What the iPad Means for Professional Photography

Magazines and newspapers on the iPad: The future is here.

After much anticipation, Apple’s iPad has finally arrived and I can’t wait to get my hands on one.  As thrilled as I am about this revolutionary new device and what it means for personal computing, I’m curious, but excited about what the iPad means for professional photographers, beyond just a new way to showcase a portfolio.  We’ll find great uses for the iPad I’m sure, but the important question, the question I’m betting my career on is not “how can I use it?” but “how will everyone else use it?”

Just as the iPhone has changed how we view communication, entertainment and simple tasks, (some airlines now even accept iPhone boarding passes) the technology inside the iPad will redefine the creation and sharing of visual content.

The iPad and the devices bound to follow represent the future of consuming visual media.  If you’ve watched sci-fi, then you’ve seen this coming. And now we’re already here. Millions of people read books, magazines and newspapers on their smart phones and Kindles. Now imagine how great your favorite magazine will look on an iPad.

Publishers are racing to create exciting new content for this new medium. With its gorgeous 9.7-inch screen, the iPad lends itself perfectly to stunning full-page photos and graphics, a fact that has designers and advertisers thrilled. Although the revenues of magazines and newspapers have declined sharply in the last few years, I’m sure that many will find renewed success as they shift towards digital versions of their publications.

Advertisers have reportedly paid up to $200,000 for single spots in iPad issues of Time, The Wall Street Journal, Wired and Sports Illustrated. With that kind of money at stake and a device that’s made for high quality imagery, do you think that they’ll rely on cheap imagery? I doubt they will. In fact, I’m betting my career on it. As the attention span of the average consumer shrinks, the need for compelling and captivating imagery is as high as it ever has been.

Although advertising prices may fall as the initial iPad fever subsides, the foundation of an entirely new business model is already being built. Personal digital devices like the iPad are indeed the way of the future, and as we move away from traditional print media, the advertising and publishing economy of this new medium will sort itself out just like it has always done in the past.

As we’ve seen for decades, people will always buy new content, regardless of how it’s delivered, and as long as there remains a market for visual media, there will be a market for good photography.

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Dan Bailey is a professional adventure, outdoor and travel photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska. Follow his own blog at danbaileyphoto.com/blog and see his daily updates at facebook.com/danbaileyphoto.

Tagged as: Apple, iPad