Photography Industry Statistics: Key Facts and Trends

We gain valuable insights into trends within the industry by looking at photography statistics. By analyzing data, photographers can make informed decisions about their careers. Also, the data may highlight growth opportunities, helping professionals stay ahead of the curve and adapt their skills to meet the evolving demands of the industry.

In this post, we look at recent data about the photography industry, including demographics, marketing photography services, technological advancements, and other areas of interest to photographers.

Most of the data presented in each one of the sections below is based on our own market research report, PhotoKarma 2024, as well as other authentic and reliable sources.

Global Projected Growth and Market Share Statistics

The global photography market size was valued at $105.2 billion in 2023, according to a study by Verified Market Reports. With a compound annual growth rate of 4.4 percent, the market is projected to reach $161.8 billion in 2030. 

This international market is dominated by North America and Western Europe, with shares of 45 percent and 25 percent, respectively. Asia Pacific holds 20 percent of the international market, and the Middle East, Africa, and South America each account for 10 percent.

Technological advancements along with shifting preferences among consumers led to significant changes in the digital photography market. Software advances, improved camera technology, more editing software and the integration of artificial intelligence give photographers unimagined creative resources. In addition, the rise of smartphone photography will bring further changes in the digital imaging sector.

Photography Industry Demographics

A recent study by Data USA put the photography workforce at 114,773 people, including full- and part-time jobs. Of the number employed, 54 percent are men and 46 percent are women.

The study pointed out a large disparity in annual income, with men earning on average $53,138 while women make $34,849.

A vast majority of photographers, 75.8 percent, are white. About 8 percent are black, 7 percent are multi-racial, and about 5 percent are Asian.

Specialties in the Photography Industry

Among self-employed photographers working full-time, about 40 percent earn income in portrait, landscape, and wedding photography

An annual survey of more than 3,000 photographers by Zenfolio and Format found that 19.3 percent work in portrait photography, 11.4 percent in landscape photography, and 8.7 percent specialize in weddings. About 12 percent of photographers shoot in four or more specialties. The graphs below show current employment trends and emerging niches in the photography industry.

The global market size in US dollars for the portrait photography segment of the industry is $20.6 billion, according to Kentley Insights.

Fortune Business Insights valued the global wedding photography market at $21.8 billion. Market value statistics for other specialties are not available at this time.

People Respond More to Images

Human response to visual stimulation is a powerful phenomenon. Images capture our attention, convey complex ideas, and form lasting impressions. Most people, about two-thirds, identify as visual learners. 

Marketing and advertising professionals rank images as the most important form of content, more important than text or video. A study by MDG Solutions found that individuals tend to retain only about 10 percent of information after three days. However, when that information is presented as visual content, retention increases to 65 percent.

The Impact of Photos in Articles and Social Media

Combining images and text creates a synergy that enhances the overall message. The text provides context and clarifies meaning. Meanwhile, photographs reinforce the text, evoke emotions, and make the message more memorable.

MDG’s research found that articles with relevant photos receive 94 percent more views than similar articles with no visual content. Photographs boost article performance the most in general news, politics, and sports.

Also, press releases that include at least one photo improve the view rate by 40 percent over text-only releases.

In its infancy, social media was text-driven. Today, visual pieces gain the most engagement, including views, likes, shares, and comments. “Images on Facebook receive 20 percent more engagement than videos and 352 percent more engagement than links,” the MDG study found. Since younger audiences prefer visual content on platforms such as Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram, the trend is likely to continue.

Photo Sharing Market Growth

The value of the photo sharing market was $4.9 billion in 2022, according to a report by Future Market Insights. With a compound annual growth rate of 5.6 percent, the market is projected to be valued at $8.6 billion by 2033.

Users share 6.9 billion images per day on WhatsApp, 3.8 billion on Snapchat, 2.1 billion on Facebook, 1.3 billion on Instagram, and 1 million on Flickr.

The Impact of Visuals in Online Search and e-Commerce

High-quality images and infographics enhance user experience and engagement. In addition, visuals play a significant role in search engine results. Factors such as alt text, file names, captions, and surrounding text contribute to the overall SEO performance of a webpage.

MDG Solutions found that 60 percent of online shoppers are more likely to engage with a business that has an image show up in local search results. Search engines such as Google, Bing, and Firefox prioritize image-rich content. Pages that rank high in Google’s featured mobile snippets have an average of 12 photos.

In e-commerce, visual content is instrumental in showcasing products, conveying brand identity, and creating a compelling online shopping experience. Photos drive traffic and increase conversion rates. Among online shoppers, 67 percent rate the quality of a product image as “very important” in evaluating the product. The product’s photograph is more valuable to customers than specific product information, detailed descriptions, or ratings and reviews.

Original Photos Versus Stock Photography

Using original photos instead of stock photos has an advantage. Original photos that capture the true essence of a subject resonate with viewers.

In a study conducted by the Nielsen Norman Group, users tended to ignore generic stock photos in favor of authentic images. In addition, viewers spent 10% more time viewing the portrait photos than reading the biographies, even though the bios consumed much more space.

Another study by Marketing Experiments found that a recognizable image of a company founder resulted in a 35 percent higher conversion rate than a generic stock photo.

Statistics on Acquiring Clients and Making Money

Creating sustainable income from photography involves more than taking high-quality images. The Zenfolio/Format survey referenced above, found photo shoots and session fees generate 60 percent of professional photographers’ business income. Selling digital downloads and prints, either online or in-person, diversifies the revenue streams, as indicated in the graph below.

Professional photographers acquire clients through various methods. Word of mouth recommendations and referrals by previous clients account for 61 percent of their work. Referrals and recommendations are the result of building relationships with clients, understanding their needs, and exceeding expectations. A portfolio of your work showcased online and on social media factor into building and maintaining a successful photography business.

Print-on-Demand Market

A segment poised for explosive growth, the print-on-demand market diversified far beyond T-shirts and coffee mugs with a team logo or generic photo. Companies such as VistaPrint, Zazzle, and Canva print custom photos on almost anything. Upload a photo of your dog to be printed on a tote bag, cell phone case, or dozens of other choices. Or upload a photo of yourself to be printed on your dog’s sweater. The choices are mind-boggling.

For wall art, customers choose from several grades of archival paper, as well as canvas, wood, acrylic, and aluminum. Upload your own custom photo for a one-of-a-kind print.

In 2022, this segment of the photography industry was valued at $6.2 billion by Acumen Research and Consulting. With an expected annual growth of 25.6 percent, the print-on-demand market projects to be $59.3 billion in 2032.

Product Photography: A Growth Industry

Advertising and e-commerce fuel the growth of product photography. As businesses move online and e-commerce platforms emerge, the demand for captivating photos soars. Advertising agencies promote brands and products, while e-commerce platforms offer items for online purchase.

MarketResearch.com valued the international product photography market at $129 million in 2021, with a projected value of $275 million by 2028, or 11.6 percent annual growth.

With the continuous expansion of jobs in the e-commerce and advertising industries, product photography is expected to continue as an in-demand profession.

Data Shows Aerial Imaging Takes Off with Huge Growth

The emergence of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, with advanced photographic capabilities, spurred huge growth in this segment.

A market value of $3 billion in 2022, according to Global Market Insights, drone photography finds applications in defense, environmental, and real estate photography, along with various uses by amateur and professional photographers. With 22 percent annual growth, the market projects a valuation of $28 billion in 2032.

The cost of photo-equipped drones, from budget friendly to 5-digit price tags, allows access to drone photography to almost anyone who is interested.

Canon Rules Global Digital Camera Market

Of the 7.2 million digital cameras purchased in 2023, Canon sold nearly half. The Tokyo-based company sold 3.35 million cameras, or 46.5 percent of all units. The report by Digital Camera World used data from Techno System Research. The top three camera brands captured 84 percent of the global digital camera market.

• Canon: 46.5%
• Sony: 26.1%
• Nikon: 11.7%
• Fujifilm: 5.8%
• Panasonic: 4.2%

Mirrorless digital cameras made up 69 percent of the total digital interchangeable lens camera market, as we highlighted in PhotoKarma, our 2024 Trend Report. The report from Digital Camera World contains more recent industry data, but did not break out mirrorless sales.

Smartphone Photography Statistics

Mobile photography became a genre recently. The improved performance of smartphones delivers pictures that rival digital cameras. Our recent report on Mobile Photography Awards featured a gallery of excellent images captured with Smartphone cameras.

As per our own research, in 2022, smartphones were used for 85% of the photos taken worldwide.

According to Photutorial, smartphones account for 94 percent of all photos taken. This year, the company estimates that 1.9 trillion photos will be taken worldwide, or about 5.3 billion per day.

Also, Photutorial estimates that there are about 14.3 trillion photos in existence. An estimated 136 billion images are indexed by Google. And the average American takes 20 photos each day.

Adobe Dominates Photo Editing Software Market

Photoshop and Lightroom are the major players in the photography editing software market, contributing to Adobe’s dominant share. The two software programs combine powerful editing capabilities and user-friendly interfaces for a market share of 65 percent, according to Digital Photography School. Other platforms, such as Picasa, Aperture, and Gimp, have single-digit shares of a market projected by Business Research Insights to reach $1.5 billion by 2031.

Canva Leads Mobile Editing Apps

An editing app that is highly popular among smartphone users, Canva generated $8.7 million in 2023. The report by Statista ranked Facetune second at $4.7 million and AI Photo Enhancer third at $3.2 million.

Technological Advancement Statistics

Advancing technology brings a wide range of innovative tools and techniques that revolutionize how we create and experience images. The stage is set for growing demand in generative AI (artificial intelligence), virtual reality, augmented reality, and 360-degree cameras.

Generative AI

Already in use in cameras, photo editing software, and image generation apps, generative AI is poised for annual growth of 42 percent over the next eight years. Bloomberg Intelligence projects a generative AI market of $1.3 trillion by 2032.

Virtual Reality

Creating immersive experiences in 3-dimensional environments, virtual reality uses specialized cameras to simultaneously capture multiple images from different angles. Fortune Business Insights estimates virtual reality growth at 31 percent annually to $165.9 billion by 2030.

Augmented Reality

An interactive technology that allows consumers to see how a sofa would fit into their living room or a photograph would look on their wall, augmented reality is transforming e-commerce businesses. Fortune Business Insights forecasts 45.4 percent annual growth with a market value of 1.1 trillion by 2030.

360-Degree Cameras

Widely used in immersive gaming, surveillance systems, and virtual tours, 360-degree cameras, AKA omnidirectional camera systems, create seamless panoramic views. Research and Markets projects 26.3 percent annual growth for this market with a valuation of $4.3 billion by 2028.

These advancements impact photography by reshaping the landscape and paving the way for exciting new possibilities to explore in the future.

Blockchain in Photography

A secure way of storing and managing content in the digital age, Blockchain emerged as a system for recording cryptocurrency transactions. Photographers utilize Blockchain to ensure the authenticity and ownership of their work. By creating a unique digital signature for each image, Blockchain offers a simple and secure method to track and protect intellectual property rights.

Statista projects 56.1 percent annual growth of the blockchain market, with a valuation in 2030 of $943 billion.

Sustainable Practices in the Photography Industry

Research indicates that 74 percent of consumers take sustainability into consideration when marking purchases. The study by PDI Technologies also found that 68 percent of consumers accept higher prices for eco-friendly products. The trends suggest that sustainable practices are also good business practices for the professional photographer.

Photography Education Statistics: Learning on the Web

Online photography courses are projected to grow at a 9.3 percent annual rate through the end of the decade. Global Information Inc. estimates the worldwide market value of online photography education to reach $1.5 billion by 2030.

Web-based platforms such as Great Big Photography World and New York Institute of Photography employ professional photographers to develop courses in non-degree programs. Additionally, these platforms encourage students to participate in online photography communities to share their photos, get feedback, and network.

Conclusion

Statistical information enhances our understanding of the world. With insights into trends, patterns, and relationships, we gain a deeper understanding of complex issues, leading to more effective problem-solving and decision-making. As photographers, we leverage data on the industry to identify trends, understand consumer preferences, and make informed decisions on pricing, marketing strategies, and target audience.

I hope this article gives you an understanding of the business of photography and a boost to your career. If you have any experience to share, questions, or comments please submit them in the space below.

Take Away

Photography statistics shine a light on industry trends, helping professional photographers stay up-to-date in the evolving digital imaging market and offering guidance to beginners looking to break into the business.