When the artist with probably the most Grammy albums and the highest-grossing live performance tour will get engaged to a three-time Super Bowl champ, the web principally implodes. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce introduced their engagement on Instagram on August 26 with a sequence of 5 images. The publish has turn into so fashionable that it has damaged Instagram engagement information (pun meant) and even quickly crashed the social platform for some customers.
While the information undoubtedly had each Swifties and Kansas City Chiefs followers speaking, photographers are taking to the information in a completely completely different manner: Pinpointing what‘s going to trend next in photography styles.
Fans look to Swift for more than music – the dress that she wore during the proposal has already sold out in every size. Similarly, the photos that the celebrity couple posted on Instagram (and the eventual wedding photos) will likely end up on many couples’ Pinterest boards as inspiration. The publish isn’t (but) the most-liked picture on Instagram, however it broke records with 14 million likes in an hour.
Shortly after the announcement, photographers took to Instagram to research the pictures, query the inventive decisions, and pinpoint what’s going to development subsequent in images kinds. (The artist who took the pictures has not but been recognized.)
Here’s what photographers are saying – and what I feel as a marriage photographer – in regards to the images which can be so fashionable, they crashed Instagram.
A simple, documentary style
“The photography is so simple, this could be one of Taylor’s friends doing this,” photographer Alex Wood stated in a response video.
I agree that the engagement images are saved pretty easy. It’s unclear from the images and one-line caption whether or not or not the proposal was a shock and the way a lot of the planning was Kelce relatively than the photographer (reminiscent of who organized for the florals). Swifties are guessing from Swift’s unpainted nails that the proposal was a shock for the singer.
One picture specifically, although, has a blurred inexperienced edge that appears as if the photographer could have been hiding within the bushes to take that picture. The pictures total have a documentary really feel to them – though whether or not that was intentional on the photographer’s half or as a result of the shock factor is anybody’s guess.
The use of harsh, direct flash
One function from the set of pictures seems to have photographers divided probably the most: using what seems to be direct flash. In a few of the pictures, there’s a transparent, harsh shadow across the couple. It is especially apparent within the picture of the couple within the arbor posted final within the carousel.
But the use of direct flash has the internet up in arms because it can sometimes be a sign of a photographer who doesn’t know how to use flash. I won’t venture a guess as to whether that’s the case here, but the retro-looking colors make the flash feel more intentional to get that retro candid look popularized by the resurgence of disposable film cameras.
Desaturated greens
One of the first things I noticed about that first engagement photo is that the greens are very desaturated. The garden and florals where Kelce proposed look stunning, but the vivid green of summer can also be overwhelming in such locations. Toning down the greens a bit is something many photographers seem to do – and I predict this style of edit may see a resurgence now.
While I like to tone down the greens a bit, a lot of editing styles go a bit too far when the greens start to appear more gray and brown than green. In this set of photos, though, with the pink and white florals, it’s giving off romantic garden vibes.
Coupled with the use of direct flash and the candid-like appearance of most of the images, the muted greens also contribute to that more retro look. Some film types tended to tone down the greens as well (although the opposite is also true, as there are many different varieties of film emulsions).
Interestingly, fans have noticed that the engagement photos look similar to Swift’s photo shoot for the album Lover, which was also in a garden and also had more desaturated greens.
Centered compositions
The collection of photographs all seems to have a similar composition in that the couple is centered in the frame, rather than using a mix of different compositions. There’s no rule of thirds here. That, again, does make the photos feel more like candids.
The desaturated greens, direct flash, candid style, and center compositions give the photos a classic yet retro feel. And we already know from Swift’s 1989 album cover using a Polaroid and her choice of a camera (the retro-looking E-M10) that Swift likes that retro camera vibe. Retro photo styles are trending in part because they feel far more authentic in an increasingly digital world, and if Swift’s engagement photos are any indication, that trend won’t be going away soon.
I suspect that the couple’s wedding photographs will play a role in shaping wedding photography trends for quite some time, as Swiftie fandom transcends generations and could influence the wedding dreams of today’s pre-teens. It will also be interesting to see if the style of the wedding photos differs.
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Take a look at the camera Taylor Swift uses – or the lens filter the singer uses.