DIgital look getting dated?

General opinions wanted. Do you think the current look of digital wedding

images is starting to look dated? By that I mean the over-processed, action

based look? It is nice the images have a different look than straight out of

the camera, but sometimes I find the current wave of super star photographer's

images to look a bit unreal. Too saturated, too touched-up, too over

processed.

 

Remember the first wave of digital albums? The layouts were so over-done.

Image upon image overlayed, faded fancy fonts scrolling all over the page,

funky borders, etc. That look certainly is dated. I can see clients looking

at that stuff 10 years from now with a tinge of embarrassemnet.

 

Question is, do you think the current look of processed digital images will

have the same fate?

Current looks always get dated.

Great pictures are great pictures and will always be great pictures.

 

Photographers that have to rely on over saturation and over processing gimmicks to sell their product are trying to cover up their lack of real photographic ability.

I remember reading somewhere (and I'll misquote this but can't find the original) that something 50 years old is classic, 40 years old is cool, 30 years old is retro, 20 years old is kitsch, and something 10 years old is unfashionable...by that metric over-saturated images will soon be hitting that threshold...

What looks are you referring to? Specific examples?

<p>

" Too saturated, too touched-up, too over processed." is all subjective. <p>

All "looks" eventually become dated. You can look back and point at the flat look of the

early color films, the cross-processing fads, the old-fashioned look of b&w film or wet

plates..... A lot of the "over-processed" stuff today is just based on some of those older

looks making a comeback.<p>

And remember... what you see on people's websites and blogs is not necessarily what the

clients see.

<p>

Just shoot and make the images that YOU want to make and worry less about what others

are making.

Photoshop (actions especially) is like cologne. If you think you may be wearing too much -you are wearing too much.

I don't want to post any examples, for fear of copyright infringement or offending someone.

 

To take the topic further, what "look" do you think is next?

Well there's good dated and bad dated. A '57 Chevy convertible and a '70's polyester leisure suit both look dated, but I'd only be seen in one of them.

Ocean, which one ?

Action-based processing tends to get dated several minutes after the action is released.

You have to ask, Tony? Tail fins are so gauche.

Love those double knit fabrics!

I think the next thing is dark, moody black and whites and watercolour-sepia stuff. I think the reaction against the bright, saturated stuff is already happening.

 

I do love the cologne analogy, that's so perfect! It brings to mind the advice of Coco Chanel (I think) who said you should look in the mirror when fully accessorised and then remove one item :-)

Get the "Vogue Magazine" PS action with the annual update subscription.

For certain, popular designs change with the passing of time just like music does. But also, just like good popular music, the better design concepts and styles that you grow up with are often the ones you are most comfortable with later in life. So a whole lot of those brides will be looking at their old albums 30 years from now, and be thinking how nice and classic and timeless their album is compared to those faddish things being offered in 2037. :)

 

Another factor in this is that wedding photographers see these same styles all day long, and get tired of the same old thing. But the average bride seldom sees such wonders, and are completely enthralled by the very styles we are so sick of. It's like spot coloring on black and white prints. Are we sick of this yet? But around here, almost every bride I show them to thinks they are "sew kewl," and they just gotta have 'em.

 

Bottom line is, I don't think we're qualified to determine what styles look good to the clients we cater too, and that's the only thing that really matters.

Thats one of the reasons we dont over process too often. I like a more natural look (hard not to after shooting film for 35 years) and it fits our style better. I do find myself wanting to pump the blues though. I will have to say the myriad of options available with B+W conversions opens up a whole new world on an image by image basis.