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Photographer Alan Schaller is aware of the highs of world recognition but additionally the irritating lows of an trade that always undervalues its creators.
From avenue pictures to launching SPI (Street Photography International), and now Irys, a revolutionary pictures platform with Schaller’s constant mission: champion photographers, shield their craft, and push for truthful remedy within the trade.
Ahead of his talks on the Photography & Video Show 2026, he shared his ideas on the challenges dealing with photographers right this moment and gave insights into the app Irys – an area for photographers to share their work, discover career-fostering alternatives, and join with different creatives – with out the strain of social media metrics.
Schaller’s Talk
The monochrome mindset: Creativity, tradition, and group
14 Mar 2026 – 15:45 – 16:45
Behind the Lens Theatre
The Photography & Video Show 2026
Alan Schaller is a huge of contemporary avenue pictures. Renowned for his distinctive monochrome type and deal with form and type, his work has been exhibited worldwide, and he’s extremely wanted by manufacturers for industrial campaigns. He will focus on his profession, his pictures type, and the way he has constructed his following. He’ll additionally delve into how he got here to launch Irys and the community-driven idea behind it.
Irys
A platform for photographers
• Focus on pictures, not numbers, no strain – No seen follower counts or poisonous metrics, keep possession, no advertisements, protected platform. Share high-resolution work as much as 30mb, EXIF knowledge, any side ratio, non-downloadable.
• Join a supportive group & improve your portfolio – share work, alternate concepts, set up initiatives or themed galleries, join with like-minded photographers, and take part in competitions and challenges.
• Be found by the correct individuals – Irys actively scouts expertise and connects you with manufacturers and publishers.
• Showcase your work past social media – Feature photos within the Irys app, upcoming in-house journal, gallery exhibitions, occasions, first test-runs of e-book publication beginning this 12 months
• Access fair-paid alternatives – Get compensated correctly – higher than commonplace trade offers.
Build from frustration, rooted in expertise
For Schaller, social media numbers aren’t the measure of expertise. “I’ve received over 1 million followers on Instagram. Congrats…. I’m out. A lot of people see it like that because it’s so prized – it’s seen almost like your worth is your number. Some of the best photographers I know don’t have a lot of followers at all.”
Irys was created as a reaction to the toxic social media landscape and Schaller’s frustration with the photography industry. “Because we got rid of the follower count, all the influencer people – they’re not going to be interested. We want the people who are interested in photography.”
“A huge focus on doing right by photographers, which I care about because I am one and I’ve been through a lot of terrible deals and situations,” he explains.
Schaller noticed how proficient photographers had been usually undervalued. “People saying companies that are worth millions or billions have no budget… It’s a very bizarre thing. There are a lot of advantages being taken, and it’s not just photography – it’s the music industry, it’s writers and journalists getting paid hardly anything.”
From the unfair actuality that manufacturers prioritize follower counts over pictures abilities, he emphasizes that photographers are creators, not entrepreneurs – their craft ought to be appreciated with out the distraction of social media efficiency metrics.
“I want photographers to be valued for their work, not their numbers,” he explains. Schaller provides, “It’s crazy how far Irys has become. But here we are, trying not to behave like everyone else, and show that you can have a successful business while being fair to the artists and the community.”
Pro Advice
Schaller’s personal philosophy is grounded in focus and mastery. “There are very few artists in history who are multidisciplinary. Leonardo da Vinci was one of them. It’s probably a good idea to focus on something… for me, that fell into monochrome photography, street photography, and abstract photography.”
He sees mastery as a journey: “I’ve been doing black and white photography now for over 10 years, and I’m still experimenting. There’s a lot to explore within just one genre… It’s like the cerebral equivalent of being an athlete. Creativity engages your brain, how to make someone you’ve never met understand or feel something.”
For aspiring photographers, Schaller’s advice is ‘simple’: focus, think, and explore intentionally. “It’s the thought process that’s exciting – being an artist, not just what settings you’re using or what camera you have.”
For more insights, make sure not to miss Schaller’s talk at the Photography & Video Show 2026 on March 14 at 15:45 at the Behind the Lens Theatre. For more information, visit the show’s website.
You would possibly like…
Dive deeper into the monochrome matter. Here are recommendations on how to think in black and white and how to select in-camera B&W to master mono and keep color. You might also want to discover the #1 mistake in black-and-white photography – and how to fix it.
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