Why I am Very Excited About 2025, and the Future of Photography

Don Giannatti
4 min readDec 31, 2024

We may be on the cusp of something big!

… or not.

Look, I got no crystal ball or nothin’…

Saguaro in morning light. All photos by the author.

But I am looking around, seeing what is emerging, what seems to be bubbling up to the top. And what I am seeing and feeling leads me to great optimism.

In October, the NYT ran an article about this, and I believe it is one to read.

Galleries are turning toward photography in a hard right. More photography galleries are popping up, and even some of the hardcore painting-only galleries have recently introduced photography into their collections.

As A.I. Becomes Harder to Detect, Photography Is Having a Renaissance — NYT

(LINK)

One of my favorite photographers, Jake Stengel, posted this to his Instagram:

A quick look at Jake’s work shows he is a photo purist. Not a lot of P-shopping in his work. It is authentic, real, captivating, and engaging.

Photography will not be going away in 2025. In fact, I do believe it will be a resurgence of art, full of vigor and inspiration for us all.

I also believe that this little Renaissance of sorts is going to be heavily influenced by authentic photography.

What do I mean?

Photography that tells a story.
Images that look photographic.
Images that bring the nostalgia of old photographs to the fore.
A soft, yet powerful photograph that captures emotion and engages the viewer.

I have always held to this theory: Every light I add to a photograph diminishes it’s emotional impact.

Notice I did not say it was wrong, only that it made the image less emotionally engaging.

More lights generally create a non-natural effect. Often these effects are amazing, wonderful, and exciting to view. I own 14 different lighting tools, so understand where I am coming from is not a criticism but an observation.

AI may have all the bells and whistles at its disposal, but it doesn’t have emotional engagement as part of its tool set.

We do.

Each and every one of you has a device to engage others with what you see. From a phone to a big, cumbersome camera, we can engage with the world. And help others engage with what we see.

The cold fact is that AI cannot create engagement, only momentary distractions.

On a side note.

Shoot film. One roll a month. 12–24 photos. Make each count.

This analog legacy may be the difference between your image and the millions of digital captures… and every little bit counts when you are setting yourself apart.

Cactus and adobe wall, Florence, AZ

Here are some things I am excited about going into 2025. Some are new, some are old-timers, but in combination, they make me more creative.

My tribe. Scattered all across the globe, my Medium readers, and my followers on Substack, and of course my Project 52 alumni who have been collaborating and working with me for over 15 years. A big shout out to all of you, and a promise that this year will not disappoint. We all move upward.

Music. I have been composing again after a multi-decade self-imposed absence. I am learning all I can about digital audio creation, but for now I am working with basic compositional tools; notes, staves, notation. It is therapy for me.

Patient Impatience. That means we must be patient as we diligently work through the learning and growing, but impatient enough to work extra hours, into the night, and be slightly, if not clinically, obsessed with what we are doing.

Travel. I am becoming obsessed with getting out and seeing the world close and far away. Trips planned for this year:

Winter:
Death Valley. Motorcycle.
Moab: Car
Chaco Canyon: Car
Sand Dunes and CO River: Motorcycle
Spring:
Chiricahuas: Car
Big Bend, TX: Motorcycle
Summer:
Wyoming: Motorcycle
Montana: Car
Fall:
Southern Utah: Motorcycle
Capitol Reef: Car (or motorcycle depending on circumstances)
Anza Borrego Desert: Motorcycle

Will I do all of these?
I hope so. I am planning for it, but then, things can get busy around here pretty fast.

Gotta learn to hold on to life by letting go of distractions.

2024 goes out the door this midnight.

For my part, it is good riddance. It will go down in my book as one of my not-so-fondly remembered years. Still waiting for the county to issue a flood plain permit, which they have said they will, but just haven’t gotten around to it. SERIOUSLY!

But a new year brings a new attitude. And attitude can be the difference between what you perceive and what is real.

So farewell, dear readers. I won’t see you all until early next year.

Heh.

Have a wonderful and safe new years.

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Don Giannatti
Don Giannatti

Written by Don Giannatti

Designer. Photographer. Author. Entrepreneur: Loving life at 100MPH. I love designing, making photographs and writing.

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