Stock Photography Themes List 2020: Ideas to Boost Your Portfolio
Just when you thought you had photographed all the possible themes out there, we surprise you with a giant list of unexplored themes. Some of these you may have captured a few already, but the list of photography themes has been growing and getting more interesting.
Here’s a long-read article with ideas for photographs and trendy photography themes to inspire you to create and tap into high demand topics in stock photography.
1. Documenting the rise of entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is on the rise like never before as more and more people are looking to start their own business. Entrepreneurship is quite a broad term and understanding that it is also a lifestyle is important. How do we go about representing people that chose the unconventional career path? To develop excellent photography ideas, think about all the different areas that can be covered here aside from IT business and startups.
One too many times we see an image of a man in a suit or a woman in a crowd of coworkers. Entrepreneurship is not to be mistaken with a corporate lifestyle. It is quite on the contrary. A better exploration of this theme would be to capture people working on startup business in a more relaxed environment such as at home, in a cafe, or simply at some unusual place.
2. The many sides to corporate life
There is a growing demand for illustrating the other side of the business on the stock photography market. The corporate lifestyle presumes a more orderly work atmosphere. This idea from our photography themes list can be captured on a bigger scale, in larger spaces with more people. Consider all the fine details that can define a corporate life starting with professional attire. Additionally, this can include shops, factories and manufacturing sites because they too form parts of big corporations.
It’s important to step away from the overused imagery of meetings and men and women in suits. A better way to capture corporate life is to shine the spotlight on other events that are associated with bigger companies. This can include things like presentations, speeches, discussions at the workplace and lunch breaks.
3. Paving the road to leadership
Often times, companies need an illustration of a leader to help define their position. What does it mean to be a leader? A common portrayal is a man or a woman leading a group of people. Try to think of other ways in which you can represent excellence, leadership skills, and confidence.
Leadership can be represented in a number of ways. It should portray a man or a woman that has definite charisma. They can be discussing something, delegating or showing a presentation to other people. And some more photography ideas for 2020: leaders who manage to maintain a balance between work and family, women leadership power, remote leadership.
4. Modern workplace is constantly changing
The modern workplace is changing, which is why this theme needs to be explored more in stock photography. How is the workplace nowadays different from the ones 10 years ago? We are moving away from the standard cubicle space to more liberal and creative work spaces.
The portrayal of working men and women, as well as their interaction, is relevant and important. There is also a growing tendency of working from home. As a photographer, think of the ways in which you can reflect these changes in the environment and chanel the transformation in your stock photographs.
5. Going green demands attention
A basic search can quickly tell you that there is simply not enough visuals to illustrate the concept of going green. More and more companies are looking to inform about their transformations and changes. The choice to move towards a more environmentally friendly practice is growing in popularity. This could mean a number of things including using alternative sources of energy, conserving energy, saving paper, choosing to bike or carpool to work instead of taking the car. Consider all the different aspects of this that can be captured in a series of beautiful stock images to reflect the changes.
6. Classic black and white photography
Black and white photography is a style of photography that is truly timeless. You might wonder how relevant black and white photography is in the digital age. Rest assured, there is a growing demand for artistic interpretations of every photography theme. You can try your hand at shooting architecture, shadows, people, nature, and even animals in monochrome mode. If you’re a beginner and would like some tips on black and white photography, check out this article. And one more photography tip of 2020: create thematic series with your photoshoots as in 2020, clients are giving their preferences to visual storytelling.
7. The other side of travels
It’s hard not to mention travel photography while creating a list of top photography themes. Traveling is a chance to document city life from your unique perspective. We’re all familiar with the popular sightseeing locations. When you’re traveling, take your time to illuminate a city in a new light by taking unconventional pictures of those popular places. All that’s needed to captivate your viewers is a unique perspective at otherwise plain sights. Try different angles, different viewpoints, and unusual perspectives. Try producing stock photography while you’re on the move! Use the opportunity to deliver unique documentation of travels.
8. Interiors design and habitats
Interior design reveals a great deal about our personal life. We customize our surroundings to fit our lifestyle in a way that makes every interior space unique. Take pictures of homes, apartments and other surroundings. Document the current interior design trends such as minimalism and other contemporary, artistic styles.
9. A range of architecture
Wherever you are located is bound to have interesting architectural structures as every city has its own architectural style. Show us where you live, what you see, and how architecture has changed your city. A popular trend is the clash of the old and the new that is seen around modern cities. How is traditional architecture influencing current city layouts? Shoot stock photos for commercial purposes to share your unique perspective on the architecture in your city.
10. Design of everyday things
Given that our recurring theme here is on the artistic side, show us design that surrounds you. Photograph different objects from different angles and shed light on the little details of life that go unnoticed. When we make purchases, we subconsciously make design decisions. What are some of the things that you’ve hand-picked based on design? Work on stock photos that capture the world of artificial objects around you.
11. Future of technology and the Internet of Things
As you are reading this, newer technologies are being developed to facilitate our busy lives. Future technologies should not be portrayed as phantom digital artworks. Instead, think of the ways in which technology is transforming our lives and how to capture the human interaction with these new technologies. Good examples are virtual reality, self-driving cars, gadgets, and other devices that are incorporated into our lives.
In a recent blog post, we briefly discussed the concept of the Internet of Things. This is one of the more exciting themes to work with because you are documenting the future and how the concept will be presented possibly for years to come. We also advise you to check out the stock photography trends report by the Depositphotos team to stay ahead of the curve.
12. Medicine in context
One of the gaps in this theme is the portrayal of doctors and professionals in action. If this is a theme that interests you, consider photographing doctors in context to their professions. Show their interaction with patients, their unique environments, and most importantly, choose to portray a natural scene that doesn’t look staged.
Another theme to explore is the evolving role of technology in healthcare. Medicine also provides photographers with a wide range of options concerning photography series: medical treatments, first aid actions, conducting surgical operations, and examinations of patients. And don’t forget about doctors’ informal communication inside the hospitals. Show their working spaces, cabinets, and dining rooms.
13. Animals as our companions
A man’s best friend is just one example and one way to go about an animal photoshoot. Photograph your pets and other animals. Here’s another chance to change up your subjects and photograph something new. One of the things about animals is that unlike models, they won’t do as they’re told which is where the charm and authenticity come from. If you pick this theme from our ultimate list, try to decide on your target audience (buyers of your images) and to look at your works from their perspective. Use these tips to boost sales.
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14. Food and delicious meals
It seems that food photography has taken a comfortable spot as a new genre of stock photography. Capturing delicious moments is a joy in its own and a great opportunity to dip into the bigger market where these kinds of images are in demand. A popular trend is flat lay design which is a great place to start when photographing food.
Cooking meals can become an art form; how you choose to photograph your food can easily elevate your meals in a similar way.
15. The changing contemporary lifestyle
Focusing on the modern lifestyle is an opportunity to capture a diverse range of activities that are all around you. We live in an incredibly fast-paced, technology-driven society and there are a million ways in which you can capture these changes.
Another aspect that deserves a spotlight in the lifestyle category is diversity. Capture family, couples, kids and people of different ages mingling and interacting. Bring to life those photography ideas that refer to various hobbies, work routine, and leisure time.
16. Leading a healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is a topics that never loses popularity. Making healthy choices requires a change in daily routine and as a photographer, your job is to capture these changes.
People that are embracing a healthy lifestyle are concerned with making a positive change to benefit their well being. To approach the topic, you can take pictures of the things they eat, how they exercise and the role of technology in helping them achieve their goals.
17. Variety of sports
As a continuation of the previous topic, sports are a popular yet less developed topic in stock photography. It is important to illuminate the different sports that people pursue, keeping in mind that the style that is in demand is inclined towards natural, authentic photography.
Both indoor and outdoor sports are important to mention. Document people in action, in a more realistic, believable and candid manner. Other sport photography ideas to choose from: sports equipment, stadiums, and sports centers as a conceptual center for amazing landscape photography, and modern athletes as heroes of your photography series.
18. Millennials and Generation Z
An important question to ask yourself is what distinguishes a millennial? What makes the new generation different and how can we portray this through photography? It’s important to stay away from some common stereotypes and instead edge closer to the actions and events that best portray millennials.
Generation Z is teenagers fresh out of high school and they’re the ones that are the target audiences for many marketing campaigns. The generation is commonly defined by an adapted technology-driven lifestyle.
19. Schools, colleges and universities
Documenting university life should be easy but we always stumble on unrealistic, overly happy images of college students. Not to say that university is a dreadful experience, but there are certain hardships that come with university life that can be better represented in stock photography.
Develop brand new photography ideas based on your past. Think back to your experience in university and try to capture that significant stage in a new light, one that is more accurate and relatable. Show different nationalities mingling together to better reflect contemporary culture.
20. Spontaneous streetlife photography
For the previous decade, a stock photographer was supposed to create still-live shots and portraits that could reflect buyers’ values and illustrate their competitive advantage in a metaphoric or direct way. In 2020, the type of photography that is closer to real-life is more demanded than anything else. Help brands gain audience loyalty with your honest shots. Refrain from staged shots. Grab your favorite models and go on a city photo hunt to capture real-life moments and honest cityscape backgrounds.
21. Documentary photography genres
In 2020, we’ve decided to update our trendy yet less covered stock photography themes list with documentary photography. Do not confuse documentary photos with non-staged photographs which we mentioned above. This photography genre does not need models. There’s wildlife photography, sports documentary, historical events, and much more. Become a chronicler of your time!
22. Abstract compositions
Photography ideas are truly unlimited for those who have an artistic taste. If you are locked down at a studio or at home or you are simply limited in resources, explore different types of photography using everything that surrounds you. Group objects by color and create a rainbow-inspired flat lay. Study textures of usual things, play with lightning, and creating stylish monochrome compositions.
23. Celebrating diversity
Diversity in photography dominates the themes list this decade. Explore the traditions of other cultures, and show that everybody is unique and beautiful regardless of their gender, age, origin, or current mood. Thanks to the Internet, startups can enter the international market immediately after the launch of their product, and companies with a history can tailor products specifically for the local market in another hemisphere of our planet. Your task is to produce multicultural visuals for them.
Stock photography shouldn’t be that different from your personal projects and things you’re interested in. To keep you inspired and motivated, check out our article on all of the photography genres you can explore, as well as inspirational quotes that go with each one.
