The current economy is forcing people to get creative. The traditional jobs on which we’ve all come to rely are disappearing, and a shrinking market means that too much high-quality talent is fighting for the same opportunities. For photographers and videographers, this is particularly vexing. The media recession is deeper than most, with major outlets disappearing by the day. This applies in mainstream and adult, but for once, our industry may have an advantage. There is hidden potential all over the place, and the strength of the online dating sector has created a new business for enterprising shooters. Forget about the companies, and focus on the personal.
Everyone wants to look good, and every online dating profile has room for a photo. In this world, the consumer wants to stack the odds in his favor, spending a monthly fee to get a leg up on the mating competition. So, who wins when one guy points a cell phone camera at himself in the mirror and another pays a professional?
In a market where first impressions matter—and are devoid of anything except the smallest of appearances—quality can make a profound difference. The horny masses are growing wise to this distinction, much to the delight of struggling photographers across the country.
This development could not have come at a better time. The adult industry has been mired in a recession for much longer than the mainstream, and current economic conditions have only exacerbated the situation. Magazines and websites are finding it more and more difficult to keep their operations afloat, let alone maintain the profit margins they once enjoyed. In the mainstream, publications from venerable institutions (such as Condé Nast) are closing their doors. Writers, always vocal (hell, it’s our job to be vocal), have lamented this turn in the market as publicly as possible, but the photographers and videographers—different beasts entirely—have not found a similar platform. Their toil has been private but no less severe.
The relative strength of the dating industry has provided some relief to purveyors of visual services. Ten years ago, it may have been sufficient to take a snapshot to a friend with a scanner to convert it to digital and put it on your online personal ad, but technology, as we know, has come a long way. The competitive forces driving the business community have entered the realm of personal relationships as well, and that shot of you standing next to the uptown C train won’t get you up any online dater’s skirt.
Of course, few operate this way now, with digital cameras a commodity. It’s pretty easy to have a friend take a picture of you from a favorable angle wearing something that accentuates your best features. But this method is no longer foolproof. Backgrounds, lighting and other factors contribute to (or detract from) the aesthetic. What looks fine to you may not cut it in a lineup of 50 people all hoping to win the short- or long-term affections of one of the few hotties in your area looking for whatever action you hope to fulfill.
Professionals, getting less business from aspiring actors and models (not to mention gigs on set in the Valley), are trying to scrounge livings any way they can. I learned of the online dating trend from Steve Zak, a contact here in New York who has shot for local adult companies—and the usual herd of hopeful mainstream superstars who double as baristas and waitresses. “It snuck up on me,” he explained, “and then I realized that there was some real potential to this kind of work.”
It hasn’t been enough to replace the other source of incomes on which he relies, but Zak has noticed the potential and embraced the opportunity. What once fell into his lap, he says, has become a gig he now pursues consciously. “I could keep trying to find work the old way,” he says, “or I could take advantage of this new opportunity. The answer’s pretty obvious.”
As this trend grows, the options are wider than just dating websites. We live in a profile-driven world, where maintaining a presence on several social networks is normal. In addition to the dating site (or sites, depending on the jones), there are Facebook and Twitter accounts to which you must attend. You need to look good on LinkedIn to line up your next serious job, stay hot on a dating site in hopes of scoring some tail and seem genuine on Facebook, as dating prospects get promoted from first-time encounters to longer-term possibilities.
The nature of these websites stretches the user’s obligations from still photos to videos, opening the door for shooters who may be more comfortable on set. The availability of technology has made video today what still digital images were less than a decade ago—I don’t go anywhere, now, without my Flip HD. With the devices affordable and ubiquitous, the next step in the evolution is quality, which means professionals have a shot at getting involved … and making some money. Sexual urge may be a powerful force, but it’s nothing compared with vanity—everyone wants to look good.
This market is not the same as the traditional photo and video world to which shooters are accustomed. To succeed, a new set of expectations is necessary. You may be piecing together a living over a lot of small engagements rather than fewer higher-paying jobs. After all, you’re dealing with individuals and their personal budgets. Zak, for example, is careful to price his services in a way that regular people can afford them without devaluing his talent.
Additionally, the working conditions are a bit different. If you’re selling personal photo or video services, you’re on your own. You won’t have assistants or coworkers (unless you pay for them), and the resources found on any set—lighting andwardrobe, for example—won’t be at your disposal. You may be working outside or in your client’s apartment, and you’ll have to make the most of a limited situation.
This is the nature of a changing market, though. When an economic force hits that fundamentally changes an industry, you have to be able to reinvent yourself quickly, especially if you want to stake out your space in a trend early. Making the move before the competition does comes with handsome rewards.
The key to making the transition from media shooter to personal service provider is flexibility. You have to be ready and willing to change your thinking, reshape your expectations and sift through the wide consumer market to find people willing to pay—and refer you to their friends. You’ll be selling constantly, possibly more than you’re actually working in your chosen profession.
The primary lesson of the current recession will be that the rules we once leaned on no longer apply. Trying to do what you’ve always done leads to frustration in a shrinking market. Broaden your horizons, however, and you will be at the tip of the spear in a business that’s waiting to be developed.
This article originally appeared in the September 2009 issue of AVN.
