048 - 10 Hopes for Photography in 2021
Last episode for 2020! We have reached the end of what is undoubtedly the most interesting and different year of my life, and I'm sure for most people.
Today on the podcast, we are talking about my 10 hopes for photography in 2021. This list is in no particular order, just hopes that came to me as I thought about this. This is a chance for some reflections and meditation on the year that was and on the one to come. And with that said, let's talk about what I hope for photography, travel, and adventures in 2021.
More Amazing New Cameras
2020 was a fantastic year for cameras. Canon released the R5 and R6. Sony had the A7sIII and the A7C. Fujifilm brought us the x-T4, and Nikon brought out the second generations of the Z6 and Z7.
And 2021 is shaping up to have just as many excellent cameras released. Canon's rumoured to be releasing up to 7 new RF mount cameras, including the 1D series replacement (so far is called the R1), an RP replacement, a crop sensor camera in the 7d series vein and a few cinema cameras. And that's just Canon. Sony's rumoured to be releasing another A9 model, the A7 IV, and a low-budget mirrorless full-frame. Nikon's rumoured to be releasing its high-end mirrorless (so far being called the Z9) and a high-megapixel Z-series model so far nicknamed the Z8. Fujifilm's releasing a new mirrorless medium format, and Panasonic is supposedly leaning hard into their full-frame mirrorlesses. And that's all that we know about. There are so many other unsubstantiated rumours flying around that we could see upwards of 15 to 20 new cameras from the major manufacturer in 2021.
2. For Japan Industrial Partners to do something with Olympus
Olympus cameras was sold off in 2020 to Japan Industrial Partners. The new owners swear that the OM, PEN, and Zukio lines will continue, and they are focused on continuing Olympus' heritage. But that has yet to be seen. So far, they have just followed through on releasing what Olympus already had in the pipeline. We haven't heard what they are planning to do just yet. We do know that they are likely dropping the Olympus name, but nothing else has been announced. I hope they will continue the 101 years of Olympus camera heritage and bring the once amazing camera line back to the forefront of the imaging market in 2021 with at least a few enticing announcements, if not a new product or two.
3. For Third Party Lenses for the RF Mount
Canon's RF Lenses are spectacular glass, but they are insanely expensive. Don't get me wrong; the quality is worth the price. But, many of us can't swing $4,000 for every lens we want in our bag. So having some third-party lenses for the mount would be amazing. Sigma has already announced they are making RF lenses, and, given their history, these should be beautiful pieces of glass. But we are still waiting on Tamron and others to start releasing, or at least announcing, their RF lenses. I hope in 2021, we start seeing those releases from third-party manufacturers.
4. For Travel to Return to Some Normalcy
There is hope for this happening, thankfully. With vaccine shipments heading out around the world, there is an end in sight for what is happening right now, and I, for one, cannot wait to travel more freely and easily again. I miss the people and the places and the busyness of markets and just the sense of community that comes with travelling from place to place. Once the Canada-US border opens again, my first big trip will likely be to Berkley, California, where I have a friend who has been living there for four years. I had planned to see him this past March, but border closures so that that trip will happen as soon as possible. We will be heading into Yosemite to do some camping and hiking! I've never been to this climbing mecca, and I cannot wait. Here's to more travel in 2021!
5. For People to Start Understanding Copyright
This is a long shot. I'll admit that from the start. But I hope that in 2021 people start respecting creatives and the things they create instead of stealing them and putting them in presentations, on social media, and printing them. I hope that people start valuing the work that photographers do and that people start understanding how copyrights work. It's a long shot, but I can hope!
6. For Digital Medium Format to Keep Becoming More Accessible
Each year brings us another digital medium format mirrorless camera, and with each new release, medium format becomes more and more a part of the digital photography world. I hope that this trend continues in 2021 as more camera companies release more affordable medium-format cameras that can be carried in backpacks the world over.
7. For Nikon to Get Its Act Together
For years Nikon has been releasing fantastic camera after fantastic camera but keep falling further and further behind Sony and Canon in terms of profit and market share. And now Fuji and Panasonic are quickly catching up to them. One of the big reasons for this is Nikon's smaller R&D department and marketing department compared to those of their big two competitors. They are trying to keep competing with companies that are much bigger, have more resources than them, and simply can't at the moment. They don't seem to have an identity either. Sony and Canon are the two big names that have a camera for seemingly every market. Fuji has built a camera for people who love their control scheme. Panasonic has created video powerhouses. But what is Nikon? They used to have a camera for everyone in the market, and that seems to be who they still want to be, but they can't seem to convince the everyday consumer to buy their cameras. Amateur, hobbyist and beginning photographers are gravitating towards Sony, and Canon and Fuji and seemingly not to Nikon. And sadly, that has put the company on some shaky ground (and 2020 likely didn't help that). Nikon is a huge part of the camera industry, and I would love to see them stay there. They have a history and a depth, and I would rather not see them go the way of Kodak. But, with no identity and lacking the resources to compete on the mass market with Canon and Sony, Nikon is in a tough spot. So I hope in 2021 that we see Nikon reestablish their identity as a camera brand and gain back consumers' trust. Their cameras are excellent, and their quality is impressive; they just need to find a way to show that off. Otherwise, we may be looking at the next Olympus. A camera brand giant who, after decades in the industry, disappears.
8. For the Return of in-person Photography Learning
Photography isn't impossible to teach digitally, but it is certainly way more fun and impactful to be learning photography in person, surrounded by other people with their cameras and creating magic together. I hope we see the return of photography tours and lessons that help everyone see more of our big beautiful world.
9. Increased support among photographers for other photographers
I'm part of several photography communities in-person, on Facebook, and elsewhere. One of the trends I've noticed that is getting worse year over year is photographers being intentionally mean or degrading towards other photographers. This is especially true in groups where not everyone is a professional photographer. I've seen many amateur and hobbyist photographers who lose all interest in photography because of how so-called professionals treat them. They get called derogatory names for asking simple questions (that everyone needs to ask at some point). They get attacked for not having exactly the right gear or being able to afford the latest and greatest because that's, supposedly, the only way to get a good photo (it's not, FYI, but some professionals seem to justify their existence with how expensive their gear is.) Or their work gets torn apart when they post it, and not with helpful criticisms but with malice. I've come to believe this is happening because A.) some photographers are just jerks and are likely that bitter and angry with everybody in their lives. And because B.) some photographers are scared of what is happening to their profession. With more people taking photos on phones and photography becoming more and more accessible, those attempting to make a living at it are becoming scared, faced with a scarcity mindset, and are lashing out at those trying to learn, trying to keep them away from their pot of gold. But a scarcity mindset doesn't do anybody any good.
Instead, in 2021, I'd love to see more photographers becoming friendlier and happier people. Helping out those coming into photography, helping out other professionals who have a question or need support and just generally functioning from an abundance mindset rather than a scarcity one. I understand that this can be hard, given that we live in a world that drives a scarcity mindset and that being surrounded by photographers makes us think there are way more talented photographers than there actually are. Let's be helpful and supportive of each other as we enter a new year, and hopefully, enter a better year.
10. To See More Amazing Adventures
I cannot wait to see what adventures everyone has in store for 2021 and see them happen. There were still some pretty amazing feats accomplished in 2020 (Chris Burkard's bike-packing trip through Iceland springs to mind). And with a light at the end of this pandemic tunnel, I am stoked to see what people come up with in 2021 and the images that they create while doing it.
And that's it. Those are my ten hopes for photography in 2021. One more, actually, I hope that your 2021 is filled with adventure and creativity, and joy. I hope that you can get out and create images and enjoy photography. I hope that your year is filled with hope.
Thank you, everyone, for a remarkable 2020. I started this podcast with no real idea of what we were going to see happen, and you have all turned this into a remarkable journey. Thank you for being here with me in 2020, and I cannot wait to see where our community of photographers goes in 2021.
Happy New Year, my friends.
Bye for 2020.