Update: on Dec 1, SXSW selected this idea as a Core Conversation for SXSW 2010; click here for the presentation used to lead the conversation.

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In the coming days I’ll highlight a couple ideas that other people submitted that I would love to see at SXSW 2010, but I’ll start with a couple I submitted.

If you’re interested in discussing how everyone can be a *professional* photographer, click here to vote for an idea I submitted for SXSW 2010.

Everyone is a photographer: a camera in every cellphone, a point-and-shoot in every pocket, a digital SLR camera in every bag or home. New platforms to create, distribute and sell to a wider range of clientele give everyone the opportunity to be a *professional* photographer and sell their photography.

What will the conversation cover?

• Why anybody can already be a “photographer” (quality is not a determinant of status).
• What is a “professional” photographer? (the professional v. amateur debate)
• Does photography need to be one’s sole source of income in order to be a “professional” photographer? (In my humble opinion, no.)
• What equipment (camera and gear) is necessary for producing images good enough to sell?
• How can a photographer identify their opportunity (niche) in the photography industry?
• How can a photographer get started in selling stock photography?
• What opportunities exist beyond traditional stock photography? (e.g. microstock, alternative stock agencies, citizen journalism)
• How can a photographer earn money by selling prints and other ancillary products (i.e. merchandise), and what platforms are best?
• How photographers can use social media to drive attention and sales (fans and customers) using the web and social media, and what platforms people can use to drive traffic, track campaigns, and monetize traffic.
• How can people use photography to help the other parts of their businesses and careers?

Looking forward to the conversation.

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Related

• My core conversation from SXSW 2009, Venture Capital for the Long Tail: Trends in Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital (SXSW 2009).
• A collection of highlights from past writings about the future of the photography business.
• My other panel submission for SXSW 2010: Personal APIs: Better Living Through Collaboration.