How important an ingredient is creativity to a successful photography career?

Answer 1

Creativity is definitely NOT important to a successful photography career. That is demonstrated by the majority of photographers who make a very good living without an ounze of creativity. Look at newspapers, magazines, sports, all product advertising, pin ups and pornography. They are all clear competent illustrations. What is needed is the technical ability, the reliability to produce the image on time and a great marketing campaign. Creativity is about 5% or less.
Creativity is required in photography when it is about being innovative such as fine art and to some degree advertising and fashion. Here it is about 50%. As Woody Allen said:"Ninety per cent of life is just showing up."
Nowadays with a good digital camera, a good network of contacts and an excellent portfolio and website you should be able to tackle what you want. My advice is choose a subject you are passionately interested in and become a specialist in that whether it is cars, fashion, houses, interiors, portraits, flowers, food, weddings, forensic, sports or holidays.
There are many photographers with little creativity who are very successful financially. They know what their customers want and give it to them. They know about marketing and pricing and selling. It all depends on what you mean by successful. I guess you mean financial success.

Answer 2

Again this group has posted some great responses so I'll just chip in a tiny comment.
To be remembered as a great photographer requires creativity. To make a living at it does not. Creativity and uniqueness/individuality are not the same thing but are close relatives - it can be a challenge to express ones own unique approach to photography.

BTW
Based soley on the questions and answers you have posted here I have no doubt that creativity is not a problem for you.

Answer 3

That is like asking how important creativity is to any artist. Photography is about displaying how you see a subject with an image...

Answer 4

While I have read all the previous answers and cannot argue with the content and opinion, for me, creativity is everything.
There are many branches to professional photography. Some of them need no creativity at all, just being able to be there when it happens and get an image is all that is necessary.
On the other hand, there are some other areas which DEMAND creativity.
So, the real answer is ...
DEPENDS.
It depends upon what area you would like to specialise in.
Technical skills are ultimately more important on the broader scale - you have to be able to produce an image that is what is required by the end-user. Quality, more often than not, is a prime requirement.
Thereafter, in some areas of the work, it is the artistic content that scores heavily.
Imagine that you are specialising in record album covers, or paperback book front covers ... all manner of variations can and do crop up and so often it is the visual power of the creative end-product that takes the financial booty home.
Again, for me, in my retirement, it is the artistic element that I concentrate on. When I was last working, creativity was a hindrance! The client just wanted a pictorial record and 'no fancy stuff'.

Depends.

Late addition. See this image and tell me whether technical skill or creativity is the more important.
http://www.eyefetch.com/image.aspx?ID=632015

Answer 5

For some reason people seem to think that Photography is different from every other art form where you don't need classes or an artistic eye. It's one of the stupidest assumptions people have.

Answer 6

None for me I shoot sports. Some creativity is required with the Bank Manager if I want another lens or 1ds! I do know the shoots I want before I shot them. Most other forms of the business require alot of creativity. So it's importance depends on the area the photographer works in.

Answer 7

I would say 100%, if you are talking career. Getting the right shot at the right moment is paramount. One would have to have an artistic temperament to start with with. Appreciation of the subject is everything in photography.

Answer 8

Depends on what your client wants. Some want pretty plebian shots for products.

Some want standard headshots.

Others want the next Georgio Armani campaign, and others want glamor shots on crack.

For one, creativity is not really needed, for the later, it's almost a prerequisite.

Answer 9

To a large degree this depends on your chosen area within photography, and it depends upon what you and your clients are looking for.

If you have your technical stuff right (says someone who never does in this area), and if you are working in an area like portraits, you can "get by" without creativity. With weddings you can "get by" without it too if you take enough shots, there are sure to be good ones.

At the same time, not having that creative eye will limit the photographers ability to "see". He may overlook a sublime moment, or delete a once in a lifetime shot because it isn't what his technically oriented brain is looking for.

For a bread and butter portrait and wedding photographer, creativity can lift him above the pack, make his work shine and lead to better fees, not to mention greater work satisfaction.

I think even sports photography benefits from creativity. Again, it's that moment, of what? Of hesitation, of deep thought, of triumph.. all these choices are creative, no matter how they may try to deny they are.

Then there is the arty photography, well you don't need me to tell you that you need creativity there.

Basically, yes, creativity is important, even if it isn't recognised. It's easy to get numbed by workload and routine, but if you peek under the surface, you will see that you are all creative and that your images speak. Lizzie.

Answer 10

Without creativity ... you're dead!

And I mean both in your image making and in your business approach.

It's not some nebulus concept. Creativity - in my opinion - is simply the ability and the willingness to explore your curiosity, to pay attention, and to be willing to screw up without judging yourself too harshly.