WHAT IS THE VALUE OF AN IMAGE?

For decades it was right there, irrefutable, numbers on a page, invoiced and remitted, value exchanged for value received, with a wicked appreciation of its power, and respect for the art and craft of its making.

Factor in inflation, and value should increase. And in a world that no longer reads, that increase should be exponential – including, and beyond, the numbers on the page.

But inflation has a one way relationship with photography. Expenses now exceed any predictable calculation, yet rates have eluded adjustment for over half-a-century. The financial hit is formidable, but the psychological destruction is devastating and far-reaching.

If photography must now cost less to buy than to produce, who will be left to create it?

And just what IS the value of an image?