There was a time, a few years ago, when I became so disillusioned with photography that I didn’t touch a camera for over a year. Since then, I have rekindled my love for the lens, and have taken a new approach to my work that has seen me travel different and more satisfying directions than ever before.

I sift through online portfolios, photography articles, news, photojournalism websites, and YouTube channels dedicated to photography for hours, probably five days a week. Some things you become adept at reading include trends in technology, and in photographic techniques.

An aspect I tend to think less about, is trends in composition. However, at the beginning of the week I started to think about how a surge in a certain style of image, while great in some respects, can end up becoming quite tiresome. Perhaps I’m being a snob? Maybe I’ll introduce myself to people from now on as “Matthew J Palmer, photo snob.” I’m just kidding. Mostly.

In this article I’d like to take a look at, in my opinion, the most overused composition style, and processing technique in photography today.

Girl in abandoned building

For me, this is the number one offender in photographic composition. You would think it would be a striking image, a clever juxtaposition of opposites, but it just seems cliché. It’s an overused composition that doesn’t inspire much thought. It sucks because some of the images created in this style are genuinely great photographs, displaying awesome photographic technique, and made by committed individuals. Alas, I still find it boring.

HDR

My nomination for most overused photographic processing style is HDR. HDR stands for high dynamic range, and all it really means is that a series of images are taken of the same frame at different exposures, and sandwiched together to create an extraordinarily evenly exposed image. That is really an oversimplified explanation, but it does the job for what I’m talking about. When used subtly, HDR can be a fantastic way of highlighting the many curves and accents of the latest automotive models, or displaying high end real estate in all its glory. Unfortunately, this technique is most often used by amateurs to horrendously accentuate colors and details. These images are garish, and usually lacking in edge definition, due to the way certain software processes HDR images, thus defeating the very point of high quality photography, that is to showcase products and places at their very best.

Before I conclude, allow me to offer suggestions of alternatives to the cliches I wrote about. How about photographing people with such blown out, creamy bokeh in the background that you really can’t tell where the person is? Try adding some Christmas lights, or shooting on the street with car headlights in the background to create some seriously cinematic looking portraits. Instead of HDR, what about simple and subtle exposure blending, foregoing the tone mapping that goes into HDR, which results in that unrealistic look. Exposure blending will give you the most evenly exposed image you could hope for, and is sure to convey seriousness and professionalism in your work by avoiding a cartoonish feel. Your real estate and product clients will thank you.

I’d like to reiterate that this article is based on my opinion, and may not necessarily reflect anyone else’s tastes. That’s the beauty of photography, and indeed art in general. We can all have our own tastes and create work around what we find appealing.