These are the photography trends that we’ve seen more than enough of and can lay to rest as we roll into 2023.

1. Minimalism

We can appreciate the minimalist movement with regard to reducing our footprint, as well as minimalist abstract art. However, the trend has also seeped into other creative endeavors, meaning waving goodbye to vibrant colors, interesting artifacts, and pretty much anything that can be construed as “clutter”.

Photos are meant to capture life, and life is not a clean room with neutral tones and minimal textures. Removing the elements that give a photo character and emotion feels just a little dystopian.

2. Social Media Filters

Social media filters have been popular long before 2022, but they’re overused, and it’s time to let them go.

Apart from the unrealistic beauty standards that filters uphold, they also don’t leave much room for creativity or authenticity. When everyone uses the same filters over and over, we start viewing all photos in the same light.

Photos without these filters can then either seem underwhelming or strange, which can be disheartening to a photographer who puts in the effort.

3. Overcooked HDR

HDR has its place. It’s effective for showing the details of the scene as it is in real life, or enhancing it, which makes this technique very useful for landscape shots in particular. The key is in doing it subtly, otherwise, the final result can come out looking neon.

In most cases, you don’t even need to use HDR photography. Only employ HDR when one layer of your composition is perfectly exposed, but another is too dark, bright, or washed out.

4. Performative Activism

We’ve seen an increase in social awareness in the past decade, and witnessing people coming together on social media is promising. But, how much of it is real, and how much of it is just to say “I was part of it”?

The purpose of advocacy is to push for change, not to make it an aesthetic. Photographing pivotal moments in social justice movements is important for documenting history. But if you show up photo-ready to a protest with the intention of snapping good pictures, you might need to rethink why you’re there.

5. Over-Enhanced Photos

The rise of AI photo enhancers is to thank for the growing trend of super sharp images. The thing is, sharpening, enhancing, and clarity features should be used sparingly in order for them to produce realistic results. Otherwise, you end up with a picture that’s too grainy or a subject with too-sharp edges. You’re much better off using focus stacking for natural-looking sharp images.

When restoring old photos using dedicated tools, you don’t have much control over how sharp the edges of the subject will turn out. And tools like Remini are great for removing blur, but they can also result in unnatural sharpness. Ironically, the best way to then get rid of the unsightly sharpness would be to reintroduce some blur into the picture.

6. Skin Smoothing

Similar to social media filters, skin smoothing upholds an unobtainable standard. It’s time to let this editing trend go and show people as they are in real life.

Even the most unapparent alterations can change our perception of reality and skyrocket our expectations. This can lead to low self-esteem and poor mental health. We’re people, and people have textured skin.

7. High Contrast

Photos that are too high contrast go hand-in-hand with the over-enhanced photo editing trend because high contrast aids in making an image clearer and sharper. While upping the contrast a smidge is a good trick for enhancing a washed-out photo, you shouldn’t rely on it.

More importantly, high contrast photography should serve a purpose. It’s a great technique for showing the tonal differences in an image, but it takes some effort to master and you can’t just go ham with the contrast slider.

2022 has been a great year for photography, but we’ve also seen some questionable trends. If you feel like your photo could use a little enhancement, go in with a light hand. If you love the minimalist aesthetic, then go for it, but know that you’re missing out on a world of colors and textures. And remember, real people don’t have doll-like skin.