Current trends in photography
Today everyone has smart phones and internet connectivity. DSLR cameras are a fad among today’s generation. Budget smart phones too have camera equipped in them. So let’s not limit photography just to those who own DSLR. Image sharing sites like Instagram has 300 million active users, an average of 75 million daily users, and an average of 70 million photos are posted daily, Snapchat has an average of 100 million daily active users, around 400 million snaps are sent every day. And pinterest has an average of 100 million monthly users. These are the visual social networks with sudden boom, all three serve the same purpose but in different ways. Many business and entrepreneurs rely on these virtual network tools for their business this was all possible only because they kept themselves update with the trend. They knew there was money rolling in photo sharing. It is said that around 60-70% of the users are youngsters and college goers. Photography is not just limited to the experts and professionals nowadays. Even to the local grocery shop guy promotes his business using these tools just by uploading photos shot in his phone, and he lures handsome of customers. Waving aside the business and money making strategies, let’s come to the social life: teenagers, adults even senior citizens want to keep updating what’s happening in their life and how they look by posting photos. Now let’s take a look at the current trends in photography.
SELFIES
This would never go outdated until a few years. Though the very first self portrait was shot in 1839 and it is also said to be the very first portrait or photo of a human. Self portraits which are famously known as selfies now are everywhere let it be the profile pictures in social networking sites or events with celebrities or just a hangout with friends or family, you can see people taking selfies.
There are smartphones which are specially designed for taking selfies, they even have a flash for the primary camera, and also has around 13mp. Earlier primary cameras in smartphones had only VGA cameras or just below 2 mp this was because during video calls high transmission of data was not advisable. And that is the primary reason why smartphones had front-facing camera. Selfies in DSLR cameras too are done, weird yes. And when it’s a group of people who want to take a selfie, oh let’s hail the invention of selfie-stick.
FILTERS
No I’m not talking about the filters we attach to the DSLR cameras, but works just as that. These are nothing but the effects used in apps like instagram and snapchat. It helps to increase the brightness, colour temperature and doll you up and also transform you into imaginary characters. These are the current post processing methods of the current generation.
360 DEGREE PHOTOS
With the invention of VR (virtual reality) and making it available to smartphones. VR headsets are available at cheaper prices now. Not just in DSLR it is also possible to shoot using smartphones, Google cardboard camera app allows one to take 360 degree photos with compatible phones, these photos can be viewed without VR headsets too.
MONOCHROME
Black and white or monochrome photography is popular again. It speaks rather than it shows, bringing out aesthetics in photography.
Composition, framing and the subject is what matters in monochrome photography. This hasn’t left out the budding photographers either. You can see plenty of photographs in the internet with the hashtag “Monochrome”. We should admit there are beautiful photos as well.
DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY
Drone aerial photography is what it is. The skies filled with RC drones going vroom when there’s and event happening. Everyone wants to look at the world in a different way, and your drone just does that. Aerial photography was not easily possible until the drones flooding the market. Drones come with cameras equipped, Eg: GoPro. It covers the landscape and shoots aerial photographs just the way we can’t imagine. You also get the fun of flying and RC drone and seeing in the monitor you’re your drones sees. There’s a question and debate about the security and privacy but let’s not get into that.
CANDID
Staring at the cameras are too mainstream, capturing the subject without them noticing or not imposing a pose. But the irony is nowadays they impose a candid pose. Yet the main motive was to capture the natural happenings and emotions of a human, we all turn into a totally different person when we face the camera.
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Gone are the days when food photography was the job of professionals. With instagram, every dinner or lunch has to be snapped and uploaded. When there’s a good smartphone with perfect lighting the photos of food makes you drool. Food always being a fascination to every human and with the growing amount of restaurants with different cuisines and ambience just makes us want to take a photo.
MINIMALISM
Showing a lot in little. Without much complex and cluster of elements in the photograph, limiting to the subject alone and conveying what should be said. With minimal colors, patterns and light you can achieve this right. But when the photo fails to convey and not pleasing enough the purpose of minimalism goes in vain.
