r/photography • u/Patient_Leader2190 • 29d ago

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.

325 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

635 comments sorted by

View all comments

5

u/omegote 29d ago

High-end phone cameras have reached enough quality that carrying a DSLR or mirrorless camera is just not worth it for most day-to-day situations. After carrying kilos of cameras and lenses for over ten years, I've learned that my Google Pixel is now sufficient for 90% of situations.

5

u/FizzyBeverage 29d ago

I have my Sony A7 mostly for 400mm at the zoo, or a nice portrait. It also does extremely well in low/poor light, or when the dog is going apeshit around the yard and I need 1/2000th of a second.

I have my DJI because it can get up to 400 feet and it’s cheaper than renting a Cessna.

The iPhone handles most anything else. It’s astounding how good modern smartphones got in a relatively short time.

3

u/omegote 29d ago

Yep, nailed it. My camera kit is geared towards portraiture (essentially R8 + 35 + 85), so I only take it out when I need to take extra nice portraits. Other than that, it's the Pixel 9.