Images resonate with us long after words disappear off the pages. What we shoot, the images we choose and how we use them influences our audience from year to year. It becomes important to keep track of new formats, emerging technologies and trends that determine how we communicate.

The key movements in visual communication are going to be the integration of these technologies that are now part of our reality, and a new aesthetic that is more open, honest and relatable.

We analyzed data from the Depositphotos search algorithms and collaborated with our top photographers to predict the main visual trends for 2018. Let's find out what's waiting for us in the coming year.

Impact Photography

According to Statista Research, the number of smartphone users will raise to 2.7 billion by 2019. The accessibility of cameras is going to inspire people to not only document their daily life but also shine light on important events.

Impact photography is concerned with the truth, these are images that are going to resonate with us all and highlight the events that will shape the coming years. Amateur journalism is also starting to develop social awareness around the world, battling fake news in the process.

A notable example is the winning photograph from the recent iPhone Photography Awards. Sebastiano Tomada captured an image of children standing at the burning oil wells, set ablaze by ISIS militants in Iraq. One man used nothing but his phone and produced a single image that touched the conscience of many, raising awareness about the reality of the world we live in.

Perfect Strangers

The fact that we always have a smartphone with a high-quality camera at hand has also changed the way we approach street photography. Have you heard a story about a Nigerian woman who became a top model after she was accidentally photographed on the street? Stories of photographers finding their subjects in crowds are circulating around the web.

We're seeing a new approach to selecting models where ordinary people make for compelling subjects that are more relatable.

Gap, Eileen Fisher, and Modcloth have recently started using real people to promote their brands. It goes to show that we crave something more personal, and sometimes these perfect strangers are ideal examples of what we'd like to see reflected in the modeling industry.

Deadpan Photography

Deadpan photography, popular in the 50's, has made a big comeback and is reverting back to the truth-telling capacity of photography. This style of photography is clearly influencing users around the world. It's also become a very simple way to illustrate something just as it is, right in front of us. Deadpan photography is a cool, detached form of art. We're noticing a tendency to value unfiltered and raw photos much more than the glossy, picture-perfect opposites.

Qualities of deadpan photography have led to the emergence of a completely new trend in user-generated content. After social media became an integral part of our life, people started sharing pictures and the reviews of the items they bought. Instead of applying filters to glorify products, people are sharing images to show items and products as they are.

The increased popularity of these 'honest' photos formed a new way to establish trust. Domino's has successfully implemented this strategy and started posting these types of photos of their products on Instagram.

Blurred lines of reality

Augmented reality is not an unknown theory anymore. We can easily transform the world around us even with the help of our phones. We can edit photos, add filters and masks to images while we're shooting, or even add objects from a shop to our homes to see if they fit, using a smartphone camera. We can safely say that the future is here, and brands have to integrate these trending formats into their projects.

Keeping track of new and emerging technologies is a must in today's world. How these different concepts influence our lives ultimately determines what the "next big thing" is going to be. The implications for new technologies (AI, AR) cross over with many industries. We can expect to see adoption and mainstreaming of these technologies, concepts and ultimately visuals.

Creative collages

The growing popularity of creative collages emerged in the graphic design industry. We're looking for new ways of self-expression through design, the opportunity to stand out and to communicate messages to audiences in a more unusual way. Cropping images, combining them in unexpected ways and playing around with different mediums and effects introduces something a little more unexpected from visual content.

Creative collages add a touch of personality and visual interest to online and print materials. Still images need something extra to be eye-catching and memorable. Creative collage is a form of art where imperfection meets beauty and creativity.