Understanding what’s trendy in stock photography hopefully gives you a sense of direction. It’s also really insightful to see what sells, what’s trendy and perhaps what we can expect from future sales. Mobile photography is making a big comeback with no exception in our library. 

Images in the ‘People’ category remain very popular. One of the reasons is because images with people are very relatable, they’re perfect for a variety of projects. What are the most popular images in this category, and what makes them so popular? Scroll down to find out.

1. Casual walk with a dog

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One of the most striking aspects of this image is the beautifully frosted trees, indicating a very specific time of the year. It’s the early months of winter, when the grass is still visible and snow has just covered lonely tree tops.

The lovely shades of the willowing grass and frosted trees are contrasted by the winter attire of a couple with their dog. As they walk off into the distance, making their way down this magical winter path, one immediately gets a sense of the who, what, where and why. It’s a simple scenery but somehow very reminiscent. This makes it very versatile and suitable for blogs, websites and seasonal social media projects.

2. Mysterious green light

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Looking at this photograph, the luring shade of green in the background adds mystery to the starry sky. The beautiful hue of dark blue and green of the sky creates a lovely contrast to the foreground. The human in this shot adds mystery to the image overall, drawing attention to the light source in his hand.

This photo is an example of an original concept and idea making it’s way to the top photos. There’s a sense of mystery about the photograph that can be used to illustrate fun concepts.

3. Bungee jumping

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Everything about this photograph is really simple – this minimalism is what makes the image so popular. It’s a man that’s bungee jumping while documenting his adventures. Placed against the light blue sky, it makes for one fun photograph. There are no distractions, just the subject and his actions.

A common element with many best sellers is the minimalistic composition. Scrolling through the feed, these are the images that pop out and look different.

4. Action shot

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This photograph has quite the Instagram quality! Aside from the soothing shades of the ocean and the sky, the focus is on an action and the movement of the sweater in the wind. The hand leads the eye to the seagulls in the distance, making it a very successful photograph composition wise.

Note the leading lines in this image – how the horizon lines and the symmetry in the shot lead the eye to the main subject. The otherwise perfect horizontal line is cut, leading the eye up to the seagulls and the sky.

5. Alone with nature

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A similar attribute can be said about this photograph. It’s a very simple, symmetrical composition. What stands out in this photograph though is the divide of foreground and background. The rocks in the foreground, together with the subject make for a successful composition that is complimented by the pastel and deep shades of green in the background.

The eye is led to the horizon line in the background, as the face of the subject is turned slightly to the left. The lovely hair color is another point of contrast, working perfectly with the composition.
If you’d like to learn more about photographs in high demand, check out our series of articles about popular photographs. We’ll be back with more winning shots!

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