Page 34 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 3 #2

SnapFish, a bride can take our photos, upload our partners. Right now, they are just profes-
them into a template, and produce her own sional friends. But, we’ll continue to talk and
book for what it would cost her to order a sin- look towards forming a partnership in the
gle 12" x 18" print from us. future. Interestingly enough, this situation
Francois: As you said the last time we talked, in itself is more than a little ironic because
the perception is that if it's digital it should be the reason our initial partnership didn't last
free—or cheap, at least. was because we backed away from weddings,
Falcon: Yes. and because we took an unpopular stand in
Francois: So, what's going to happen to the the industry. While I can't say that we saw it
industry? coming, because it fell apart so quickly for us,
Falcon: I don't know. Brenda Hipscher, our we were immediately able to understand why.
friend at X-Rite, has been in the industry for Francois: I am assuming—since you men-
more than forty years. She thinks this is just tioned it when last we talked—that this had to
a phase similar to what has happened before. do with the "digital shift," the proliferation of
She believes the industry will rebound. cheap digital cameras, and the lack of indus-
Francois: I take it you don't agree? try regulation.
Falcon: I agree that this is not the first time Falcon: Yes. But understand that this isn't
the industry has been decimated, as you and I about adding yet more government regula-
have previously discussed. In the past, I think tion. It's about the fact that anyone who can
there was a kind of natural selection at play. buy a camera can claim to be a professional.
For instance, if you bought yourself an Insta- Period. There is no barrier to entry and the
matic camera, and then snapped your way "buying public" is largely unaware of what
through three or four roles of film without makes a good photo good. They don't know
getting a single decent image, you were not what to look for, and we have done nothing to
likely to keep on wasting money. And, when educate them.
it came time for you to get married, based on Francois: "Apple-ization."
your experience, you’d most likely hire a pro- Falcon: Yes. Backlight anything enough and
fessional to ensure the quality of the images. it will look good. In response to this, in 2006,
Now, every digital device comes with a we contacted Peter Atherton and pitched him
camera embedded, and most are quite de- the idea of getting the top forty to fifty wed-
cent. Feedback is immediate. If you need to ding photographers together at WPPI for the
create a better image, you can do it quickly purpose of coming to terms with the lack of
and cheaply—there’s no film to process. As certification, the lack of a barrier to entry into
someone recently said to me, "You are a pro, the industry, and to focus on ways we could
you have to get it right the first time, every educate the public. Peter's response was that
time. I know that if I take enough photos, I we would never get the top photographers to
can get one, maybe two, that are good. I can agree to such a meeting. When I asked why,
live with that." his response was along the lines that they
Francois: I understand that at the end of the were holding their own and that the lower
show you had an interesting conversation end of the market was the only segment dam-
with one of your partners. May I ask what it aged by what was going on.
was about, and how it relates to WPPI and Well, I haven't looked lately, but my guess
our discussion here? is that most of these top photographers are
Falcon: Well, if it’s the same conversation no longer doing weddings—or if they are even
I’m thinking it is, they aren’t currently one of still in business. And this has rippled through

34 | INTERVIEW: FALCON ON WPPI