Only 12.3% of respondents didn't use AI in last year’s State of the Photography Industry Survey. Will this year prove any different?

Zenfolio’s State of the Photography Industry Survey 2026 has officially launched, with the survey closing on January 8 2026. The annual survey is designed to quantify experiences from photographers working in every corner of the imaging industry, with questions covering a broad range of subjects from clients to workflow and planning for the year ahead.

But the survey is also designed to tap into the emerging hot topics that photographers are forced to navigate, be it economic pressures, changing client expectations, and of course, the rapid expansion of AI. This year’s survey includes new questions relating to creative fulfillment and professional well-being, as well as pricing strategies and work-life balance.

Last year’s survey makes for some very interesting reading… Only 12.9% of respondents said they didn't use AI, with 32.2% considering it a regular part of their workflow, and 53.1% using it as needed. In addition, just 11.6% saw AI as outright negative, with 31.8% calling it outright positive, and 56.6% sitting in between the two. A year in the world of artificial intelligence is a lifetime, so I’m certainly looking forward to the 2026 survey's results to see if outlooks surrounding this contentious topic have changed.

Despite the pandemic years bringing many trade shows to their knees, last year’s survey indicated that working photographers really do value the tactile experience of walking a trade show floor, with 63.6% of respondents likely to attend a trade show and just 27.8% unlikely to attend one.

Finally, with a potential DJI ban looming in the United States, I’ll be interested to see if the 2026 survey shows any movement on drone usage, especially because last year’s results indicated that drones are more popular among professional photographers than camera phones.

Data from this survey is invaluable for the imaging industry and, indeed, working photographers themselves. So, if you want to be a part of the State of the Photography Industry Survey 2026, make sure you fill out the questionnaire before January 8 2026, to make your voice heard and help shape the future of photography.

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