THE XPLORING BRIEF

The digital revolution has made photography accessible to everyone as the digital camera market is developing faster than other creative media, both technically and creatively. People now have an ever-expanding choice of tools to create their pictures while one product innovation is chasing the next. Everybody is able to document their lives and to explore their creative potential without taking any risks. Not only have people been empowered to create more images of their lives but also to share them and collaborate with others. Photographs have become the new social currency that people are trading on social networking sites to influence others and express their identity. It’s a universal language everyone can understand, but the quantity of images has taken over the quality of photos leading to digital inertia. Digital cameras are becoming commoditized in the megapixel and price battle. Consumers are trying to stay on top of the digital camera swamp as they are stuck in a tyranny of choice. What all camera brands are failing to do is to create an emotional connection with people who may not be passionate about photography as such, but use digital cameras in their everyday lives.

The purpose of this Xploring project is to uncover a strategic insight that will help us lift people’s rational barriers and take us to a powerful organizing idea.

Areas of Curiosity:
- The rise of creativity in people’s everyday lives
- People’s hidden creative talents
- How people reportage their lives in pictures
- How people’s see the world through their camera
- People’s passion to preserve their experiences on pictures
- What makes a good camera for ordinary people


THE XPLORING TASK
Xploring is based on a very simple principle:
If you want to understand how a tiger hunts, don’t go to the zoo...Go to the jungle.

Xploring is much more than gathering information, it means going into unknown territory. Taking risks, perhaps taking a wrong turn. It means following your gut and listening, really listening. It means trusting your instincts, over and beyond the facts given. Knowing that when you do, you'll see more, understand more.

We will spend the next weeks with real people in the real world to understand the things that matter to them when taking pictures. Our Xploring journey will take us to people living in Germany, Poland, Russia, Italy, Spain and the U.K. We will go to their homes, spend a day with their families and friends, share their personal memories, connect with them through social networking sites, go on a night out, play with their cameras, listen to their stories, and observe their creative abilities…etc.


13 July 2009

Personal Progress

Tim is an enthusiastic hobby photographer and has a passion for wildlife photography. He tells us that he used to be into photography as a child but lost interest in his teenage years when girls became more interesting. Tim rediscovered his passion for photography 9 years ago during an advertising print shoot in South Africa when he saw a lot of animals that you don't usually get to see in Europe. He was trying to capture them with his Canon Xsos and then decided to get a "proper" camera so he bought a Nikon. Why Nikon? "Because it is THE camera brand within the professional wildlife photography community. Even Andy Rouse switched from Canon to Nikon. It's just more satisfying to take pictures with a good camera and you get better over time, because you learn to understand your camera better as you are practicing. Digital cameras enable you to improve what you are doing because you get a second chance to take a better image. You grow with your camera." Tim believes that there has been a democratisation of photography as the digital revolution has put it into everybody's reach.
Tom and I take a look at Tim's personal portfolio and are impressed by the pictures and compliment Tim on his achievements. He seems very humble and points out that his images are not comparable to proper professional wildlife. He takes out the "Wildlife Photography of the Year" book and takes us through the work. We are in awe. The power of these pictures is fascinating.

Insights:
- Photo enthusiasts set themselves professional benchmarks when it comes to judging their own work.
- Learning to take good images is a journey that enthusiasts are willing to take.
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