Keep up with key trends in licensing as 500px’s Art Director & Creative Research Lead, Karen Biilmann, analyzes common threads and current themes throughout our contributors’ photography submissions. From dramatic landscapes to expressive animals, here’s what’s trending in the 500px Licensing collection.
Key trend: Dramatic landscapes
We’re able to travel the world as our photographers capture moments of inspiration found in striking scenery. Photographers such as Konstantin Shitov help to showcase how truly vast our landscapes are.
We return to the topic of perspective when photographers reach for new heights, soaring into views from above with a surge in the popularity of aerial photography. This not only captures a huge area, but channels a new wave of thinking when it comes to landscape photography. Sometimes merely looking directly down at the landscape creates a dramatic view, as it’s an unusual perspective we are not naturally able to acquire, as seen in the image ‘Serie costas, el canelo’ by Dario Vargas.
Light and color also play an important role. Light is used to accentuate the size of the landscape, helping to cast dramatic shadows or enhance the mood of the image: from the magical experience of soft and romantic morning light coupled with rolling mist, as depicted in ‘Toscana’ by Peter Fabianek, to the sultry, overcast, and monochromatic landscapes that build layers of awe and intrigue, such as ‘Vesturhorn – Still’ by Ratanachai Kitichai.
We also see landscapes juxtaposed with architectural features, contradicting the elements and experience within the image. A harsh environment paired with the comfort of home provokes curiosity while also indicating scale in relation to how large the surrounding rock formations are, as in ‘House in Bluff’ by Julian Thomas.
Key trend: Travel
This is a category that takes us through diverse landscapes on a grand scale, often reminding us of how small we are, as seen with the explorer aesthetic in ‘Reynisfjara Rocks’ by Fritz Bacon, ‘Sunrise driving at Salar de Uyuni’ by Bastien Poux, and ‘Long way’ by Anna Karaulova.
We launch into an immersive travel experience through a first person narrative, seeing through the eyes of the photographer as if we are along for the ride: ‘Above choppy water’ by Fabio Silva and ‘Rockies Relaxation’ by Jake Graham.
We as viewers are also invited to looking beyond the traveller in shots featuring the back of the head, leading our eye to the expansive landscape destination beyond. It’s a glimpse into a moment of reflection, as the subject contemplates the view they have traveled to see: ‘Looking at Galacia’ by Zhana Yordanova and ‘Soak in the sawtooths’ by Sam Brockway.
Key trend: Animals
We find images of animals capturing satirical expressions or moments of comfort, humanizing animals and communicating their emotional connection to one another and their environments. Moments such as a penguin’s death-defying jump, ‘Leap of Faith’ by John Dickens, cheekily communicate that even animals struggle with their morning commute.
We are also shown moments that are all-too-familiar, such as a greedy monkey possessively enjoying a lollipop in ‘Monkey in Angkor Wat’ by Léonard Rodriguez.
Or the pure shock this frog has managed to express, similar to when you receive your credit card statement at the end of the month: ‘Little Frog’ by Alex Mayer.
We are also provided moments of camaraderie, such as this gang of confident ducks that rule the farmyard: ‘Swans and ducks in a farm’ by Naazira AN, or the emboldened frog hitching a ride in ‘Best Friend’ by Edy Pamungkas.
Key trend: Food
Food reveals trends like first-person perspective, as seen in ‘Summer pizza’ by Marina Kuznetcova and ‘Marian plum fruits on the old wood’ by Thai Thu.
‘Marian plum fruits on the old wood’ by Thai Thu also references Renaissance still life paintings, drawing inspiration from artists such as Fede Galizia and his painting, White Ceramic Bowl with Peaches and Red and Blue Plums, circa 1610.
We can see this through the depth in coloring and tonal range within the image. Textural elements create a holistic experience; mixing the rough burlap with the warm wood and antique scissors, and the contrasting between the smooth peel of the plum and the crisp leaf on the stem.
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