The influence of mobile photography in recent times is enormous as the number of persons with camera fitted smartphones increase. The World is engrossed in images from mobile photography through social media feeds. Many of these images may fall short of professional quality, due to limited skill of actors, nonetheless, they are increasing being deployed for visual communication. The business of commercial campus portrait photographers is threatened by these nascent mobile photographic developments. This study examined the impact of mobile photography and its corresponding social media usage on the business of commercial portrait photographers in Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), using a descriptive research approach. 294 staff, 267 students and 13 photographers who were sampled randomly for the study were administered structured questionnaire. Their responses were analyzed using test of proportion and percentages. The results obtained reveal that many members of the university community use their smartphones for capturing images of self and of others. The results further reveal a decline in the demand for print copies of photographs. Consequently, these developments signify reduced patronage of campus commercial photographers, who made the confirmation from reduction in their engagements and earnings. Many of the photographers are already making adjustments in their service offerings, as recommended by this study, if the campus must remain a viable business environment for them.
Keywords: Akure, Federal University, Nigeria, Technology, mobile photography, outdoor commercial photographers
