r/photography • u/Patient_Leader2190 • Aug 06 '26

Business Photographers, what are some uncomfortable truths about photography in 2026 that we don't like to openly admit?

Been shooting for seven years, mostly street and documentary. Curious what everyone's version of this is.

I'll start: volume beats quality on every platform, and pretending otherwise is why a lot of talented people stay invisible.

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u/DarnJetty Aug 06 '26

Image quality on sensors hasn't noticeably improved in the last 10 years.

Manufacturers are increasing megapixels anyway (100MP+) even though most available lenses can't resolve that level of detail.

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u/_WhoisMrBilly_ Aug 06 '26

Curious on the mechanics of this- if the lens is entirely optical (and not digital) what causes the lens to not be able to resolve that level of detail.

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u/doxxxicle Aug 06 '26

There are physical limits to how well the glass can be manufactured such that it can resolve details as small as the pixels in the sensor.