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 standout pops of citrus colors to artfully-styled vegan plates, here’s what’s trending in this sample of some of the most popular genres in the 500px collection.
The people category lends itself to a variety of areas within photography. We see genres overlap as they border the realms of fashion, family, lifestyle, and sport, but it is the people that tie these images together and provide a focal point for discussion.
Bold colors
What we love:
Immediate and bold; color can express emotion, communicate a concept, and grab your attention. With so much competition in the digital and commercial space, it is key to use loaded colors to help the image stand out. Incorporating striking primary and secondary colors to add punch to your image can direct attention in a powerful way. More of these electrifying yellows, oranges and greens will pop as you browse through 2019 color trends.
Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
With:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Shot on:
Canon EOS 6D
With:
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Using:
70mm | ƒ/5.6 | 1/160s | ISO 100
Family snapshots
What we love:
These quick moments invite the viewer to glimpse relatable, everyday activities, providing them with a visceral connection to the content. Snapshots that feel plucked out of the family album are invaluable because they are instances that are universally understood.
Finding interesting perspectives to photograph daily, mundane tasks that we all (begrudgingly) do, such as ‘Happy kid or child brushing teeth in bathroom’ by Yuliya Shangarey Shangarey, provides a fresh take on a morning routine.
Whereas the more intimate shot, ‘Woman breastfeeding her child’ by Konstantin Kolosov, takes a stance: empowering women to celebrate what is natural and the freedom in choosing where and when to breastfeed.
Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
With:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Using:
50mm | ƒ/2 | 1/200s | ISO 400
Shot on:
Nikon D800
Using:
50mm | ƒ/4 | 1/160s | ISO 400
Shot on:
Canon EOS 6D
With:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
Using:
50mm | ƒ/1.6 | 1/40s | ISO 250
Shot on:
Sony Alpha a7
Using:
0mm | ƒ/0 | 1/1000s | ISO 100
Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
With:
50mm | ƒ/3 | 1/8000s | ISO 200
Images that feature action
What we love:
A gesture or movement can create a compelling image, surging energy throughout the shot. It invites us to participate in the activity and captures our imagination. We as viewers are brought into the action as we see the movement translate from image to memory, resonating with personal and relevant experience.
Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Using:
100mm| f/2 | 1/2000s | ISO 100
Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
With:
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
Using:
39mm | ƒ/4.5 | 1/640s | ISO 200
Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
With:
35mm
Using:
35mm | ƒ/1.4 | 1/1000s | ISO 400
Shot on:
Canon EOS 5D
With:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Using:
50mm | ƒ/4 | 1/250s | ISO 250
Shot on:
Nikon D810
With:
35.0 mm f/1.4
Using:
35mm | ƒ/2.2 | 1/200s | ISO 250
Veganism
What we love:
A plant-based diet comes with a variety of benefits, including a reduced carbon footprint. As the demand for vegan options increase, creative ways of reinventing fine cuisine have begun to emerge, providing a fresh spin on some of the more traditional dishes, such as ‘Vegan Shakshouka cups with vegan tofu eggs’ by Fascinadora or ‘beetroot and thyme spaghetti with pumpkin seed‘ by Fascinadora.
Attempting to appeal to skeptics also encourages vegan enthusiasts to style their food, including sourcing fresh fruits and vegetables to inject color into their dishes, and providing us with plant-based options that are visually exciting to look at (and eat!).
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