Current trends due to become loathed

Steve

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Photography seems to go in trends. What is fresh and current soon becomes copied to death and then a cliche that is loathed....eg Venture style portraits.

So what trend is in vogue and loved now that is going to be hated in a few years?

I'm going for baby photos using antique/shabby chic props like old baskets and cases and weighing scales etc.
 
Sorry but vintage processing and prop heavy baby pic's are still 'brand new' in the public consciousness. We photographers forget how many more images we see than most, often things have become passée to us before they've even reached the wider public.

Selective colour is in it's death throes - predicted to die by most photographers about 7 years ago. The ubiquitous white background studio shot is also about 3 years into it's final hours - and the prognosis is still uncertain.

We have seen the death of soft focus portraits and sepia toned wedding photo's in the last 5 years - and they'd had a shelf life of decades rather than years.
 
Bridal parties being chased by a T-Rex/Star Wars troop carrier/Sharks.
 
I'm with the current "style" adopted in baby shots dieing a death and hopefully asap.
 
I'm waiting to see one with either the Pillsbury Doughboy from Ghostbusters or the Kitten from the Goodies.


Come to think of it, Monty Python's 'Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog' wouldn't be too bad either! :D
 
Steve said:
I'm going for baby photos using antique/shabby chic props like old baskets and cases and weighing scales etc.
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Having discovered we're expecting twins this week I might have been distracting my self by trying to work out how to DIY most of the current baby shots....

DemiLion said:
I'm waiting to see one with either the Pillsbury Doughboy from Ghostbusters
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Pillsbury? That would be the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man my good sir.
 
Phil V said:
We have seen the death of soft focus portraits ...
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They're alive and well in my portfolio, I can assure you!

Vintage filters will die out with the younger crowd, as they're not old enough for the vintage effect to evoke any memories. The older crowd will hold on to them for a bit longer.

Miniature/tilt-shift effects seem to have died off fairly quickly. I think it never really moved from being a novelty, to one of genuine personal preference for how an image looks.
 
DemiLion said:
Bridal parties being chased by a T-Rex/Star Wars troop carrier/Sharks.
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Now now, I think these are great fun shots that put a nice spin on standard wedding tagging. Sure it will become overstayed but at the moment I think they're great
 
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Brenzier images
 
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I'm looking forward to overly processed HDR dying a death. Surely it can't be far off now?
 
hopefully the naked baby shots!

It seems that a lot of photographers (locally anyway) are pushing location shots at the moment, so studio shots with multiple lights,I think, will not die out, but become less frequent - possibly more valued though...
 
Milky water. Please?
 
As expected, we lose sight of the likely trends to end and just create a wish list of what we'd like to see the end of.

I've never understood photographers complaining about other photographers styles? I rarely look at photos of types I wouldn't like. I can't much see the point. It's like complaining that all you see on telly is rubbish. There's hundreds of channels and an off button, lets get a grip.
 
Real prints on paper.


Phil V said:
It's like complaining that all you see on telly is rubbish. There's hundreds of channels and an off button, lets get a grip.
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The sort of sentence which Facebook style 'like' buttons were invented for!


Steve.
 
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Phil V said:
Sorry but vintage processing and prop heavy baby pic's are still 'brand new' in the public consciousness. We photographers forget how many more images we see than most, often things have become passée to us before they've even reached the wider public.

Selective colour is in it's death throes - predicted to die by most photographers about 7 years ago. The ubiquitous white background studio shot is also about 3 years into it's final hours - and the prognosis is still uncertain.

We have seen the death of soft focus portraits and sepia toned wedding photo's in the last 5 years - and they'd had a shelf life of decades rather than years.
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Who decides though Phil?

I am not a professional photographer but I am genuinely interested.
If a customer comes to you asking for a specific style, (not one you would necessarily do) do you accomodate them, educate them, or what is your course of action?
 
blakester said:
Who decides though Phil?

I am not a professional photographer but I am genuinely interested.
If a customer comes to you asking for a specific style, (not one you would necessarily do) do you accomodate them, educate them, or what is your course of action?
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Educate? What's to educate, If someone likes/requests it do it. Trends will change and as a service industry you move with the times, like it or not to make money we have to accommodate
 
blakester said:
Who decides though Phil?
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At the end of the day customers decide when something's had its day, that's why I made those comments about photographers predicting the end of trends for years before they show any signs of dying.

In fact, look at how many of the 'new' trends many photographers are already tired of, listed in this thread. It could be 20 years before mums don't want their newborns shot on scales :shrug:

blakester said:
I am not a professional photographer but I am genuinely interested.
If a customer comes to you asking for a specific style, (not one you would necessarily do) do you accomodate them, educate them, or what is your course of action?
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My (not that many) customers choose me based on my style, I charge just enough to weed out people who think they're hiring a camera operator.

I do sometimes get asked to shoot stuff that's not really 'me' and I'll happily do it most of the time, but by not showing it in the website I'm not likely to get repeat requests.
 
Vettahead said:
Educate? What's to educate, If someone likes/requests it do it. Trends will change and as a service industry you move with the times, like it or not to make money we have to accommodate
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Maybe educate was the wrong word choice but what I mean/meant was a customer comes along looking for a shoot, says they really like [insert outdated technique] that as a professional you don't do.

You 'educate' them using your creativity in saying "I do not shoot that particular style" "but how about this?"

You said about trends changing, moving with the times, if the 'times' changed do you go backwards to an older style? Do you want that in your portfolio?
 
Phil V said:
At the end of the day customers decide when something's had its day, that's why I made those comments about photographers predicting the end of trends for years before they show any signs of dying.

In fact, look at how many of the 'new' trends many photographers are already tired of, listed in this thread. It could be 20 years before mums don't want their newborns shot on scales :shrug:



My (not that many) customers choose me based on my style, I charge just enough to weed out people who think they're hiring a camera operator.

I do sometimes get asked to shoot stuff that's not really 'me' and I'll happily do it most of the time, but by not showing it in the website I'm not likely to get repeat requests.
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You posted while I was typing my reply Phil.

Your last point was what I was getting at by education, I guess that you don't want something that is not your style on public display?
 
Steve said:
Photography seems to go in trends. What is fresh and current soon becomes copied to death and then a cliche that is loathed....eg Venture style portraits.

So what trend is in vogue and loved now that is going to be hated in a few years?

I'm going for baby photos using antique/shabby chic props like old baskets and cases and weighing scales etc.
Click to expand...

As long as people are having kids and want photos those cheesy Venture style pictures then they will exist. I agree with you on the baby photos and props, just unoriginal and saccharine. If you haven't seen the site go on you are not a photographer.com to see some hideous work from the new breed of <insert your name> Photography that seem to be multiplying on facebook.
 
blakester said:
Maybe educate was the wrong word choice but what I mean/meant was a customer comes along looking for a shoot, says they really like [insert outdated technique] that as a professional you don't do.

You 'educate' them using your creativity in saying "I do not shoot that particular style" "but how about this?"

You said about trends changing, moving with the times, if the 'times' changed do you go backwards to an older style? Do you want that in your portfolio?
Click to expand...



Is there any outdated style that you wouldn't do? I certainly would have a go if the client was set on it, 70's Polaroid style? Check? Instagram filters at the request of the customer. Check. Selective colour, check.

I think we're at crossed purposes with the times changing statement, if the client wants to go the older style way, sure show them a technique you prefer but we must always remember that even though the client is choosing something that does not Mach our tastes it does not mean is not viable.

We are at the bleeding edge of the photography world when it come to new techniques and tech and we all love experimenting we our style and others that we admire, but we must respect the fact that sometimes, a shot with a baby in a basket will make the client very, very happy. And that's what important, keeping there memories alive.
 
The trend that every new generation who pick up a camera,think that they are reinventing photography,then say how great some of the great were of the past.
Every generation has produce its great photographer :)
 
Hopefully horrendous, over zealous, tone-mapped HDR will go.

I think we will get HDR which allows a greater dynamic and tonal than the ~10 stops and Adobe RGB than we currently have giving more realistic imaging.

I also think there'll be an increase in plenoptic cameras. Someone like Nokia will take a punt.
 
The fact is if a photographer does a certain style well people will want it. I still get 90% of my family customers asking for white background type photography... like venture stuff. I then tend to give them what they want for some of the shoot and what i want for other part. If they choose what they asked for great, if they like what i give them great aswell.

I do a fair bit of prop heavy baby sets and naked babys on beanbags.... Why? A. They look good and i enjoy shooting them, but most important B. They sell.

Some may see them as overdone but the fact is clients thing they look great and if done well (which i think i do) they make money.
 
Phil V said:
As expected, we lose sight of the likely trends to end and just create a wish list of what we'd like to see the end of.

.
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Overblown HDR is one that needs to end asap
 
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