[swdly] [SoftwareDaily] 11/6/2003 04:20:17 PM
- From: Karl Dallas <karldallas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: swdly@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2003 08:20:18 -0800
[05 November 2003]
The Adobe 'Photos' Report
With Christmas around the corner, and digital cameras and accessories= high
on the gift wish list this year, it is indicated that the nation?s ph= oto
lovers and keen photographers will have rung up a bill of at least *=A3= 1
billion on the popular pastime of photography and related imaging product= s
as we see in the New Year. With so much money invested, it?s no wonder th=
enthat taking photos seems to be one of the most popular activities in the=
UK universally shared by all ages, genders and backgrounds.=20
A new survey launched today by Adobe, experts in the photo and creati= ve
services software industry, has peered into the viewfinders of the natio=
n?skeen photographers to reveal what happens to the photo once the shutter=
has been clicked.=20
The Nation?s Photo Habits Revealed
Money for Nothing=20
Despite the huge popularity of photography around the nation, it seem= s
thatonce the shutter has clicked our enthusiasm for our photos may have =
already waned. For those still operating by film, the survey indicates that=
our anticipation turns to frustration when the results of our efforts are =
revealed, as on average, the survey found that even before people get their=
photos home nearly 10 (9.8) shots from a 24-exposure film are so bad we?ll=
wish we didn?t have to pay for them.=20
Digital Age is Dawning=20
Timely then that the move to digital cameras is gathering pace in the= UK as
it looks likely to save the nation a fortune in unwanted photographi= c
printcosts. Our survey revealed that just over half (56%) of those surve=
yednow own a digital camera. With this in mind, it was a surprise to find =
that just one in twenty (6%) of these people could claim to have organised =
their photos digitally, perhaps reflecting a reluctance to embrace the tech=
nological world too quickly in the transition from traditional film to memo=
ry card. Whilst the majority of digital camera users were content to use th=
e software that arrived with their camera purchase, more than one in 10 (13=
%) would like to have extra software to help them get organised with their =
photo collections.=20
Photo Chaos - The Male Female Divide?=20
But digital age aside, there is clearly still a mountain of bad photo=
graphslurking amongst the good as over a third (37%) of the people intervi=
ewed happily admitted that they never throw a photo away, no matter how bad=
ly taken or unflattering it might be and so the stack of prints just keeps =
getting higher and higher. This could explain why more than half of the sur=
vey sample (51%) described their photo collections as ?disorganised? while =
a quarter (25%) admit their photos are in complete chaos! For many of us fi=
nding a special picture involves rooting through boxes (22%), drawers (15%)=
or cupboards (7%) where envelopes of prints have been stashed away. Amongs=
tour sample there were also people who sheepishly admitted to using biscui=
ttins, carrier bags, plastic food containers and even rucksacks as handy s=
torage spots for their precious collection! Only four out of 10 (40%) can s=
mugly say they have their precious snaps organised in photo albums. Interes=
tingly, the surv=20
ey showed that more men (20%) than women (13%) claim to have their ph= oto
collections organised. However, in reality the survey clearly reveals t= he
opposite as women (43%) were actually more organised than men (36%), whe= n
asked if their photos were kept in a photo album.=20
The Ex-Files=20
Although two thirds (63%) of people said they were willing to throw o= ut
pictures that were bad or unflattering, it seems the end of a relationsh= ip
with a partner or spouse proves to be a catalyst for a clear out with on= e
in twenty (5%) admitting to having thrown away pictures of their ex. Many=
also admitted to sneakily taking out unflattering pictures of themselves w=
hilst leaving similar shots of friends and family in the pile for later emb=
arrassment!=20
Sorry, am I boring you?=20
So, with so many photographs including the good, the bad and the ugly= ,
being passed around before they are shoved in a box under the bed, it may=
not come as too much of a surprise to hear that we are often a nation of p=
hoto-bores. Nearly three quarter?s (68%) of respondents said that they have=
been bored silly by other people?s snaps either occasionally (53%) or freq=
uently (15%) and what?s more two out of five (40%) sheepishly admitted to k=
nowingly boring others with their photos.=20
To Hobby or not to Hobby=20
Not surprisingly, being a nation of hobbyists, the survey revealed th= at
along with family, friends and holidays, hobbies are a favourite photogr=
aphic subject. Nearly 7 out of 10 people claimed to regularly take photos o=
f their own hobby (35%) or other family member?s hobbies (31%). Most common=
ly photographed hobbies are sports people participate in (31%), hobbies inv=
olving the home and garden (21%), sports people like to watch (20%) and hob=
bies involving wildlife (15%). Many of those interviewed claimed they photo=
graph their hobby for insurance purposes. Anglers however have an altogethe=
r different reason for taking snaps of their hobby. A common reason for tak=
ing photos given by those with fishing, as a hobby was that fellow anglers =
are disbelieving and a photography catalogue of what?s been caught prevents=
others from doubting their claims! Women are more embarrassed than men abo=
ut showing people photographs of their hobby with four out of ten (40%)fema=
le respondents=20
claiming their hobbies make the most embarrassing snaps, compared to = only
three out of ten (30%) men.=20
Taking a Trip Down Memory Lane=20
Given the state of the nation?s photo collections, it is hardly surpr= ising
that almost half (48%) of the people surveyed peruse their old photos= just
once a year or less. Yet over half of us (58%) would love to take a t= rip
down memory lane more often if our snaps were better organised. Surpris=
ingly, the survey revealed that 20-somethings are more than twice (18%) as =
likely than 60-somethings (8%) to look through their photos on a monthly ba=
sis. A small minority (3%) never look back at their old memories and more t=
han one in 10 (9%) need to improve their shutter skills as they claim they =
would look at their photo collection more often if they had better photos!=
=20
Consumer expert, Jan Walsh authored the report and says ?Our survey s= hows
that while people dearly treasure their photos, they aren?t making the= most
of them and are losing out on enjoying their memories purely because = of a
lack of organisation.?=20
Digital Dynamo or Hopeless Hoarder - What?s Your Type?=20
The in-depth Photo Report has identified five key photo types that re= flect
that nation?s photo habits. Reflecting the surge in popularity of the=
digital camera are the Digital Dynamos who seem to have not only got to gr=
ips with digital photography, but have also conquered the art of compiling =
their digital photo collection on their PC?s. This group, however, is still=
the minority. The survey also revealed traits of the Arty Arranger, who dr=
apes photos around them as if they were in a gallery and the Meticulous Org=
aniser who can always find the exact photo they want, when they want it. Th=
e balance of the nation?s snappers falls somewhere within the Happy Accumul=
ators who have a photo of every occasion somewhere, but are too poorly diso=
rganised to find them, and the Hopeless Hoarders who can?t throw away even =
the worst photos in their collection, never mind organise them properly, so=
instead they live with piles of photos in chaos!=20
Regional Differences=20
As a nation, our photo habits seem to be consistent but the survey di= d
highlight a few exceptions across the regions. The survey found the Welsh=
tobe the worst culprits when it comes to boring people with their holiday=
photos by a clear majority of six out of 10 (60%) compared to the national=
average of just four (40%). Even higher is the number of Welsh countrymen =
who are on the receiving end of photo-bores with over 8 out of 10 (84%) com=
pared to the more tolerant folks in the North West who had the lowest numbe=
r of complaints (56%) about being bored by others holiday photos. Indicatin=
g that their photography talents are not all they could be, the South East =
snappers seem to have the highest amount of photos not worth paying for (50=
% vs. national average of 41%). Six out of ten (60%) Scottish photo collect=
ions are poorly organised placing them just one step ahead of those surveye=
d in the West Midlands over a third (36%) of whom admitted their photo coll=
ections were in=20
chaos! The North West has the highest percentage of Hopeless Hoarders= with
nearly half (45%) of those surveyed claiming never to have thrown awa= y a
photograph.=20
Adobe in the Home=20
Adobe?s latest consumer-focused software product, Adobe Photoshop Alb= um
2.0, is designed to help solve the nation?s photo chaos. The software al=
lows users to find, fix, share and preserve their entire photo collection w=
ith just a few clicks, signalling an end to stuffed shoeboxes and cupboards=
across the nation! Priced at =A339.99, Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 is a comp=
rehensive first-step package for anyone who might want to enhance their pho=
to imaging capabilities in the future, but first needs to get their photo c=
ollection in order. Simple and fun to use, even the less techno savvy among=
st us can get to grips with a logical photo filing system and begin to clea=
r those boxes out of the spare room!=20
Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0 is available at PC World, Currys, John Lewi= s,
Staples and Jessops stores throughout the UK.=20
Editors Notes=20
The Adobe Photo Report 2003 was carried out by the Consumer Analysis = Group
via a series of lengthy telephone interviews during October 2003 cove= ring
asample of 500 people aged between 21 and 70 from England, Scotland a= nd
Wales.=20
*Data Source: According to GFK Marketing Services Ltd, Photo Panel Se= pt
02-August 03 imaging products excluding photo processing, but including=
digital, still and analogue cameras, still film, Binoculars and memory car=
ds was worth =A3959.6m.
--
P= osted by Karl Dallas to SoftwareDaily= [1]at 11/6/2003 04:20:17 PM
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