A photograph tells a story that you fail to put in words. As a photographer, you know the value of equipping yourself with not only the latest equipment but also the knowledge of the latest photography trends.
Be it seasoned photographers or amateur enthusiasts, it is imperative that they balance their passion for photography with the understanding of modern technology and the latest photography trends to make their work stand out.
No matter what genre of photography you prefer, you are capturing moments, memories, and milestones.
A quick look at the best Instagram photography accounts will show you the value of a well-captured image.
A good understanding of popular photography trends will thus give you an edge over others to make your work shine.
So, without any further delay, let’s dive into the 14 latest photography trends you need to take note of as you gear up for 2022.
Be Future Ready with the Latest Photography Trends for 2022
The world of photography is influenced by evolving technology, socio-cultural changes, and even the pandemic.
As we summarize the latest photography trends, we aim to give you a fair understanding of what you can expect to see in 2022.
Let’s get started.
1. Vertical is Trending
Thanks to smartphones and the dominance of image-based social platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, the way we capture the world around us has changed.
Images shot in the portrait mode have become one of the latest photography trends and they’re reshaping the world.
As a photographer, you should develop the skill of capturing images in a vertical orientation to appeal to your mobile-first audience.
What’s more?
Portrait mode shots are one of the biggest hacks for Instagram as they typically take up more space on the screen. This increases the chances of people engaging with your content. You can analyze your competitors’ performance by leveraging competitor analysis platforms and make changes in your Instagram strategy to get better results.
2. Try 360° Photography
360° photography goes by many names – polar panorama, little planet, 360° panorama, and so on.
All of these names refer to the photographs that present a stunning view of real estate or a landscape like never before.
This is one of the latest photography trends that minimizes the gap between reality and photography.
Viewers get a complete view of a place as they would in reality rather than just from a particular angle. Such an immersive visual experience makes these images very popular.
If you are a professional real estate photographer, travel blogger, or nature photographer, it’s a trend you should watch out for.
3. Use Nature as Your Background
Nature never fails to fascinate us. Being restricted to their homes for the past couple of years, people have started appreciating the pristine beauty of nature more than ever.
This renewed love for nature is heavily influencing the world of photography too.
From wedding photography to family portraits, photographers are opting to shoot in the natural environment rather than around man-made objects and locations.
Photographers are even choosing to photograph products in the natural setting to elevate their work to a brand new level.
This is one of the latest photography trends that we believe will be around for some time.
4. Expressive Photographs
Social media has taught us to be expressive without any hesitation. People are being honest in expressing their tears, anger, and anxiety in front of the camera.
This trend is transcending into photography too. Now you see people crying, laughing, shouting, and blushing more candidly.
Such latest photography trends bring photographs closer to reality and this nudges the audience to relate to them.
It’s especially true with influencers on social media. The photographs captured by influencers will not only have a strong influence on the fans but also reduce the cost of influencer marketing for businesses by posting optimized content. The reason here is that you’ll have to spend less money in promoting these photos as they’ll naturally get a lot of traction.
As one of the latest photography trends, expressive photographs provide a lot of room for photographers to experiment.
Why not showcase in your photograph only the anxious face or the teary eyes or the shouting mouth to make your work more dramatic? Your imagination is the limit.
5. Embrace Vibrant Colors
As pastel shades take a backseat, vibrant colors are all the rage when it comes to photography.
For the past couple of years, the utilization of brilliant colors has been trending in web design. Photographers are now going all out to capture vibrant colors through their lenses.
As one of the latest photography trends, colors are mainstream not only in street photography but they’re heavily influencing food photography, business photography, product photography, and even wedding photography.
However, you should be careful while using them. Bright colors should be used in moderation and as subordinate to your subject or product. Be smart in using colors to highlight the subject and not to overpower it.
6. Raw is Beautiful
While social media users are in love with digital filters, the latest photography trends point at the charm of unedited photos too.
Contrary to edited photographs, people behind the lens are inclined towards capturing people and places in their raw form.
This trend is a step forward towards accepting freckles, scars, and wrinkles as part of who we are. You could add #nofilter hashtag to your posts to reach out to the audience who likes to see unedited, raw photos.
People are stepping out of their fantasies and appreciating the world around them with all its diversity. When, as a photographer, you embrace the diversities and present them to the world in a creative manner, you add depth to your work.
7. Activism Photography is on the Rise
We live in a society that is becoming increasingly self-centric. But thankfully people join hands to stand and fight for a common cause when the need arises.
Activism photography, as one of the latest photography trends, is cementing its foothold in the industry.
The fight can be for anything, right from social or religious causes to political ones. Through photos, you can make an impact and show the real power of activism.
In fact, there are so many influencer campaigns that revolve around activism and championing social causes.
As a photographer, you not only have the responsibility of clicking pictures of a protest but also of putting forth a sense of community and oneness.
8. Minimalism is a Popular Trend
Minimalistic photography has been in trend for the past year or so and we predict that it will continue to be a favorite in 2022 too. You can expect to see more clean layouts staged against contrasting backgrounds in this coming year.
This is among the latest trends which will affect outdoor photography as well. Photographers can eliminate the clutter and noise to capture clean lines and monochromatic scenes.
Minimalist images are bare but not boring. On the contrary, these photographs can beautifully highlight different layers and emotions on the subject in a pleasing manner.
It is a must-try trend for any photographer who wishes to add depth to their work without complicating it.
9. Drone Photography is Fascinating
Aerial photography has a class of its own and that’s where drones can help photographers. Of late, drone photography has started catching the fancy of many and is a major trend.
Drone-mounted cameras are evolving as we speak and these technologically advanced machines give the photographer complete control of how they would like to photograph a particular location.
High-resolution drone cameras can capture spectacular aerial photographs that will leave the audience awe-stuck.
Drones are appropriate for wedding photography, real estate photography, and nature and wildlife photography.
Images shot using drones can come in handy when you want to improve your real estate website’s SEO as they are engaging and can increase the time spent by users on your website.
10. Feminism is Getting Bold
Feminism in photography has been around for ages. What is new, though, is how feminism is showcasing itself as a bold entity.
Women are much more than just beautiful muses and that is what new-age photographers are showcasing in their work.
We have female bosses, athletes, farmers, and mompreneurs making it to the cover pages of magazines.
As one of the major photography trends, we are seeing the image of women transform. Moving away from stereotypes, women are seen talking boldly about their health conditions, skin color, culture, and everything else that makes them who they are.
Brands are embracing this style of photography openly in their marketing campaigns as well to relate to the target audience in a more effective manner.
11. Celebrating Age Diversity
Photography today is all about celebrating the diversity around us, be it in our culture or age.
We are surrounded by aging individuals who belong to an era that was drastically different from what we experience today.
One of the latest photography trends is all about celebrating these older people among us. There is an undeniable beauty in their wrinkled hands and faces.
They are at your workplace, market, parks, malls, everywhere. Photographers are including people of all ages in their photographs to highlight age diversity in our society and that’s one of the biggest trends now.
You can make your photographs a true representation of the society around you by photographing the young and the old together. Opt for unconventional and everyday locations to photograph older individuals.
12. Dark and Moody Backgrounds
One of the latest photography trends that’s going hand-in-hand with expressive photography is the extensive use of dark and moody backgrounds. They help generate a mysterious appeal in your photos.
What was only restricted to fine art photography is now finding a place in still photography, food photography, portraits, and much more.
The concept here is to use a dark background to make the photograph look moody.
By playing with darker shades you can bring all the focus on the subject, a dark background is no more considered dull or sad. Rather, it can be effectively used to bring a glaring contrast in the photograph.
Let’s take food photography, for example. A bowl of colorful food looks more dramatic with a dark background rather than a white one. The same is true with portraits too.
Come 2022, you should master the art of using dark and mood backgrounds in your photographs creatively to make your photos more thoughtful.
13. The Magic of Cinemagraph
Today’s advanced cameras have given photographers the power to capture photographs and video footage with a single piece of equipment.
One of the latest photography trends thus revolves around cinemagraph.
To put it in simple terms, this style is a captivating hybrid between videos and photographs. These are still photographs with a touch of movement in them.
Photographs showing a bird taking flight, a child jumping into their mother’s arms, ripples in a pond, and so on create an illusion of movement.
14. Capturing Face Masks
Since the pandemic hit us, face masks have become an integral part of our wardrobes. This being the case, how can masks not be showcased in photography?
Masked-up people are all around us and photographers are capturing them in varied ways to tell their own stories.
Not just street photography, but masks are finding a place in wedding photography and even commercial shoots. Incorporating these trends into a wedding venue business plan can help photographers stay ahead in the competitive market.
Photographers are coming up with creative ideas to use a face mask as an accessory for their models.
We have seen brides flaunting extravagant, custom-made face masks and even the couple saying “I do” with their masks on.
This is one of the latest photography trends that will transcend into 2022 as photographers find new ways to showcase masks as part of our lifestyle.
Which of These Latest Photography Trends Will Make It Big This Year?
You are an artist who paints with your lens. Photography is all about finding new ways of telling fascinating stories and understanding the latest photography trends can help you excel in your field.
What’s more?
The demand for stock photos is rapidly growing. When you are able to incorporate the latest photography trends in your work, you can not only have a huge fan base for yourself but also sell photos online for a good price.
That’s why it’s crucial that you shape and plan out your photography by incorporating these latest trends to elevate your popularity.
About Guest Author: Gaurav Sharma
Gaurav is the founder and CEO of Attrock, a results-driven digital marketing company. Grew an agency from 5-figure to 7-figure revenue in just two years | 10X leads | 2.8X conversions | 300K organic monthly traffic. He also contributes to top publications like HuffPost, Adweek, Business 2 Community, TechCrunch, and more.
