The third survey of the German Picture market has now been published. It took place in February 2020, immediately before the considerable changes in public life in Germany and around the world due to the Covid 19 pandemic. For the first time, photographers* as well as picture agencies took part in this annual survey. The survey therefore provides a broader insight into the German image market, particularly with regard to the cooperation between photographers and photo agencies. Here are some of the results.
- BVPA member agencies of the BVPA surveyed want to increase the amount of images offered, 54.5% of them plan to increase the number of photographers* represented and 44.4% plan to increase the number of partner agencies represented.
- About half of the professional photographers interviewed work together with a picture agency. Self-marketing via platforms does not play a role for photographers. Only 6.7% of female and 13.1% of male photographers* use this kind of image marketing and less than 10% of the respondents who have not yet taken advantage of this possibility yet intend to start in the next two years.
- The majority of the BVPA member agencies does not rely on amateur photographers. This is presumably so because the picture agencies surveyed see differences in quality between professional and amateur photographers and two thirds of the BVPA agencies surveyed found a desire for quality in their customers.
- Three-quarters of the BVPA agencies surveyed stated that their image offering is more visible thanks to digitization. However, financial impact is assessed very differently: While photographers who were already working in the 1980s and are now in their late 50s find that their financial situation has deteriorated as a result of digitisation, photographers who only started working in the 1990s have a more positive view of digitisation.
- Female photographers use social networks significantly more frequently (At 93.9%) and more often than their male colleagues (82.1%). On average, female photographers use 3.8 social networks, while male photographers use only 3.5. Furthermore, there seems to be a connection between a high social media presence and higher sales.
- The results of the survey confirms that Photography is a male dominated occupational field. Among the interviewees, 84.4% were full-time photographers compared to 15.6% full-time female photographers. There is a clear gender difference in the amount of net annual sales achieved between photographers. Whereas full-time female photographers generated average annual revenues of 25,628 euros in 2019, the average annual revenues of male photographers was 53,436 euros. This considerable difference in income between genders can be explained, among other things, by the few male top earners who influence the overall picture.
- Prof. Bauernschmitt concludes in this respect:”With regard to the fee development over the last three years, an approximation of the net fees earned by female photographers (increasing average fees) and male photographers (decreasing average fees) can be observed. Both groups expect the trend to continue. While the majority of full-time female photographers expect their fees to increase, male colleagues expect their fees to stagnate or decline.”
Source: https://bvpa.org/image-market-2020-structure-and-perspectives/
