Whether you want to be in the groove or well away from it, EyeEm has announced its spring summer 2016 trends

You might not be a dedicated follower of fashion, but if your aim is to make some money from your photos it helps to know what's hot and what's not at any given moment. Selling stock is all about giving the buyers what they want, even if you're not convinced that by their particular aesthetic preferences at any given moment. In which case, who better to analyse the wants and needs of agencies, businesses, and publications than the purveyors of stock, sitting between photographers and buyers?

Photo community EyeEm has released its spring summer trends for 2016. Have a look and see what you think.

1. The rise of nature

Think about the emotions and ideas that nature inspires. And capture exactly that. Marry the organic with the man-made, and you’re on your way. Brands are big into photographs that feature nature right now: it resonates with the need to demonstrate corporate social responsibility. Landscapes are highly popular, particularly if they can communicate strength, independence, and empowerment.

2. Bold neon + pretty pastels

Young, bold, and urbane. Use neon and pastels to evoke night life, city lights, and pop flashes. Brands and agencies are all over this look right now because it’s so big in pop culture and on the catwalk. They want to be seen to be hip, happening, and cool.

3. The traveller's life

This isn’t about the gajillionth photo of the Eiffel Tower, which is the same as every one before it. It’s about how you saw the Eiffel Tower that evening in the rain. With budget airlines and the sharing economy making travel more accessible than ever, it needs to be presented that way. So it’s all about the personal, the spontaneous, and the fun.

4. Urbanity

Cities aren’t just about their well-known, famed, oft-photographed areas. They are connected hives of people, living life. Show this. And if you want one company that needs to show this, it’s Uber.

5. Technology, everywhere

From the smartphone in your bag that controls the thermostat in your flat to the incredible aerial photography captured with drones, our lives are immersed in tech. As a consequence, there’s a huge demand for photos that convey this, especially for editorial use.