
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