The start of a new year implies one thing: new and exciting aesthetic photography trends to embrace.
Even the quickest telephoto lenses can't keep up with the fast-paced world of photography.
However, it's also an exciting period for photographers, and it's set to get even more interesting to experience the photography trends in 2022.
This year has delivered some ground-breaking equipment that continues to alter both cameras and photography, whether users shoot with a smartphone, film camera, or mirrorless powerhouse; these trends are sought to be seen in 2022.
AI Editors
Desktop photo editors like Photoshop and Luminar AI are trying to outdo one other with new AI tactics, similar to the computational photography battles being conducted between smartphones.
That war, as consumers will witness in 2022, is only getting started.
As a result, robot picture editors are on the rise, and the results are far from a novelty. After trying 2021's AI editing tools, and with great Photoshop plug-ins like Retouch4me getting in on the act, the machine-powered editors will only get better in 2022.
Self Portraits
According to Stock Photo Secrets, living through the Covid-19 pandemic isolation was frightening at times, but it also provided an opportunity to uncover one's own strength and limits.
It is foreseeable next year that the collective experience of living through grief, chaos, and uncertainty is going to inspire a new wave of storytelling through photography.
Another photography trend in 2022 would be self-portraits.
Solitude has been refining the art of self/portraiture for decades, so users anticipate fresh faces of transition and metamorphosis in 2022.
The public will see a highlight of the people in front of the camera and their tales next year, with anything from bad day selfies to self-acceptance visual storytelling to bizarre pictures.
Deepfakes
Deepfakes were formerly thought to be more of a video-themed trend/threat to global democracy before 2021.
That all changed in February when a new AI tool called 'Deep Nostalgia' software went popular for its capacity to animate our old family photos and with that, users have never looked at their old and late relatives the same way again.
Naturally, the technology divided opinion on the internet, with some praising the newfound ability to meet former acquaintances and others dismissing it as a one-way trip to the uncanny valley.
D-ID, the Israeli firm behind MyHeritage's "Deep Nostalgia" technology, has announced a multi-million dollar partnership with the genealogy firm to "create new AI pictures for historical photos."
In 2022, expect even more realistic animations of long-lost relatives, as well as alarmingly realistic imitation Tom Cruise videos.
Film Cameras To Stay
In photography, like in music, there has been some pushback against an all-digital world.
While film cameras may never match the vinyl comeback, which is fueled by a continual stream of new music, there are signs that they will at least survive until 2022.
Although specific sales numbers for film cameras are difficult to come by, anecdotal evidence suggests that their popularity is continuing to grow.
Film sales have tremendously increased this year to the point where some stores could barely meet the demand.
Medium Format Cameras For The Mainstream
Medium format cameras, which have sensors around 1.7 times larger than full-frame, have gone from being specialist beasts that lived on studio tripods to viable handled possibilities for everyday shooting in the last five years.
Fujifilm's GFX system has been the driving force behind this, although there are suspicions that a familiar rival may return in 2022.
Continuous Camera Shortages
As per TechRadar, the camera stock shortages that everybody experienced in 2021 are expected to persist into next year, which is a slightly less exciting trend for photographers, particularly those wishing to replace their camera equipment.
Canon recently admitted that new orders for its largest release of the year, the Canon EOS R3, would take more than half a year to deliver due to the global chip scarcity.
In addition to that, Sony, suspended orders for the Sony ZV-E10 in early December, just five months after the device was launched.
