Zenfolio releases the 2023 State of the Photography Industry Report

Menlo Park, CA – Zenfolio, the market leader in creative and business solutions for photographers, is pleased to announce the release of its latest State of the Photography Industry Report. The report provides insights into the photography industry from the perspectives of professional photographers and their businesses, and is the fourth conducted since 2021.

The report is derived from survey participants who primarily specialize in Portrait, Landscape, Wedding, Sports, and Family photography. The survey respondents were mostly part-time or full-time self-employed with more than 10 years of experience. The 2023 report covers a variety of topics, including business trends, marketing, revenue, pricing, technology, and photographers’ sentiments about using artificial intelligence (AI).

Main highlights:

Almost 20% of Photographers surveyed in Q1 2023 reported their business had increased from a year ago. However, many are still grappling with the aftereffects of Covid and the impact of rising inflation. 66.6% of photographers reported that their businesses were either slower or performing as expected.

Photographers making at least $100K saw clear revenue increases over the past year. Across all other brackets, 40% reported that revenue decreased. However, this number marks an improvement from the previous year, when 76.2% of all surveyed photographers had reported a negative impact on their revenue

AI is being embraced by the industry. Almost 50% reported that they have integrated AI into their photography workflows, and only 11% see AI developments as having a negative impact on photographers.

Marketing strategies have shifted. Photographers are relying more on non-paid or organic social media over paid ads for marketing their business.

Mirrorless Cameras continue to gain ground on DSLRs. Mirrorless cameras are shaking up the professional photography industry, challenging traditional DSLRs. While 50% of photographers still prefer DSLRs, mirrorless cameras are rapidly gaining ground, with 41% of photographers now choosing this newer option. This represents a significant increase of 50.7% in mirrorless camera usage compared to the last survey.

Is AI the solution to photographers’ biggest pet peeve? If photographers could choose one thing to spend less time doing, 41% of photographers want to spend less time editing. 34% say they are using AI to help them with this tedious task.

“We are excited to share our findings from the 2023 State of the Photography Industry survey,” said Jason Egnal, CMO of Zenfolio. “The report provides valuable insights into the photography industry and the trends that are shaping it. We created this report to help photographers better understand their industry so they can make informed decisions about their businesses.”

The full 2023 State of the Photography Industry Report and the previous reports, can be viewed at Zenfolio.com/SOPI. Zenfolio is committed to helping aspiring and professional photographers succeed in their businesses and will continue to provide resources and tools to support them.

About Zenfolio

Zenfolio.com is an all-in-one portfolio and website builder with a full suite of advanced business and e-commerce solutions for photographers to showcase their work, manage their business, and build their brand. For almost two decades, Zenfolio has proudly served photographers around the globe.

Zenfolio brands and services include Format.com, a portfolio website solution with marketing and studio management tools for all creative professionals, PhotoRefine.ai, advanced AI technology that takes the work out of grouping, rating and culling images, PhotoBooker.com, a resource to find and book local photographers, and PrintsMarketplace.com, an online gallery that sells museum grade prints from artists and photographers around the world.

Cheryl Dell'Osso

Cheryl is the Director of Content Strategy at Zenfolio and the Owner/Photographer at Portraits by Cheryl and Seniors by Cheryl in Raleigh, NC. Cheryl has mentored countless new photographers looking to build successful photography businesses.