Major stock image library Shutterstock has released its annual Creative Trends report. The data, analysed over the past year across images, videos, and music, helps to determine the trends that Shutterstock believes will globally influence creative direction and aesthetics in 2021. From a photography perspective, Shutterstock found two key trends that demonstrated photographers are focusing more on real people, real situations and real life.
“In alignment with the events of 2020, there was a demand for inclusion and representation, with searches such as non-binary (+2,300%) and authentic people (+133%) trending up,” according to the company. “There are over 7.5 billion people on Earth, and authentic portraiture is helping us see the wide gamut of beauty across our world; Shutterstock searches for ‘candid portraits’ were also up by 350%.”
Shutterstock also saw an increase in searches for ‘self-care’ by +177%, with ‘home hobbies’ not far behind with an increase of +102%. “This year’s trends centred around individuality, imperfection, authenticity, and escapism – despite the obstacles we were forced to navigate, and the uncertainty we faced, there was no shortage of creativity and innovation,” added Creative Director, Flo Lau.
