Menlo Park, CA—The Zenfolio 2023 State of the Photography Industry report was released. The report provides insights into the photography industry from the perspectives of professional photographers as well as their businesses. Moreover, it is the fourth issued since 2021 by the creative/business solution platform for photographers.
The report is derived from survey participants who primarily specialize in portrait, landscape, wedding, sports as well as family photography. The survey respondents were mostly part-time or full-time self-employed with more than 10 years of experience.
In addition, the 2023 report covers a variety of topics. They comprise business trends, marketing, revenue, pricing, mirrorless technology as well as photographers’ sentiments about using artificial intelligence (AI). 
“We are excited to share our findings from the 2023 State of the Photography Industry survey,” said Jason Egnal, CMO of Zenfolio. “The report provides valuable insights into the photography industry and the trends that are shaping it. We created this report to help photographers better understand their industry so they can make informed decisions about their businesses.”
Zenfolio 2023 State of the Photography Industry Report
Zenfolio found that almost 20% of photographers surveyed in Q1 2023 reported their business had increased from a year ago. However, many are still grappling with the aftereffects of Covid and the impact of rising inflation. Moreover, 66.6% of photographers reported their businesses were either slower or performing as expected. 
In addition, photographers making at least $100K saw clear revenue increases over the past year. However, across all other brackets, 40% reported that revenue decreased. Yet, this number marks an improvement from the previous year, when 76.2% of all surveyed photographers had reported a negative impact on their revenue.
Regarding the use of AI, the survey revealed that AI is being embraced by the industry. Almost 50% reported they have integrated AI into their photography workflows. Further, only 11% see AI developments as having a negative impact on photographers.
What’s more, photographers were asked if AI is the solution to their biggest pet peeves. The results: if photographers could choose one thing to spend less time doing, 41% of them want to spend less time editing. Plus, 34% said they are using AI to help them with this tedious task.
Marketing strategies have also shifted. The results indicate that photographers are relying more on nonpaid or organic social media over paid ads for marketing their business.
Notably, the survey found that mirrorless cameras continue to gain ground on DSLRs. “Mirrorless cameras are shaking up the professional photography industry, challenging traditional DSLRs,” Zenfolio stated. 
While 50% of photographers still prefer DSLRs, mirrorless cameras are rapidly gaining ground. In fact, 41% of photographers surveyed now choose this newer option. This represents a significant increase of 50.7% in mirrorless camera usage compared to the last survey.
To read the complete report, click here.
Zenfolio
For almost two decades, Zenfolio has served photographers around the globe. Zenfolio.com is an all-in-one portfolio and website builder for photographers. It offers a suite of business and e-commerce solutions for photographers to showcase their work, manage their businesses as well as build their brands.
Moreover, Zenfolio brands and services include Format.com, a portfolio website solution with marketing and studio management tools for creative professionals. PhotoRefine.ai is the company’s advanced AI technology that takes the work out of grouping, rating and culling images.
In addition, PhotoBooker.com is a resource to find and book local photographers. Finally, PrintsMarketplace.com is an online gallery that sells museum-grade prints from artists and photographers around the world.
