2026 State of the Photo Industry Survey Opens for Photographers Worldwide

The 2026 State of the Photo Industry Survey, led by photography professor Heather Morton and Rob Haggart of A Photo Editor, is now open for professional photographers. The anonymous survey, conducted via Qualtrics, aims to build on last year's dataset of 1,294 respondents from 43 countries, with most based in the US, Canada, and the UK. It covers income, licensing, promotional strategies, video adoption, and industry outlook. Last year's findings revealed an aging demographic (roughly one-third aged 40–49, under 3% under 30), income disparities (most under $50,000 annually, some US photographers earning six figures), and hybrid production (nearly half shoot stills and video). The survey has ethics clearance from the Sheridan Research Ethics Board, takes about 15 minutes, and remains open through June 1, 2026. Results are expected later this summer with deeper analysis. Organizers emphasize multi-year data to track trends in AI, social media, licensing, and hybrid production.