Adobe knows what stock photos will be hot, hot, hot in 2016

Adobe Stock thinks it knows the future.

At least, the stock photography collective run by Adobe Systems, thinks that photos showing personalized technology (wearables and VR headsets), hipster aesthetics (Instagram, beards, and flannel, anyone?), and more stylish selfies will rule the roost in the coming year.

What’s that mean to you? Well, chances are you’ll see more of these kinds of images in your Facebook and Instagram feeds, and every day advertising life. If you’re a creative professional, you’ll want to stay up on the trending imagery as it evolves over the coming months.

Here’s a rundown of the trends Adobe Stock thinks are coming your way in 2016.

Adobe Stock licenses millions of images and video files, so it’s got some data on what people want. The team used keyword searches, image download data, and images uploaded to their servers to find some patterns that are getting hotter by the day.

Cool tech is a big draw, and the Stock team attributes this to the rise in tech-related media like HBO’s Silicon Valley as well as the mainstream acceptance of VR headsets and hoverboards. Images of well-adjusted young folks using tech is a big thing now and into the near future.

Even though “hipsters” are kind of played out, Adobe notes that the aesthetic that was associated with them is not. Be on the lookout for “cappuccino art, bowties and suspenders, handlebar mustaches, 1950s tea dresses, black and white filters.” We’re bound to continue to see imagery that reflects the newer aspirations of young urban creatives, in whatever form that evolves into.

As the word “selfie” was added to the dictionary in 2014, it’s likely due to a cultural phenomenon related to the fact that we all have high-resolution cameras in our pockets. Adobe Stock takes the habit one step further, saying that we’ll start to see new visual language that improves upon selfie-style stock photos, offering “a more intricate take on a subject than the standard selfie, giving the impression that you are not looking at a photo, but are instead alongside the subject and part of the scene itself.” Sounds good to me.

There are a few more predictions for the kind of imagery we can all expect to see in the coming months over at the Adobe Stock blog. Be sure to check it out and find your own favorites to inform your own creativity.

Source: Adobe Stock