5 Most Awaited Photography Trends in 2018

Though we are already in the second quarter of the year, our round-up of Photography trends is still fresh as we speculate on where the industry might be headed in 2018. If you are the one asking what it means to be a photographer in 2018, this write-up is for you because photography is no longer limited to expensive gears that require countless hours of practice to master. Smartphone camera technology is already in the limelight for producing images that are commercially desirable and as well as professional. In addition, Instagram and Snapchat are offering avenues for amateurs to contribute more distinctive photographs, feeding the insatiable appetite of social media users. Without further ado, let's discover 5 latest trends in photography that are ready to disrupt the photography industry in 2018 and beyond.

5 Upcoming Photography Trends in 2018

The top 5 photography trends to watch in 2018 are as follows -

1. Image Sharing with Bluetooth will Lead the Way

   Instagram has conquered the world of social media, thanks to everybody's obsession with online photo sharing. Imagine the world without Instagram. After all, it is where the netizens broadcast their favorite holiday photographs and connect with the world at large. Despite the proliferation of social sharing trend several years ago, it is still inconvenient to manually upload photos from recording devices to the social network. However, radical development in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology has come to a point where photos can be automatically streamed from DSLR to smartphone without dedicated apps or even a push of a button.

   Despite being intended to facilitate communication between smaller IoT devices, BLE technology became instrumental in pairing digital cameras with smartphones for seamless image transfer. Spotting the gap in the market, Nikon quickly adopted BLE and began marketing this technology under the nom de guerre "SnapBridge". After quickly realizing the potential, other brands began to follow suit. Sharing photos via Bluetooth is an upcoming trend in photography to watch in 2018 because it is fast, convenient, and niggle-free.

2. Smart Image Editing with Artificial Intelligence Will Streamline Post Processing

   Back in the day, images were captured for posterity. Now, there is a growing demand for retouched images. Many are willing to go an extra mile to remove stray blemishes, or bad exposure so that their photographs appear spotless. Many photographers are investing in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered digital image enhancement tools to keep up with the growing demand because this technology is one of the key photography trends for 2018. When image retouching is automated, it uses AI technologies to learn photographer's preference on the amount of sharpening, tolerance for quality loss, contrast, and more. Images are also optimized with meta description and appropriate tags where AI only needs a final nod from its user.

   For example, Photo Lemur is an AI-powered software app that was released in 2018. This AI-driven app is becoming widely accepted within the photography community. It scans a photograph, guesses the action intended by the user and asks polar questions. The app's smart algorithm is trained by the user's input so that future selections can be intuitively handled. Adobe seems to be influenced by the effectiveness of AI that their flagship products "Photoshop and Lightroom" are already leveraging AI for smart cropping and auto-tagging.

3. The Film and Camera Will Make A Come Back

   In 2018 and ahead, upcoming trends in photography is all about the resurrection of the 35mm film and camera. Last year, Kodak Alaris struck the chord with film enthusiasts by announcing the revival of Ektachrome, a color reversal film. Film photography is once again a hot topic after prolonged periods of stasis. In 2003, the film market stood at its peak with 960 million rolls, but today it represents only 2% of that volume.

   Film photography is making a comeback, thanks to Generation X that grew up with digital but are experimenting with films. Although markets are currently abuzz with the instant camera, by the end of 2018 more 35mm still cameras and SLRs are expected to see the light of day.

4. Electronic Shutter Will Lead to Silky Smooth Stable Photographs

   In 2016, Nikon and Canon presented DSLRs that shot 12-14 frames per second. Later, that number was improved by Sony after snapping shots at 24fps. Electronic shutters proved to be an ultimate success in snapping pictures at blazing speeds. Technology enhancements in 2018 have made image sensors less sensitive to rolling shutter distortion during burst shots.

   Due to the absence of moving parts that wear down over time, the electronic shutter has become the latest fad in camera technology. It has fully eliminated traditional shutter sound along with shutter-induced camera shake in images.

5. Confronting Image Plagiarism with Blockchain

   Image theft is a major concern that is causing monetary loss to photographers on a day-to-day basis. The problem exploded when a whopping 85% of online images are found to be plagiarized. In 2016 alone, 64% photographers reported loss where their images were stolen at least once. To counter this problem, Blockchain technology offers decentralized copyright register making it easier for copyright owners to prosecute image thieves. Although Blockchain does not eliminate scope for image theft, it enables photographers to authenticate the original work because this technology, which is also behind the Bitcoin is tamper-proof. In 2018 and ahead, more image sharing sites and service providers are likely to adopt Blockchain to preserve the ownership of photographs.

The Verdict

Our compilation of 5 most awaited photography trends is based on the direction we are headed in 2018. Over the last decade, we have witnessed immense technology advancements in the areas of image processing, image sharing, camera shutter, and photography copyright protection. Watch this space for more updates as we unravel more trends this year.

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