Brand Photography Trends

June 2024

Written by Laura Scherb

We’re midway through 2024, and we’re already starting to see the trends that have started to shape in photography trends for the consumer packaged goods and branding space. As a photographer for emerging brands, I feel that I’m witnessing trends being made with every new photo shoot I take on. Here are a few things I’ve noticed unfolding in the industry in the last few months.

General Styling

So far in 2024, styling in product photography and commercial photography has focused on a minimalist approach married with elements like added intrigue, settings that make you look twice, and playful, creative compositions normally found in other fields of photography. I’ve noticed a lot of photography using clean, simple backgrounds that highlight products while incorporating subtle textures and props to maintain visual interest. This contrast helps to showcase products and to catch audience eyes by breaking traditional rules. That’s thes same motivation for another element I’ve noticed a lot: asymmetrical compositions and dynamic angles, which are normally elements we try to avoid in photography. Again, this all serves to style photos in a surprising, unexpected way that catches audience eyes.

Casual Styling for Casual Marketing

Where once brands would opt for lifestyle scenes that were styled within an inch of their lives, brands in 2024 are opting for a more casual approach. Of course, this doesn’t apply to all products and brand identities, but across the board, things are starting to shift. Wrinkled linens are appearing in lifestyle photos for home brands, and kitchens featured in photography for food and beverage brands aren’t always perfectly polished. Gone are the days of French manicures being the only acceptable nail color for hand models; now, clients request anything from “funky colors” to no polish at all. The trend towards casual and approachable is here to stay.

A Return to Still Photos vs Video

Despite the constant push for brands to show up on TikTok and Instagram Reels with short form video, there’s been a rise in demand for still photos again this year like I haven’t seen since before COVID. Both a result of concerns that TikTok may be banned and announcements that the app is pushing brands to post still photos instead of just video, brands are again seeking to invest in still photography that is more versatile rather than one-off videos for social. 

Wildly Exciting Color Palettes

Last year, more brands than ever turned their backs on neutrals and embraced bold and vibrant color palettes in food photography. This year, photography has gone even further, and I’ve seen not only greater variation in their color palettes but more mixing of tones, drawing from technicolor hues to natural shades. Though some brands are going back to pastels, the colors I’ve seen and worked with this year have been even wilder and more varied before. You can almost taste the rainbow!

Lean into the Kitsch and the Weird

I love reading Pinterest’s yearly trend predictor, and this year, there was one prediction in particular that I’ve already seen come true: the obsession with the kitsch. Gen-X and Zers are all about the kitsch, particularly when it comes to food and kitchens. I’ve been leaning into this trend for clients by incorporating funky textures, props sourced at Goodwill, and blown out lighting. Vintage is back! Though this seems at odds with the minimalism we’ve been seeing, brands really own this type of styling and identity. A great example of this styling is Chamberlain Coffee.

In the fast-paced world of food and beverage photography, trends are being set and adapted every time there’s a photo shoot. The photography landscape for 2024 has already seen brands like Omsom, Fishwife, and Graza pushing the envelope, and it’s only June. Watch for more exciting trends from brands that use kitsch styling, wild color palettes, and casual styling in their still photographs to make a splash on social.

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