(Banner by M Yashna)

“Say Cheese!” This classic saying right before a Photo is taken has lasted the test of time, just as capturing memories with photography has lasted the test of time. The addition of cameras into mobile devices has changed the way we live and really changed the way we take pictures. Millions of “in the moment” photos will be taken by people using their mobile devices this year creating a whole new generation of photographers and a whole new world of creativity. Whether a photo is taken with a professional 35mm camera, hand held mobile device or somewhere in between, photography is a way to express ourselves and a trend that changes as technology moves ahead.

Here are 5 main photography trends for 2017

Lifestyle Photography

Goodbye studio, hello on location. 2017 sheds the perfect lighting, cookie cutter backdrops and posed settings of a studio. This year is all about an un-posed subject (or posed to look un-posed) in a natural lighting setting. We see this style trending in high school senior pictures, high end magazine ads as well as popular direct mail catalogs. Both model and product photos are taken in settings with real life meaning coined as landscape photography to some; a sidewalk cafe, in a beautiful outdoor park, on a sandy beach, a backyard garden or an old train station or horse stable. Horse stable? Yes! Horses, just like plants and gorgeous landscapes will show up more and more in photos this year. They represent real life, grace and inner strength, not to mention beauty. Big brands are using these beautiful creatures to reflect their image though photography. One expert is credited for saying, “strong is the new skinney.”

Retro Lighting/ Retro Cameras

Flash is back and in a big, bright way. Remember the old style camera with the flash cubes on top? Now that’s retro! The trick to this lighting is finding the right balance using today’s handy flash guns. And so is the look of photos created from 35mm film and Polaroid cameras. Shadows, harsh lighting, moody highlights are all the rage. This vintage, “retro” feel goes along with the “everything old is new again” trend that is overtaking the country in industries like gift, home decor, fashion and others. Untouched, minimalist shots with special effect lighting is the new look, thanks to this retro feel. This generation is fascinated with the 70’s and 80’s, and the look that 35mm film provided is making a comeback in a big way. Photography students will begin to embrace learning how to use 35mm cameras so they can understand the importance of correct lighting. This knowledge will lead to a new generation of hand held photography using skills from a 35mm world.

The No Pose, Pose

Photo by Daniel Viero

Facing the camera for a “3-2-1” pose is way out of style for 2017. This trend isn’t new but has evolved thanks to social media and our Millennial generation. Models are directed to be more natural, candid like the camera isn’t even there. This trend also includes moving poses like walking, jumping and looking up to the sky or down to the ground. The shots are supposed to look candid, even though they are well thought out. Wedding photos have moved from lining up the wedding party to more photos taken when the memory is happening. Advertising experts are incorporating products into everyday lives, fashion photographers are capturing models walking on a busy street, or other purposeful, or not so purposeful moment. Look for chairs to be the center of attention this year in the no pose, pose. As  one photographer expressed, “It’s just because the moment is so expressive.”

Monochromes, Bold Patterns & Bursts Of Color

Photographers are encouraged to make something unusual. Creativity is given a free pass for 2017. Thanks to the filters and options available on digital cameras, editing platforms and apps, the sky is the limit for photographers creativity to fly. For example, black and white photography is extremely hot in marketing campaigns, senior pictures, wedding advertising campaigns. Black and White photos with bright splashes of color (headline, logo) is also a big trend. Color overlays with neon hues layered over a mountain or beach scene adds a vintage, yet modern feel. Using bold patterns like wallpaper designs where colors clash and patterns don’t match is the it look right now. The key is to add depth and interest to the background.

Opposites Attract

Thanks to our digital age, opposing analog and technology meet. Yes, as we mentioned photos taken with old fashioned film cameras are returning to popularity, but trend setters are more interested in what is captured in the photo than how it is taken. Social media like Pinterest and Instagram has changed the way we feel and what we see in photos. Pictures with memorable meaning; using their phones, mobile devices and laptops are all over stock photo sites just as much as people reading a classic book, listening to music on a record player, writing letters on a typewriter and shopping in an antique shop full of vintage memorabilia.

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