Emily Buchanan is a writer and blogger working for Howling Basset, a network of wedding photographers in Kent, UK. She'd cautiously call herself an amateur photographer and prefers to shoot with film (she, too, has a serious case of OCN and it is contagious). Follow Howling Basset on Twitter and Facebook.

By now, it’s a dated debate.Does the ease of a digital dark room hinder the legitimacy of an image or are we all just suffering from a strand of OCN (Obsessive Compulsive Nostalgia) bought on by digitalisation and social anxiety? Has the accessibility of photography served to dilute its artistry? Is this affected by the contemporary culture of cataloguing life online? Well?

In this ever-updating age, questions rotate in a perpetual thought-storm like transient objects of wonder. We are barely granted the time to form an opinion before the Next Big Thing has flipped the industry on its head and it’s time to reassess contemporary culture again. But whichever side of the fence you find yourself on, it’s important to take a balanced approach.

In 1936 Walter Benjamin wrote, “In the age of mechanical reproduction, art gradually loses its traditional and ritualistic value.” This theory bridged two states of human progression and so two states of art. The dust had barely settled since the Industrial Revolution and the Second World War was about to provoke an accelerated fast-forward into the modern age. What, then, would Benjamin make of art and mechanical reproduction today and which party would he align himself with?

Andy Stonier of Howling Basset defines one school of thought, “I believe there's no real difference between digital and analogue photography in terms of photographic art. They're merely different techniques for capturing a scene. Whether the image created is on film or a CCD it matters little; what counts is the idea.”

And sure, there’s a lot of weight to this argument. Quality photography is dictated by a certain compassion and understanding of the subject, alongside an innovative idea that challenges social conceptions or embellishes a moment, not to mention composition and technical now-how.

The trouble is, quality photography can be achieved using both digital and analogue cameras, it’s just that one instrument is distinctly more convenient than the other. Long have photographers bemoaned the loss of romanticism and solitude that came hand-in-hand with a day in the dark room. And indeed, it just doesn’t feel quite as poetic to plug a camera into a laptop and fiddle with exposure on Photoshop. Rick Adam of Destroy Everything shares this second school of thought, citing the skill involved in analogue photography compared to the point-and-shoot culture that’s now encouraged by social networking, “You have to be a lot more resourceful when shooting film,” says Adam in an interview with Digg Magazine, “for one you shoot fewer photos, but in doing so I think you learn a lot more about composition, lighting, etc… Looking at the bigger picture it’s not hard to see that technological advancements have affected photography drastically. Digital cameras have given people the chance to take and upload images to the Internet instantaneously. These days it’s easy to take some photos, build a website and call yourself a photographer.”

So where’s the resolution? Does the accessibility of photography make it easier to feign a career in the industry or, to put it another way, if one can afford professional gear, does one become a professional photographer? No, say many, for the tools don’t make the photographer. A good photographer needs ‘the eye,’ and that cannot be bought or sold.

Personally, I think the medium is evolving, just as all art forms have evolved and continue to do. If that weren’t the case, we’d still be painting stoic portraits of monarchs or eroticising reclining nudes. I think our online sharing habits have promoted a rebirth of photography as art. Sure, some would argue that this has diluted its quality, but the same can be said for every creative outlet. The internet provides a platform of expression for everyone, whether they’re good or not. This is something that shouldn’t be chastised, it should be celebrated. After all, the cream will always rise to the top and whether a traditionalist likes it or not, digital post production has the power to transform a moment in time into a work of art.

To quote Tolstoy, “Art is a human activity consisting in this, that one man consciously by means of certain signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that others are infected by those feelings and experiences them.”

So, tell us, do you think digital photography is disposable? Do you photograph with intent more with film versus digital?

Today's guest post is by Jerod Foster, an editorial and natural history photographer based in Lubbock, Texas. His book, Storytellers: A Photographer's Guide To Developing Themes and Creating Stories With Pictures, was published in 2011. Follow @jerodfoster on Twitter.

Many thanks to Seshu for providing me the opportunity to guest appear on such a resourceful blog. Once again, the ability to create positive relationships over an ever-growing online community of photographers astounds me.

Speaking of community, if you’re reading this post, there’s no doubt that a good many of you came here via a link posted on Twitter or Facebook, perhaps Google+, your own RSS feed, or a variety of other means of connecting you to, well, here. Word spreads fast in the photography world, especially when that world spans across a very diverse and prolific online community. Needless to say, the photography community, online or not, is large. Very large.

It’s so large and diverse that it’s often difficult to distinguish who we are at times. Just think about it for a moment. We’re so vast and varietal, and in some cases so niche, that we’ve become enclaves of particular areas of the entire art and craft of photography. At the same time, however, we know we all relate to each other on one level or another, but what?

A quandary? Perhaps. Maybe we can be a bit deductive in finding out just who we are as a community. Consider this an exercise in getting to the essence of photographers in general.

Let’s break some of the diversity down by types of photographers, starting with some of the more obvious. A lot of us are wedding, engagement, bridal, and family photographers, established in a particularly special and popular area of photography that have, if you think about it, one of the most important jobs in the world. Others of us are photojournalists, visualizing the life around us for a variety of outlets, including the tried and true newspaper industry, magazine publications, and a boatload of online resources for both traditional and new media content. Still, there are those of us that concentrate solely on the natural world, training our vision and gear on awe-inspiring landscapes and the wildlife that populate such environments. We can’t leave sports shooters of the list, either, since they carry quite a bit of the load for both personal and media audiences (globally, I might add).

Story is not something new, but it is indeed a constant. It’s what each and every one of us as a community (online or not) has in common.

Hold up, though. I’m creating a rather clear separation of the types of photographers out there (I also realize the listing is quite truncated). It’s also apparent among the community that not all of us are 100% one type or the other. Many of us that sling a camera over our shoulder do so with just as much commitment to shooting a family as we do the magazine story assignment we picked up last week. I know sports photographers that can shoot a heckuva wedding, and vice versa. Lest we forget, there are specializations upon specializations in the photography field as well, ranging from different styles of portraiture and cultural photography, to underwater shooting, science and medical image making, to fine art forms of the craft. Some of us are primarily focused on publishing in coffee table books and magazines, while most of us will never see the inside of what those that do call the land of the yellow border (although that shouldn’t stop one from trying).

Finally, but certainly not the least, there are those of us that do not necessarily aspire to be labeled a “type” of photographer, but instead are content and productively happy being generalists and avid shooters. This position is true for many, if not the most, of us, and it includes all levels of photographic achievement/aptitude, from the most basic hobbyist to the amateur wondering if she can earn some side money photographing her neighbors’ children, to the emerging professional right out of university.

So, if the photography community is so diverse, what keeps us together, stumbling upon (if you will) other parts of the industry, different shooters, and strange and interesting sources of visual inspiration? No matter what type of photography you lean toward, the thing that connects each and every one of us is the fact that we’re all telling stories with the images we produce. Story, for that matter, has been a part of what connects us all since the dawn of time! Story and storytelling is what and how we use the information we are continuously consuming to learn and interpret our world. Photography, in this sense, is one of the most important modes of telling story and has been since its commercial inception in the early 19th century.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that storytelling is vital to being a photographer. In some ways, it’s our responsibility to tell stories with images. Not in a cliché way either—I believe that we photographers (no matter what level of professional or hobbyist achievement) are a very important part of what keeps this world in tune with itself. Whether you’re shooting a global humanitarian campaign, a national advertisement, or your child’s first birthday, you have something to pass along with your images, and it keeps informing those around you.

That being said, I also believe that in order to grow as a photographer, we have to tie quite a few things together—things that are discussed quite a bit by the online community I mentioned earlier. Gear, technique, technical aptitude, vision, visual language, style—all are used in order to increase how we see and create compelling images. In addition, and more importantly, each helps us tell stories (they can get in the way as well; a post for another time). Our job is to make sure we’re doing just that. We may improve as photographers, but in essence, we grow as storytellers.

At its core, photography is meant to tell story. At our core, we are storytellers. Whether you’re just starting out, or you have shot professionally for the past 30 years, whether you’re in the studio or on some exotic location, whether you’re shooting solo or as part of a budgeted production crew, story is the central element of the visuals you produce. Story is not something new, but it is indeed a constant. It’s what each and every one of us as a community (online or not) has in common.

We are, in essence, a community of visual storytellers.

Today's guest blog post is by Rosh Sillars, a veteran photographer with a photojournalism background specializing in people, food and interiors. He earned his BFA in photography at the College of Creative Studies (CCS), Detroit. Rosh offers his services to traditional media, new media and corporate clients. He owns the creative representation firm The Rosh Group, Inc. and teaches photography at two universities and serves as a marketing and social media consultant for Synectics media. Rosh is also the coauthor of the book Linked Photographers guide to marketing and social media.Please visit his new project The Driven Business.

Is it really possible to increase dramatically your photography income?

Yes.

Photography has changed over the last 10 years. Digital cameras have made everyone a photographer; many of the basic point-and-shoot jobs have been lost. But, that doesn’t mean the opportunities are gone.

The truth is, there are more opportunities than ever. The secret is to make your competition irrelevant.

How?

Great photography and your creative ideas are the answer. Photography can be combined with writing, video, Photoshop, and other digital technologies to help you create unique offerings.

You must find your niche.

If you don’t have a good website, you are not in business. Make sure it is easy to use and well-optimized (If you don't know what that means, find out.) to attract the people who are searching for what you do. Don’t take search engine optimization lightly. Make sure you have a blog that is updated weekly with great images and text.

Get out of your home, office, or studio. Business is about people and developing relationships. Go to at least one networking event a week. Make sure you have business cards, portfolio cards, and your freshest images ready to share on your smart phone or tablet. Always have a portfolio available. You never know when opportunity will come knocking.

Follow up using the social web. Keep your new connections alive through social media. Develop new relationships using Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Don’t sell to your followers, educate them. Teach them how to find leads for your business and you return the favor with opportunities and valuable introductions.

Create partnerships with companies that focus on the same target market. Develop packages and market your products in cooperation.

Don’t just sell your product. Sell the experience of working with you. You can’t hide behind your products. Photographers today need to understand that if they are going to be successful they are part of the product. Customers, in many cases, are buying the photographer more than the photography.

Make it easy for someone to do business with you. It is important to protect your copyrights. If copyrights were not important, people wouldn’t be working so hard to take them from you. Keeping your copyrights will increase your income by providing more opportunities to resell your images at the appropriate time. But, the issue of copyright, business practices, and contracts doesn’t have to be an us versus them battle. Keep it simple.

Unless you photograph events, you should be using the per-image-pricing model. Your rates should be based on the value of each image, not your time. It is much easier for customers to justify a few hundred dollars per commercial image than $1,500 a day for the photographer's time. This model can easily be adjusted and applied to portraits and family photography. Each image has value; never give away a valuable CD full of images.

Don't forget to follow up.

Communicate regularly with past clients. They are the best referral sources you have, so make sure you collect e-mails and addresses. Don’t let them forget what a great experience they had working with you. Keep them up-to-date with you newest images. Give them the tools and the opportunity to refer you.

The best marketing campaign you can participate in is to regularly send hand-written thank-you notes. People like to be appreciated. Your appreciation is often rewarded with additional income.

What strategies will you employ to grow your photography income? What are you trying now? Willing to share so that can learn from each other? Post your thoughts below!

This is a guest post by Kristy Dickerson, an Atlanta, Georgia based photographer and entrepreneur.

I figured I would start a give you a brief background on myself. My degree is in business finance and I met the love of my life while working at a bank. Yep, he was one of my customers. I fell in love with photography at my own wedding, and after having my first son Roman, I was determined not to go back to the corporate world, but rather pursue my passion photography. Read more about my story here.

Photography to me was a way to still be a mom, pursue my passion and also incorporate the business practices that I love. While searching for educational resources on the web all I could find were local photography schools here in Atlanta. Little did I know, there was this whole world of workshops and tours by photography instructors where a lot of them came to my backyard.
 
The more I got immersed into the photography industry, the more I realized that different organizations and companies promoted instructors. However, I noticed there wasn’t a way for the aspiring photographer to see all the available quality workshops in one location. So I created Fisheye Connect, to help these new emerging photographers like myself get the education that we need in both business and technical aspects.

Coming very soon, Fisheye Connect is having a huge launch! I figured I would share it with you guys and give you a little preview. Did you ever wish there was one “social” website that you could go and connect with other photographers like yourself? Or, search for photogs in your local area? Or, have a forum to ask questions? Do you now have a place to discuss past workshops or share the awesome blogs you follow?  Or how about finding resources like this awesome blog? Stayed tuned for more information! We are hoping to launch prior to WPPI!

Did you ever feel overwhelmed by all the workshop choices you have? Would you use a service like Fisheye Connect to get a better sense of what that photography workshop may offer you? Lend us your thoughts below!

This is a very special interview with an international, award-winning photojournalist G.M.B. Akash. He is based in Dhaka, Bangladesh and represented by Panos Pictures. Wrangling him into finding the time to answer these questions took some doing because he was always on the road working on one project or another. So, I am truly honored to host his images and his responses to a few of my questions here on Tiffinbox. If you have any questions or comments for him, please do submit them at the end of this post!

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? How old are you?

I grew up in a home far removed from my profession. Throughout my childhood I did not have access to photographers, their work, or even a camera. Photography did not exist for me in theory or in practice. Then a decade ago I found my father’s old camera and my life took a different turn. My fascination for the captured image was uncontainable and overcame everything — even my inexperience. Not knowing what I was doing or why, I went everywhere shooting anything and everything that caught my attention. The only thing I was certain of were the subjects I photographed. I concentrated on people living on the edge of society because their faces, lives, and living conditions held a particular fascination for me. Gradually I became absorbed in their daily lives for months on end, learning from their experiences. My desire to capture it all on film pushed me to go to places and to meet people I never would have encountered otherwise. Each visit gave me a deeper understanding of humanity.

I am from Narayangonj, a city which is 200 km away from Dhaka. I come from a middle class, very ordinary family. I was born in 1977. I was always a last bencher in my school. I always felt inside that I have no talent like other kids. But photography gave me a new life.

2) Some would consider you Bangladesh's best known photojournalist. What has led to that success?

Hard work, honesty and respect towards the people whom I photograph.

3) Where were you trained as a photographer? And why, photojournalism? Why not advertising or travel?

My passion for photography began in 1996. I attended the World Press Photo seminar in Dhaka for 3 years and graduated with a BA in Photojournalism from Pathshala. I believe that the formal study of photography is necessary to survive in the industry today. But most important things are to be really passionate and dedicated.

The formal study helped me a lot but most of the time I learned from other photographers. I have learned from painting, songs and movies as well. Everyday I go through the work of other photographers and I learn from them. I have learned from many photographers.

Photography pushed me to go to places and to meet people I never would have encountered otherwise. Each visit gave me a deeper understanding of humanity. Today, I count myself blessed, having become a photographer. To be able to articulate the experiences of the voiceless, to bring their identity to the forefront, gives meaning and purpose to my own life.

In 1998, I saw a photo exhibition on AIDS victims, titled ‘Positive Lives’ at gallery in Dhaka. And realized for the first time how images can influence social perception. My first reaction, on seeing the exhibit was a complete subversion of my original perception of AIDS patients. It struck me how patients with AIDS are alienated and scorned by us because of social misconceptions, and I realized how I as a photographer could help dispel these misconceptions. I discovered the power that images have over us.

To me, photojournalism is a huge responsibility and a tough job. A photojournalist must be honest, hard worker, punctual, and he or she must respect other people.

I believe photography can bring lot of changes in our life. It can bring positive changes. In my case, “my images are my voice, I want to show the things that should be corrected or should be appreciated.”

4) What drives you to make images? Do you see it as a job or as a calling?

What I find most amazing about the work I do is that it opens my eyes to all these little pleasures of life. There is great pleasure in meeting people who are despised by the world, in sharing a cup of tea with them, and discovering that they are still capable of affection, though they themselves go unloved.

This is not a job about making money or succeeding; it is about pursuing art, and opening people’s eyes. That is the responsibility of every photographer.

5) How do you take on projects? Are they self-financed or do you write grants?

Most of my projects are self–financed. I keep saving my money from other assignments to keep doing my personal projects. I do not like using my camera for begging. Each of my projects usually lasts over a year or even two and I begin to use my camera only when I have earned the trust of the people whose lives I want to document.

To portray a community or a way of life, you first need to understand it well yourself, otherwise the images become superficial, and neither you, nor those who look at your photographs, will be touched or moved. In fact, I let the year pass in regular visits to a small community of transvestites in Dhaka, before I eventually started taking their photos. I like to mingle with my subjects, I visit them often, and I invite them to my house, to get it across that I see them as people rather them mere subjects of photography.

6) There is great sensitivity to people in your images? How did you cultivate it? How do you approach people when you are doing stories?

With every picture you take, you enter a space that is unknown to you as a photographer. In the beginning it feels like forbidden territory, a place you are not supposed to enter surrounded by borders of privacy you are not supposed to cross. You, the photographer, are there at a factory, an old home or a brothel with your simple black bag hanging from your shoulder, eying everything around you as you are eyed by the people there. The first days following these intrusions I never take pictures because they would not be good. I wouldn’t know the people I met, wouldn’t understand the place I had just entered – my photography would be stale and meaningless. But there is always that moment when it feels completely natural to open that bag. And also there is no way of telling why it comes. Suddenly, I have a friendly conversation, or the afternoon light makes everybody around me relaxed and mellow, or someone looks at me in a trusting yet familiar way.

Then I take out my camera, and for me and everybody around me it is the most natural thing to do. There is consent. People don’t accuse me, or reject me or pose in unnatural ways. They are just there, doing what they normally do. Then I click away, and it feels like a conversation, a conversation between me and the people, between me and the location, between me and the light, between me and the souls that make this place alive. In such moments a landscape becomes a soulscape.

After such moments, life where I am working becomes trivial again, and the next day everybody asks for their photographs, and there is no difference if the people are girls from a brothel, children who work in a factory or farmers from the countryside. But these little exchanges bring us closer to each other, and the ties between us, which started with small talk and conversation and continued with the first pictures I took, will begin to become deeper and more meaningful, and so will the pictures I take. And the closer I get to them and the deeper our friendship becomes, the simpler my photography gets. I am no longer looking for special angles or artistic points of views; I just open myself to these people, take a good look, frame and wait for the right moment. When I walk home, I have all the moments that I missed in my head, and they will become my source of inspiration in the days to come.

I see the beauty of people and the human soul in the pictures I take. And though the circumstances of some of the people I portray may be grim, back-breaking, depraved, the people themselves are always remarkable characters and souls. And it is my duty as a photographer and artist to point with my pictures at every aspect of existence in the society and world I live in, to show what can be shown, to go deep into every milieu and also into every aspect of poverty, deprivation and hardship that I encounter – because the only sin for a photographer is to turn his head and look away.

7) You keep winning award after award and you are very good about making it known that you were either nominated or you won. Where did you learn such a basic marketing strategy – that is, to be in forefront of everyone's mind when it comes to photography? What or who inspired you to follow that template?

I am very much alone in the Bangladeshi photography industry. I do not even have photographers as friends. I learned everything for my survival. I keep doing the hard work. And my God was always so kind to me and my friends and family.

8) What is the photo world like in Bangladesh? Does most of it revolve around Dhaka? Are Pathashala and Drik still the only resources for emerging photojournalists?

Lot of people are getting interested in photography in Bangladesh. It is becoming a very popular art form. Pathshala is one of the main photography schools. But there are many other schools which also
give a very good education.

It is very tough to survive as a freelancer now days. Especially in Bangladesh. Wire services like AFP, Reuters, AP, EPA capture all the markets. They are very fast and very powerful. They have a huge investment and network. They have their staff everywhere. It is really hard to publish your work as a freelancer.

But what I believe is this: “if you remain true to your work then your work will remain true to you”

9) Do Bangladeshi photojournalists have a network? Is there a sense of camaraderie and competition between photographers?

We have huge competition and huge politics in Bangladeshi photography. Lots of groups and nepotism. Few people control the whole system and they only favor their own people.

10) What challenges do you face when you are commissioned by magazines or newspapers around the world?

Every assignment is a new experience to me. Till today, I have received more than 40 international awards from all around the world and my work has been featured in over 50 major international publications including: National Geographic, Time, Sunday Times, Newsweek, Geo, Stern, Der Spiegel, The Fader, Brand Eins, The Guardian, Marie Claire, Colors, The Economist, The New Internationalist, Kontinente, Amnesty Journal, Courier International, PDN, Die Zeit, Days Japan, Hello, and Sunday Telegraph of London.

It is challenging to work with so many international magazines. Bangladesh is not an internationally important country. I've met so many people who even don’t know where Bangladesh is. Magazines seem to only want photographs from Bangladesh when there are big floods or big disasters.

We have also lot of problems in acquiring travel visas. If something happens in India or Pakistan, we cannot go there instantly. It takes a few days for getting the proper visa. It is so easy for a photographer from a developing country to get a visa but that's not the case for Bangladeshi photographers; it is almost impossible to go into a conflict zone.

But all these awards and publications bring lot of attention on those issues that I have been working. After seeing my work, so many individual people and organizations have shown their interest to help/improve the situation of child labor in Bangladesh and other issues.

My work on “home for elderly people in Nepal” has been printed in a German magazine. After it got printed so many individuals and organizations came to help them. We raised lot of money for this old home. The situation at that old home was very bad and the elderly people who lived there found it hard to get food three times a day.

11) Are you mentoring anyone interested in pursuing a career in photojournalism? Have you considered conducting workshops in South Asia?

I am trying to help a few of my friends. But no workshops at this time. I am very busy with assignments, traveling and working on my personal projects. And I really want to keep taking lot of photos. I need more time for organizing and giving workshops.

12) Have you ever been tempted to work with video? Will still photography always be your main mode of communication?

I have never tried video but I really want to start making short videos. I mainly concentrate on still photography now.

13) What are you trying to say with your photography?

I see the beauty of people and the human souls in the pictures I take.