Too old to   shoot?

Advertising and editorial are two industries that are primary sources of income for countless professional photographers. Both are primary catalysts for culture – how people feel about things, what they want, and what matters. So ageism in these industries is a twofold problem. To be fair, both industries are currently trying to address diversity and gender equality – two problems that are equally pressing.

Sadly, ageism is not yet seen as bad for business, although the seeds of this have begun to germinate. People are living longer. The world’s consumers are getting older. Global agency group, McCann Worldgroup, presented its Australian study, Truth About Age, in Sydney, in May, to unlock how people feel about getting older. In a recent event in London, held in support of Women’s Aid, prejudice against older women in creative industries became part of a headline topic. And magazines are beginning to celebrate older women on their covers and in features. (Although not one of the magazines we invited to have a voice in this article agreed to do so.)

In both these industries, the commissioners, the people who hire other creatives, including photographers, are young. The average age of an Australian journalist is 37 and half of our journalists are under 35 (Folker Hanusch, 2016). The average age of an Australian marketer is 27 (PWC, 2016). The obsession with youth comes from the two industries’ shared focus – the next big thing. Young people are seen as the bearers of fresh thinking, enthusiasm, and creative curiosity. Are they?

Old blood, meet new abilities

The aging brain is more distractible and somewhat more disinhibited than the younger brain, according to Shelly H. Carson Ph.D. in So is the creative