It would seem that film is well and truly on the way out. Getty images has just announced to their photographers that as from April 2006 they will not be accepting analog material (film). Below is a small section of a news item posted for Getty contributors.

"In order to achieve this ambitious goal, it is essential to move to a single, fully digital workflow at Getty Images, which will allow us to process your imagery much faster. As a result, from April 3rd 2006, we will only accept final selects that are submitted to us digitally using multi file CD's (and / or any other formats or delivery methods permitted at that time). It will be fine, of course, for you to continue shooting analog material, but effective April 3rd 2006 we will no longer accept imagery that is submitted to us in analog form." GettyImages

I personally do not have any problems with this as I have been shooting digitally for the last four years, but for those photographers who are still using film this could be the wake up call they have been dreading. To survive in today's market place you have to move with the times, failing to do so will result in a loss of revenue.

In the past I have shot off many sheets of 5x4 and rolls of 120 film, not all the material was accepted and of course as a photographer I would have to bear my losses (materials and processing). Now with digital capture, things are a lot easier, rejected images only cost you time. Being able to revue the images on location is a fail safe insurance .Shooting for stock can be lucrative adding extra income to a photographer, but it also requires dedication and commitment, you have to be prepared to invest a lot of time and effort. Creative ideas and concepts will ensure that your images stand out above the competition.

You should be aware that for digital submission most stock libraries will require a file size of about 50mb, so this means either shooting on a digital back (medium and large format) or on a Canon 1Ds Mk II or Nikon D2X (with a small amount of up-sampling). Moving to digital may mean a hefty investment for the professional, the alternative is to carry on shooting film and scan the images, you may soon tire of the last option.

4 August, 2005