R.I.P Oeil Public

A few days ago came the official announcement that the French agency Oeil Public "closes eyes", as they put it. After 15 years of producing award winning photojournalism Oeil Public no longer finds a market willing to pay for this kind of photography. Sadly they follow a trend: classic italian agency Grazia Neri shut down after 42 years at the end of 2009, others have vanished or cut back to become virtual skeletons of their former glory.

For Felix Features the demise of Oeil Public means we've lost a very interesting partner. In Norwegian media the media picture language is often bland. Oeil Public represented something bolder and more challenging than usually seen in mainstream media here. As a result their material was often a hard sell, but also so much more satisfying to see in print. Oeil Public also represented topics and geographical areas that we don't see much from the anglo-american photojournalists that roam the world. The French history and culture is different than those of our other partnes, and it showed it their pictures. It is also a loss not to represent that perspective any more.

Mega agencies, "citizen journalism", new technology and a recession has led to the culling of so many agencies. Does that spell doom for photojournalism? I predict no - and it is not becuase I am a photojournalist running an agency simply hoping for the best.
I think there are opportunities within photojournalism, and photojournalism will evolve. For example: new technology has made it possible to run an agency from a laptop anywhere, virtually for free. And we can reach markets we never would've dreamt of a few years ago.
This isn't to say it will be easy. Agencies and photographers alike will have to learn some new tricks and hone their old skills.

To the ex-Oeil Public photographers: bon courage, bon voyage & au revoir!

Now, I've got to go brush up on my video skills...