Comments on: Portrait Photography Trends & Fads: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

By: LESTER P. LARR

LESTER P. LARR — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:42:01 +0000

Great post!!! Lots of the shots are very familiar…”inspired by Anne Geddes”. I do have 1 question, where do you see the trend going for “Professional” photograpers? To me it seems that people are becoming more satisfied with mediocre portraits by anyone that has a digital camera and all they want to pay for is a CD of the images. I recently was told by a customer that she felt that I was a “Professional Photographer” but got indignant when I ask for professional prices.

By: Dianne - Bunny Trails

Dianne - Bunny Trails — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:18:17 +0000

I still like the railroad tracks, framed in windows, and feet are fun in all sorts of ways. Some I don’t ever recall having seen (big lollipop). Seems like the babies in knit hats is still happening. Some are terribly cute.

By: olga

olga — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:43:23 +0000

May be I am such babies lover but almost anything you do with a baby looks very cute to me even if it has been done before many times. The only thing I do not like if when the eyes are popping out too much and the pupils are made bigger than they actually are (to make the eyes more expressive). It looks too fake on babies. But all the cute props: flowers, hats, little clothes, little toes…all that really looks too cute to me to not like it. I do hope to come up with my own cute idea some day tho. Just need an inspiration

By: jeffreybaughman

jeffreybaughman — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:55:13 +0000

This just goes to show that just because you own a camera, it doesn’t make you a photographer. Technique can be taught but the true artistic eye is something one is born with and can never be learned, regardless of medium. It is an inner sense that clicks when something is “right”. If you are producing mediocre work and you think it is good, you don’t have the gift.

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:53:43 +0000

I’ll say that most of these things are what the clients want…and I’ve always liked most of them, minus the ‘heart hands on belly’ ones.

Everyone knows that when you get pictures done, they are posed…they don’t have to look like a natural situation, or else there wouldn’t be a need for photographers, unless you’d just hire one to follow you around in your ‘normal’ day to day routine, which would be weird and uncomfortable.

By: Victoria Knaup

Victoria Knaup — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:01:25 +0000

I say give what ever the client wants. I like to sit and dream up a tailored session with my client for my client, and they love it. Nonetheless, some of these are just silly but to each their own. Also, without the fads we wouldn’t ever grow and try new things. So, thank you fads and trends for creating a challenge and sparking new ideas. ~ Victoria Knaup

By: Jackie

Jackie — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:09:02 +0000

I definitely love the idea of furniture being outdoors and abandoned or ‘junk’ in the background. I think it brings in unconventional beauty when done tastefully and is very artful as a concept. I myself am not a fan at all of nearly any maternity shot I’ve ever seen, they just seem so cheesy. The only one I’ve every seen tastefully done was by Leslee Mitchell (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806627206#!/photo.php?fbid=10150108154794480&set=a.10150107477129480.277946.60845924479&theater). I think I have to agree with most here that say babies in tea cups or on platters are terrible, but I do love the little hats on these babies. I find it to be so cute.

By: Myriah Grubbs Photography

Myriah Grubbs Photography — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:00:52 +0000

Hmmmm. Well. I enjoyed this post. Photography is an art form, so, why shouldn’t you be able to play around with composition and props and concepts? True that you will probably never be the first to do something. But, unless you’re strictly photojournalistic, what you do is pose people and take their picture. Why pretend that it’s a natural moment and you were walking down the street and saw something to photograph and you captured it??? In reality, you are there to take someone’s picture. Why not add some flair and creativity to it? I like a lot of these shots. It is a bummer that none of them are really all that original anymore, but as someone said before me, there is the “high fashion” of it all and the juxtaposition of the old and ugly next to beautiful. I think it is totally art. Now, if we could all just be original and think of brand new ideas every time… I also have to say, while I think it’s great to think completely outside the box, I also love plain old classic shots. I took the pic below of my nephew and I love it. i hope it’s not “trendy” or a “fad” in negative context. Both parents are musicians…. And I’ve never seen it done before, but I guess that doesn’t really mean anything.

P.S. There is a picture of me as a baby (I’m 30) in a giant stock pot on the kitchen counter. Totally a snap shot by my mom. I love it. It’s a necessary shot. You have to be able to see how small you once were!!!! (although, I find the teacup misleading… it’s a giant teacup… lol)

By: Jen Kallin

Jen Kallin — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 02:52:04 +0000

Have to admit I’ve done half of these and some I will definitely try or do again.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:53:20 +0000

I also forgot to mention, turning the camera slightly. My dumb wedding photographer did that to probably 85% of my wedding shots. They automatically make your head turn slightly. A couple are fine, don’t go over-board.