18 Photography Trends to Watch Out for in 2020

The accessibility of state-of-the-art and modern photography equipment has opened the door for enthusiasts, hobbyists, and professionals alike to pursue new niches in capturing captivating images. As photographers try and experiment with new techniques, some exciting trends are emerging and producing beautiful results.

This year we explore 18 exciting, emerging trends: from Drones to Pantone colours to Minimalism!

Times have evolved 

A few years ago, articles about the trends in photography were only interesting for professional photographers whose bread and butter are the pictures and images they take. Upcoming trends, however, influence the photography world so immensely that photographers must be aware of what people will be looking for in the future. It would also be useful to have some time to think of these upcoming photography trends and to recreate the wheel and make something similar but new.

This art is no longer a thing for a limited number of people – it is a popular hobby of millions. Innovations impact our lives at every turn, and there are thousands of fresh trends that people want to be a part of.

Here are some of the freshest photography trends to explore in 2020

1.         Macro Photography

Macro photography is a photography style that zooms in closely on an object (or a specific part of it) to capture its intricate details. Think of pollen on a flower or a butterfly's wings, for instance. Macro photography takes a common object and showcases it in a way that we have never imagined and thought about before.

Get creative and original

When we see the subject through a macro lens or the special device used to get every layer of detail clearly, for the first time, our mind is fascinated with the opened scene. In this special moment, people can easily forget about the fact that there are millions of other people who have already seen and photographed these things. Macro photography is too popular to pay attention to ordinary close-up shots.

2.         Film ‘vs’ Digital

While most of the population enjoy the freedom of digital photography instead of using traditional film, photographers are into film photography again. It requires thoughtfulness and intention before shooting a photo to make sure that the angles and lighting capture the best possible shot.

Working with the photographic film also provides photographers with a way to discover the base of this visual world. And best of all, you have a physical, tangible object after capturing your shot.

3.         Light Painting

This technique is one of the most versatile photography styles. The same image can be shot in a number of different ways by experimenting with:-

·        Exposure time

·        Natural and artificial light; and

·        Reflections.

This is a lucrative trend for photographers because of its unlimited potential for creativity. Everyday images become captivating works of art with a few simple lighting adjustments.

No special equipment required

It doesn’t require any special equipment or lenses and isn't limited to a studio setting. For photographers who enjoy experimenting with light and shadow, light painting is an excellent niche to showcase their artistry and skill.

4.         HDR

High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, is a technique that taps into the range of brightness between the darkest and lightest areas of the subject. It does not require any special equipment, although it does take a bit more time to edit and get the desired result.

Perfect for portrait and landscape

HDR images are perfect for portrait and landscape photography because of their ability to highlight differences between the light and shadows in an image and strike a balance between the two.

Most modern cameras have an HDR setting that lets the user adjust the contrast modes directly in the shot and saves them the editing time. Some photographers choose to take three images at various shutter speeds and then combine them to create the final image.

5.         Panoramic

Panoramicphotography, or panotography, use wide-format shots to capture wider images like skylines and landscapes. It's designed to capture an image in the same way our eyes see it.

If a wide format lens isn't available, but you want to experiment with panotography, many smartphone cameras offer a panoramic setting. It is likewise possible to edit individual images to create a single, panoramic shot.

6.         Vintage-inspired

Vintage-inspired photography is proliferating as a modern take on an old-school photography style. With the popularity of filters on social media sites, the vintage look is a favourite for professionals and amateurs alike.

Retro vibe gives a unique outcome

To give your photos a retro vibe, experiment with saturation, contrast, and brightness to get the feel and look of an old photo. While most people use vintage photography to take "timeless" subjects like people or landscapes, it can be fun to take a modern-day subject and apply a vintage overlay for an ultra-unique outcome.

7.         Aerial

Aerial photography used to be limited only to those with access to helicopters or planes. Now, thanks to the popularity of drones, nearly anyone can take mesmerizing images from the air. The clunky drones of the past that cost an arm and a leg have innovated into a new breed of compact photography drone that costs less and takes higher-quality photos with a wide range of settings.

While there are state regulations for where and when drone photography is acceptable, it is quickly trending as a new outlet for architecture, landscape, and wildlife photographers to capture images that would not have been possible otherwise.

8.         Candid

When the first photography equipment was invented, spontaneity was just not a possibility for photographers. They had to painstakingly pose their subjects and keep them still for a while to get a decent image.

Have you seen blurry photos in the olden days?  Nope? That's because they had to lay motionless for a period of time to get a quality shot.

Capture the moment

As technology took over and cameras evolved, so did the flexibility for photographers to capture scenes and people at the moment, and gave birth to candid photos.

Candid photography is gaining popularity as a lucrative niche for professional photographers to capture authentic and raw photos and moments in time. Who wants staged photos anyway? Candid photos highlight the realness of the moment and if people were the subject, the trueness of human emotions.

9.         Animals

Whether it's a domesticated pet or wild jungle animals, animal photography has a way of drawing and capturing our attention. While it has always been a niche in the photography world, this style has spread to engagement photos, weddingphotos, stock photos, and also to lucrative pet photoshoots.

10.       Landscape

There is an increasing trend for landscape images as standalone art--without an animal or human subject as the main focal point. Photographers are experimenting with new ways to showcase unique characteristics of landscapes, whether it is the unique textures of water against grainy land or the contrast between shadows and sunlight.

11.       Vibrant Colors

Strong, bright, and bold colours are what we expect to see in 2020. We believe this is to catch attention from the hundreds of thousands of images that are taken and shared every day. The stronger and bolder the colour, the louder it shouts. And it needs just that if it was to get noticed. Wall paintings, graffiti, and other outdoor designs are also becoming trendy and louder to stand out.

12.       Vertical is the Way

It's tough to imagine that even the orientation of images could be a trend. Horizontal images had always been ideal for landscapes and vertical for portraits. Here, however, you capture the flow of the subject or scene. It's absolutely due to smartphones. Every photo you take is automatically vertical unless you turn your device sideways. This is a big jump from SLRs, DSLRs, and mirrorless systems that are initially in the horizontal position.

13.       Saffron 14-1064

Colour management has a niche in photography. For the last several years or so, there has been much internet chatter about teal and orange split toning. Of course, nothing new is created. However, what is new is how we use the colours and management in our photos.

In 2020, we expect a trend in photography where the Pantone colour, Saffron, is widely used. You can also find the yellowy-orange colour in photo-editing apps by using the Pantone number, in this case,14-1064.

14. Capturing Images from Videos

Photography is an excellent medium to work with. You can capture almost any scene, well-lit or otherwise, with any digital camera or smartphone camera. As we have better sensor resolutions, photographers are free to film more.

The reason is that you can take still images from videos, whereas you cannot do the opposite. These images still keep good quality. Video filming a scene gives you the best of both worlds, ensuring you don't miss anything in that scene.

There are many advantages plus sides to this process. One is that you have the chance to monetize a stock video and a stock image. The other is that each second of the video gives you 30 or 60 frames to choose from, depending on your capture settings.

15.       360 Photography Trend

360° photography is going to be a huge photography trend in 2020. Whether for real estate photography or panoramic landscape photography, there is immense potential. This type of photography gained popularity in product photography, where the subject would turn as the camera captured it. Now, photographers are changing the way we take images by turning the camera 360° as it captures.

Ideal for real estate

Time-lapse photography is also something that benefits from this process. Nevertheless, it is also ideal for real estate photography. With this trend, you can capture a 360° shot of a room, where the viewer can move around it as if they were actually there. It helps bridge the gap between reality and photography in the digital realm. Moreover, you can create tiny globes, which, when done right, look amazing.

16.       Cloud Storage

As technology progresses, cameras gain better resolution. A bigger resolution indicated bigger file sizes are needed to store more information taken from the scenes you shoot. With increased file sizes comes an even bigger need for storage. This storage needs to be portable, as many of us travel and work on the road.

Hello, cloud storage

Cloud storage is a way to store and use your images around wirelessly. A few prominent companies, like Google, Apple, and Samsung, have their own cloud services, which is open to everyone. They all have a certain amount of space for free, expandable for a price. The great thing about this kind of storage is you have access to your files and images anywhere. You do, however, need a connection to the internet, but if you have one, you can edit your images on the go.

17.       Nature Awareness

As we get deeper into a more technological world, there will always be an element of resistance. We look to utilize the natural environment in our images, one way or another. It could be product photography or even portraiture, events such as weddings.

A natural setting fits into our increasing environmental awareness. Our connection with nature is developing more and more. This is visible in our consumer behaviour of actively opting for natural and sustainable ingredients.

As we continuously search for these products, manufacturers need to source images from a natural setting. This paves the way for your choices in stock photography images as well.

18.       Minimalism

Each year, we look at our photos and evaluate them through a magnifying glass. Complexity has always been a key player in photography, where photographers use techniques on top of utilizing colour management.

With the popularity of Instagram and its overused filters, photographers who want to stand out and be taken seriously take a step back. They opt for something that makes their images unique and different: a more minimalist approach. How so? Less noise translates to more focus on the subject. This goes for fashion, portrait photography, landscape photography, etcetera. The more minimalist your images are, the better.

The Year Ahead

There are nearly unlimited ways for photographers to create mesmerizing works of art through these and other trends and by using old techniques and equipment in fresher ways. Photography is an art form that's always changing and paving new ways for creative photographers to highlight their talent.