Photography Trends Taking Shape in 2017

Our Chief Creative Officer and Founder, Curtis Newborn, recently sat down to discuss trends he's seeing in our industry... his thoughts are shared below:

As we’re now getting settled into 2017, I thought it would be a great time to recap some of the interesting trends I’ve been seeing and reading about across the photographic landscape. As a business owner, and a creative professional, knowing the current trends in photography is crucial to staying on top of your game and helps when consulting with clients on developing compelling imagery.

Our professional AND our personal lives continue to merge with technology, which keeps evolving and transforming our society. We’re seeing that the top photography trends are all about creatives interacting with technology. Equally important, many of these trends seem to embrace a new, inclusive and global society. Concepts like diversity, gender roles, and age get coupled with the influence of social media and mobile photography, causing new territory to be developed and refined.

So if you or your creative team would like a glimpse of what kind of photos to produce this year, read on for a recap of what we’re seeing as the top trends for 2017 in the photography space.

TRENDS WE'RE SEEING:

Natural Design

The contrast between real and digital continues, with natural looks offsetting tech-driven styles. The natural design trends are authentic and raw and directly oppose the exact, sharp-edged compositions of tech-driven design. The top components last year included:

• Organic Texture: Rich and timeless patterns found in nature, from tree rings to marble swirls.
• Tropical: A feel-good trend inspired by vivid colors, lush vegetation, and exotic fruit.
• White Texture: Adding a 3D feel, this trend can be sharp or reflect the patterns found in nature. It is the embodiment of minimalism, offering a clean yet bold backdrop to any design.

Vivid Color

Vivid color is making a significant comeback. Thanks to advances in the past year to smart phone editing technology, it's become increasingly easy to apply filters to personalize snapshots. Introducing bold, colorful tones with a high contrast is sure to generate a shock factor, so let 2017 bring a splash of color to your work!

Global View

The world is getting smaller every day. Technology and mobility enable content creators to capture scenes from all corners of the globe. Whether it’s everyday scenes from an idyllic farm in the countryside or vibrant moments from some exotic beach,  photographers around the globe are creative amazing perspectives of nature. 

Equality and Diversity

The controversy surrounding politics and government around the world has given rise to protests and millions of ordinary citizens have become outspoken advocates for equality and diversity. We expect to see even more of this interaction captured by photojournalists and creatives alike, and expect it to continue to impact how many of the world’s brands market themselves.

Machines and Connectivity

We expect to see images of technology enabling all aspects of our lives, from self driving cars to smart refrigerators, to providing convenience and connectivity while on vacation in the most remote places of the world. 

Drones for Everything

Drones are not new technology anymore, and we’ve seen them shooting movies, taking pictures, surveying agricultural fields and even providing wireless internet. The time when your pizza will be delivered by a drone and you won’t have to leave a tip is really close. We’re still wondering if they’ll ever be used for delivering newspapers. Now that would be interesting. Drone photography and virtual reality are creating a completely new view of nearly everything on the planet, and they are genuinely exciting. We can’t wait to see more.

Wearable Tech & The Internet of Things

Becoming increasingly cemented within popular culture with major brands releasing smart shoes and emotion sensing wearables. Home appliances also give way to voice recognition technology and instant connectivity from anywhere in the world. How these competing platforms and trends behave together will be the big question going forward.

VR

Over the past 12 months Virtual Reality devices have become a popular photographic influence. Most commonly used by gamers and entertainment geeks alike, technology and interaction now play a big part within content. This game-changing trend is one that is set to impact our social media platforms in the near future. 

Technology-driven Generation Z

The tech-savvy kids brought up in the age of social media certainly can’t imagine a world without technology. Generation Z can be defined as open minded, socially conscious and technology dependent. They’re the new target audience for many marketing campaigns yet to come. Looking forward to the future, it’s inevitable that they’re part of the new trends.

This Is Just The Beginning...

I'd love to hear from you about what trends you're encountering, or perhaps even starting!  Share your comments here, or tweet me: @CurtisNewborn