ifolor Survey: Exploring Photography Through the Lens of Geography, Age and Gender
In a world where capturing memories is as easy as tapping a button, the art of photography has transformed into an everyday activity for millions of people across the globe.
As a leading photo product company, ifolor understands the importance of preserving these precious moments and is always curious to learn more about the photography habits and preferences of people around the world. To gain a deeper understanding of these trends, ifolor recently conducted a comprehensive survey that explored the differences in photography behavior in terms of gender, age and geography.
Explore the results of this survey below, including the breakdown of results for Germany, Switzerland and France and learn valuable insights into the world of photography!
Family First: The Most Popular Photo Motif Across All Countries
Across all countries surveyed, ifolor found that the most popular photo motif, or what people took photos of the most, was family. This heartwarming result highlights the universal importance of cherishing our loved ones and capturing memories that will last a lifetime. Regardless of gender, age, or nationality, the love for family remains a powerful force that transcends all boundaries.
Of the three countries surveyed, France had the highest percentage of survey respondents choosing family as their most photographed motif, at 42%. Switzerland and Germany followed this with 36% and 35%, respectively.
In addition, the survey revealed that respondents in the three countries share the same reason for taking photos. In Germany (67%), France (59%) and Switzerland (58%), the main reason why people take photos is to “capture life’s moments.”
Switzerland Photography Survey Finding
According to the ifolor survey, the top five photo motifs in Switzerland, including the percentage of respondents who choose each motif, are as follows:
- Family (36%)
- Flowers (34%)
- Cat or dog (25%)
- Children (22%)
- Sunrise or sunset (22%)
Who Takes the Most Photos in Switzerland?
Switzerland is full of photography lovers, with many saying they photograph the country’s beautiful landscape the most. In fact, over half of respondents (58%) said they take a minimum of three photos a day and even 3% of respondents take 16+ photos a day!
Interestingly, the ifolor survey found that more male respondents (26%) than female respondents (23%) think they don’t take enough photos. More men take photos every day than women and the number of men who take 16+ photos daily is double the number of women who do.
The survey also found that many people in Switzerland love photography so much that they even feel addicted to it, with an incredible 1 in 10 respondents saying they are “addicted” to taking photos and 19% agreeing that they take too many photos.
The 35-44 age group takes the most pictures than any other age group. However, the 18-24 age group reported feeling “addicted” to taking photos more than any other age group, at 15%.
The survey found that men are more addicted to editing their photos than women, with 10% feeling they edit their photos too much and 19% saying that they edit most of the photos they take. On the other hand, only 6% of women think they edit their photos too much, with 16% of women saying they edit most of their photos.
While the country has a high rate of people snapping pictures daily, a quarter (24%) of respondents still feel that they don’t take enough photos.
Why Do People Take Photos?
The most common reason people take photos in Switzerland is to capture life’s moments, which can help explain why nature and family members make up a large percentage of photo motifs in the country.
However, 28% of respondents said that they take photos just to share them on social media. Women are more likely to take photos just for social media, with 35% of female respondents saying social media is why they take photos, compared to 21% of male respondents.
The survey found that in Switzerland, younger generations (ages 18-34) are far more likely to take photos for their social media, with 64% of respondents in this age group agreeing that social media is why they take out their phones to snap a picture.
The younger generations are also more likely to take photos of motifs like selfies and outfit pics. The survey found that people aged 24-34 take more selfies than any other age group and over a quarter (26%) of 18–34-year-olds frequently take photos of their outfits, compared to just 7% of respondents 35 and over.
Switzerland Findings by Region
- Roughly 1 in 5 (23%) Zurich respondents feel they take too many photos.
- Nearly a quarter (24%) of all Northern Switzerland respondents edit most of their photos, with half of them saying that they think they edit too much.
- 43% of Zurich respondents take photos just to share on social media.
France Photography Survey Findings
According to the ifolor survey, the top five photo motifs in France, including the percentage of respondents who say they photograph each motif, are as follows:
- My Family (42%)
- My Children (37%)
- Nature (29%)
- My Friends (19%)
- My Cat (19%)
Who Takes the Most Photos in France?
The survey found that roughly 7 in 10 (72%) people take a photo every day and nearly half (48%) take a minimum of three photos daily. Still, over a quarter (28%) of French survey respondents feel that they don’t take enough photos and 17% say they take too many.
In France, women take far more photos a day than men. 3 in 4 (76%) of women take a photo daily, compared to 60% of men. In addition, about 1 in 3 (30%) of men don’t even take pictures daily!
Can taking photos, whether it be photos of yourself or your pets, become an addiction? According to the ifolor survey, photography can certainly be addictive, as 13% of all respondents said they’re “addicted” to taking photos. Women make up most of the photo addicts, with 17% of women saying they are addicted to taking photos, compared to just 6% of male respondents.
Why Do People Take Photos?
When looking at what makes people want to take a photo, 28% of respondents said they take photos for social media, compared to the 24% who said they take photos because it makes them happy.
However, this isn’t the case with older populations, with the survey results revealing how older generations prefer to live in the moment. In fact, zero respondents aged 65+ said they take photos because it makes them happy and 28% of people in this age group say they delete most of the photos they take.
While many believe women are more active on social media than their male counterparts, the ifolor survey reveals that men might be more cautious of their social media persona than women. According to the survey, more males in France take photos for social media (34%) than women (25%). In addition, more men (7%) say they think they edit their photos to much compared to women (5%).
Similarly, it’s a common stereotype that the younger generations, such as Gen Z and millennials, are more addicted to social media than older generations. However, the survey results tell a different story. While roughly 1 in 3 (31%) of respondents aged 25-34 say they mostly take photos for social media, 39% of respondents aged 35-44 and 32% of respondents aged 45-54 say they are most likely snapping pictures for their social media!
The most common reason women take photos is to create photobooks. This may help explain why women are more likely to take more pictures of their partner (16%) than males (13%).
However, hilariously, all male and female survey respondents agree that they take more photos of their cat than their partner! Only 15% of respondents say they mostly take photos of their partner, while 19% mostly take photos of their cat.
France Findings by Region
- Only 8% of Centre-Val de Loire respondents take photos of their family.
- 17% of Bourgogne - Franche-Comté respondents take 16+ photos a day. Comparatively, 35% of Pays de la Loire respondents said they don’t take photos daily.
- Half (50%) of Corsica respondents feel they edit their photos too much and half (50%) also admit that they take selfies the most.
Germany Photography Survey Findings
According to the ifolor survey, the top five photo motifs in Germany, including the percentage of respondents who choose each motif, are as follows:
- Family (35%)
- Flowers (34%)
- Children (29%)
- Cat or dog (28%)
- Food or drinks (25%)
Who Takes the Most Photos in Germany?
According to the ifolor survey, people in Germany take more photos than those in France and Switzerland, with 1 in 10 taking at least five photos every day and 3% taking over 16 a day! Still, a quarter (24%) of respondents feel that they don’t take enough photos and 18% end up deleting most of the photos that they take.
Women take more photos than men in Germany, with 1 in 10 (10%) of female respondents taking at least ten photos daily, compared to just 6% of male respondents. The survey also revealed that more women feel that they are “addicted” to taking photos than men, with 34% of the female respondents saying they think that they take too many photos or feel addicted to taking photos.
The survey found that younger generations take quite a bit of photos, with a shocking 11% of 18 to 34-year-olds saying they take 16+ photos a day! However, older generations are not far behind, with 43% of 25 to 64-year-olds taking at least 10 photos a day.
In addition, the most popular photos that 18 to 24-year-olds take are of themselves, with 38% of respondents in this age group admitting they mostly take pictures of themselves. Selfies are more popular in this age group than in any other age group! Comparatively, older generations (age group 55-64 and 65+) take photos of flowers the most.
While 42% of the younger generation (ages 18-34) say that they take too many photos, they also delete the most photos compared to older generations, with nearly half (49%) of respondents in this age group agreeing that they delete most of the photos they take.
Why Do People Take Photos?
While men and women differ significantly in the number of photos they take, the survey also found that the two genders differ significantly in the types of photos they take. Less than half (40%) of male respondents said they take photos of family and children, while women more than doubled this number, as 82% of women said they take the most photos of family and children. Additionally, women are more likely to take photos of their pets, with 37% of women saying they take photos of cats and dogs, compared to just 18% of men.
The ifolor survey revealed that the most popular reason Germans take photos is to “capture moments of their life,” with 67% of respondents agreeing. However, 34% of German respondents admit to taking photos just to post something on social media.
Germany Findings by Regio
- Nearly a quarter (24%) of Baden-Württemberg respondents take at least ten pictures a day.
- A quarter (25%) of Nordrhein-Westfalen respondents and nearly a quarter (24%) of Baden-Württemberg respondents admit to editing their photos.
- 20% of Bayern respondents say they delete most of their photos.
- 41% of Niedersachsen respondents take photos for social media, with 27% of respondents saying they take photos of their cat the most.
Turn Your Photos to Life with ifolor
Whether you’re a “photo addict” or simply have a passion for shooting sunsets, ifolor is the perfect destination for high-quality photo products that let you display your favorite memories for years to come. From photobooks and photo calendars to gifts, ifolor has a special product waiting for you! Explore what you can create with your photos today at ifolor by browsing our photo products today.
Methodology
The photography survey was commissioned by ifolor and administered by OnePoll, an international market research company. The survey generated a total of 1,200 responses, with 400 survey respondents in Germany, 400 respondents in Switzerland and 400 respondents in France. The survey was conducted in December 2023.