PESHAWAR
Notwithstanding to the mushroom growth of social media, the art of professional photography has started dying in Khyber Pakthunkhwa due to lack of the patronage of the Govt.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, many professional photographers have either switched to other jobs for economic gainsor abandoned it due to low profit margin compare to videos making and advertisements in the wake of speedy growth of social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram that badly affected the art if professional photography.
Nasir Ali, a professional cameraman associated with a new agency told APP that he entered the media profession as photographer and later switched over to video camera keeping in view of the latter demand in open market.
He said that professional cameramen also earn better in shooting weddings, berthday parties and other celebrated occasions than photographers.
The visitors would be extremely disappointed to see closers of scores of photographers shops in Peshawar.
Hastangrai and Pabbi bazaars, which were the main centres of professional photographers in Peshawar and Nowshera have lost shops of professional photographers who switched over to other jobs.
Jamalistan Khan, who has been associated with the art of professional photography for the last 20 years’ said that many of their colleagues left the profession after the rise of social media, especially Facebook and Instagram.
Inherited the photography art from his father, he said that amateur and smartphone photography has introduced new challenges for professional photographers.
He said the people takes photos with ease through smartphones and shared it on Instagram and Facebook which increased the supply of poor photos content besides making it more difficult for professionals to stand out and earned premium prices for their services.
He said the prevalence of photo editing tools and filters has blurred the line between professional-grade and consumer-level imagery, potentially diminishing the perceived value of professional photography especially in Khyber Pakthunkhwa.
He said the professional photographers are left with no other viable option but to adapt their effective business models and marketing strategies for economic survival in the wake of social media’s photos floods.
He said that Instagram was the most popular platform for photographers to market their businesses and compete with national and international photographers.
Professor Dr Naeem Khan, former Chairman Economics Department University of Peshawar told APP that art of photography was feding away due to unchecked uploading of photos and videos by social media ushers in the country.
He said the number of internet users in Pakistan has swelled to a record 111 million in start of this year while the number of social media users crossed the psychological barrier of 71 million mark.
Similarly, 188.9 million mobile connections were active while numbers of facebook users stood at 44.50 million and 17.30 million are instagram users that posed serious challenges to the art of professional photography in Pakistan.
“Photography is a specialized art. It is not the equipment that makes the photographer popular but the quality of his photo with a strong message to attract viewers,” said Mushtaq Khan, another photographer who associated with a famous photography firm for the last 24 years at Peshawar Cantonment told APP.
He said that only those photographers would survive who sell content pictures with clear narrative, style, and powerful messages.
The professional photographers need to work harder to deliver results on the basis of perfect competition, he said, adding he strongly believed in quality, which leads to better service to clients.
He said famous photography firms need to train immature photographers and launch special online training on digital media for assistance of the public that would help showcase Pakistan’s rich culture heritage through digital media platforms.
Ikhtair Wali Khan, PMLN KP Spokesman and former MPA said that Binding Film Finance Fund has been established at a cost of Rs 1 billion per annum by the former PMLN led PDM Govt to promote performing art including film and photography industry in Pakistan.
A medical insurance policy has been introduced for artists’ community and tax exemptions in the last budget announced besides five years’ tax holiday for filmmakers and income tax on establishment of new cinemas, production houses, film museums and tax rebate on export of film, photography and drama for 10 years.
Besides establishment of a national film Institute and post film production facility, he said a national film studio has been announced costing Rs 1 billion.
The rebates were also announced to encourage foreign filmmakers for joint film and drama projects locally that would help promote video makers and photographers, adding the condition of shooting 70 percent of film in Pakistan would be applicable to them imperative to promote business activities including tourism and culture.
Five-year exemption from customs duty on the import of machinery, equipment and supplies for films, photography and dramas announced by the then Government would open new vistas of opportunities for photographers.
He said Finance Bill 2018 has been amended to completely exempt importing equipment for new films, photographers and dramas from sales tax and entertainment duty.
