Photography Trends That Need to Fade Away

Photography is constantly evolving, with new styles and techniques emerging as trends spread across social media, YouTube, and online forums. However, not every trend enhances the craft—some become overused, distracting, or outright counterproductive.

Commercial photography is a powerful tool for generating sales, making it crucial to follow trends that positively impact views and engagement. Especially if you are a product photographer shooting cosmetics, skincare, or clothing, you should be very careful about how you shoot and which techniques might annoy your viewers, as these factors can directly impact sales.

This article is based on real opinions expressed by photographers in a Reddit discussion, which can be found here: Reddit Post. Based on these discussions, here are some photography trends that many professionals and enthusiasts believe have overstayed their welcome.

A common complaint among photographers is the excessive use of contrast and saturation. Many beginners push the contrast and vibrancy sliders to the max, creating unnatural, overly dramatic images. While high contrast can work in certain artistic contexts, in many cases, it crushes details in shadows and highlights, making images look harsh and unrealistic.

Photo Courtesy: This AI-generated image illustrates the concept being discussed without attributing it to any specific creator.

There has been a surge in YouTube videos and social media posts claiming that decade-old digital cameras are ‘perfect.’ While there is merit in appreciating older gear, the idea that older digital cameras produce a unique, superior aesthetic is often exaggerated. Many of these claims are fueled by nostalgia rather than actual photographic quality.

3. Gear Review Overload

Photography has become heavily commercialized, with an overwhelming number of gear review videos dominating online spaces. While informed reviews can be helpful, many creators churn out repetitive content that often lacks real-world applications. Instead of focusing on improving photography skills, some viewers get caught up in the endless cycle of buying new gear, believing it will automatically make them better photographers.

4. Preset Dependency

The rise of Instagram and Lightroom presets has led to a troubling trend—photographers asking, “What preset do I use to get this look?” instead of learning proper editing techniques. While presets can be a useful starting point, relying solely on them leads to generic, unoriginal work. The best photographers develop their own editing styles rather than mimicking someone else’s.

5. Orange Skin and Desaturated Greens

A particularly disliked trend in portrait photography is the excessive use of orange-tinted skin tones paired with muted greens. This style, popular in wedding photography and lifestyle portraits, often results in unnatural, overly warm images that look dated over time. Clients may request this look, but many professionals feel it doesn’t age well.

6. Overly Staged ‘Dramatic’ Senior Portraits

In portrait photography, especially for high school seniors, there is an increasing trend of over-the-top compositions. Strobe-lit action shots with water splashes, smoke machines, and props like flaming baseball bats have become common. Initially eye-catching, these images quickly start to feel gimmicky and lose their authenticity.

7. Overprocessed HDR and Extreme Saturation

HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography can be a powerful tool when used correctly, but many photographers still abuse it. Overprocessed HDR images with extreme saturation and unnatural lighting create an artificial, almost cartoonish effect. This trend, once popular in landscape and real estate photography, has lost its appeal as more natural editing styles take over.

A blurred background (bokeh) can enhance a subject, but some photographers prioritize background blur over actual composition and storytelling. The obsession with extreme bokeh has led to countless images that lack substance beyond their soft-focus appeal. Good photography balances all elements—sharpness, subject placement, and background context—not just an isolated subject.

9. Fake Film Aesthetics

There’s nothing wrong with digital photography mimicking film, but applying artificial grain, fake film borders, and excessive tinting doesn’t automatically make an image artistic. Many photographers argue that if you want a film look, shooting actual film is the best approach.

10. Blurry Photos Marketed as ‘Art’

Some photographers intentionally capture out-of-focus or motion-blurred images and label them as ‘art.’ While intentional motion blur can be effective in certain contexts, many images end up looking like accidental mistakes rather than deliberate compositions.

Many photographers try to mimic film aesthetics using digital tools, but purists argue that true film photography involves more than just a filter. The art of shooting film includes careful selection of film stock, developing techniques, and the unique imperfections that come with analog photography.

Modern editing software makes it easy to correct mistakes, but relying on Photoshop or Lightroom to ‘fix’ poor photography habits is problematic. Instead of composing shots carefully and getting exposure right in-camera, some photographers shoot carelessly and assume they can salvage the image later. While post-processing is an essential skill, it should enhance a good photo—not compensate for bad technique.

Some photographers label their work as ‘candid’ or ‘photojournalistic’ when in reality, the shots are heavily posed and staged. True candid photography captures genuine, unscripted moments, whereas many of these so-called ‘candid’ shots are carefully orchestrated to look spontaneous.

Direct, frontal flash can be used creatively, but when applied without intention, it results in flat, harsh lighting. Overusing direct flash just because it’s trendy doesn’t add value to an image—it often just makes it look like an amateur snapshot.

Dramatic, underexposed images with deep shadows have become popular on Instagram, but when overdone, they obscure detail and make images look unnecessarily gloomy. While moodiness can work in certain styles, many photographers argue that extreme darkness often detracts from the subject rather than enhancing it.

AI tools have revolutionized photography, but some photographers feel that AI-generated enhancements are taking away the authenticity of the craft. While AI-based sharpening, denoising, and sky replacements can be useful, over-reliance on these tools diminishes the photographer’s skillset.

Trends come and go, but good photography stands the test of time. The key takeaway from these discussions is that photographers should focus on developing their own style rather than blindly following trends. Strong composition, thoughtful editing, and understanding the fundamentals will always create images that have lasting impact, regardless of the latest fads.