Gen Z’s affinity for the unconventional certainly seems to show in their spontaneous and playful photography. Today’s trendy photography captures spur of the moment decisions, and doesn't require the endless primping and posing that the millennial’s selfies and group photos do. Their beauty lies in the people in the photos, who seem to smile in the photo rather than for it.

The Photo Dump

As the idea of having an aesthetic lifestyle has come into play in American culture, the arrival of "photo dumps" on social media platforms has become more common. This trend originally began on TikTok, with users putting the sound of "Good Days" by SZA over "POV" videos about "taking pictures of everything because you find it aesthetic." Now it has transferred to apps like Instagram, where people now dedicate whole accounts to their photography. Mashable, an online magazine, credits this to trends like "romanticizing your life" and "you have to start thinking of yourself as the main character" phenomenon. They credit this to the pandemic, saying that taking photos of the mundane became a coping mechanism for those who got tired of seeing the same places every day. This practice then bled into life as society moved back into normalcy. 

Blurry Photos

Up next in Gen Z's unconventional photography trend: blurry photography. This trend has taken over social media, and produces photos with a candid nature that seem to say “I’m living in the fast lane”. Celebrities like Khloe Kardashian, Harry Styles, and Olivia Rodrigo have made this photo style trendy. Blurry photos tend to be hazy and whimsical, often showcasing glowing lights, bright smiles, and grand gestures. Especially since the pandemic, photography has become more experimental and unconventional, and blurry photos seem to be the latest way that people find beauty in "flawed" content. While social media platforms still offer a place for polished, glamorous photos, trends like this one can be a true testament to the decreased social standards that make way for sharing realistic moments. 

For students interested in diving deeper into their passion for photography, consider joining Friendship Studios. Mr. Perks, the advisor for the club, always seems to be working to develop projects that can expand his student’s opportunities to apply their photography skills, and Ava Goff (11), the club’s president, offers enthusiastic mentorship for her club’s members. Classes like Yearbook or Adobe Visual Design also allow students to explore the many avenues of photography more in-depth.