JFW
Member
I was curious if anyone knows approximately how many professional wildlife or nature photographers there might be? Not photo-tour leaders, authors, etc, just people making their income from selling their photos.
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Impossible to answer. There is no region defined in your questions for starters. Second, most prof wildlife photographers do things on the side for extra income such as being a tour guide and/or writing books and/or e-seminars, .... It is not like these persons are listed in the yellow pages.I was curious if anyone knows approximately how many professional wildlife or nature photographers there might be? Not photo-tour leaders, authors, etc, just people making their income from selling their photos.
+1Ignoring "how many" - far fewer than 15 years ago - and declining using the above definition.
Selling prices have reduced dramatically - with newspapers rarely paying to use images and net payment after commission from stock agencies having often collapsed to the one £/$ level
30 years ago as a primarily amateur photographer I could get £/$1,000 (after inflation) for a small magazine front cover - now much more likely to be an online publication.
Much more affordable high quality equipment such as the Canon 200-500, Olympus 100-500, Nikon 800 PF lenses etc, high MP bodies and dramatic PP improvements reducing high ISO noise have led to many more photographers being able to own equipment able to take "professional quality" wildlife photos.
Most "former pros" using the above definition have a significantly reduced income from photographic sales compared to 10 or 15 years ago.
Many have turned to a business mix including tour leading, perhaps an active web-site big enough to earn a small commission from advertiser links, book authors (of their work) and 1 to 1 training to maintain or increase income levels.
The forum itself is a revenue stream, as are the items in the "Store" at the top of the page.Does Back Country Steve make his coins selling photos or --? He has all the latest gear, cash flow from somewhere
Exactly what I was suggesting.. I'd assume many here believes he sells a lot of his photos.. but.....The forum itself is a revenue stream, as are the items in the "Store" at the top of the page.
...In 2023 they went out of business (after 70 years).