* Fake HDR: The over-processed, radioactive, "tone-mapped-to-death" images that used to be everywhere. They looked unnatural and just painful to the eye. I understand the intent, but the execution often turned landscapes into otherworldly, garish nightmares.
* Instagram "Influencers" with No Actual Skill: People who've amassed a following based on looks or lifestyle, and then suddenly claim to be photographers, churning out boring and uninspired content. They flood the market, devalue genuine talent, and contribute to a culture of superficiality.
* Vertical Video Syndrome: Holding your phone vertically to record landscape shots. It results in narrow, unusable videos with black bars on either side, completely missing the grandeur of the scene. There's no excuse!
* Copyright Infringement: People using others' work without permission or credit. It's disrespectful to the artist and undermines the entire system of creative rights.
* "Bokeh" Obsession Without Context: Images where the only thing in focus is the photographer's obsession with blurry backgrounds. Bokeh is a tool, not an end in itself. If it doesn't enhance the storytelling or composition, it's just a distraction.
* Perfectly Posed, Unrealistic Lifestyle Photography: Pictures that pretend to capture "real life" but are clearly staged to the nth degree. It's exhausting and sets unrealistic expectations.
* Unrealistic Stock Photos: The ones where people are laughing hysterically while using a computer, or wearing hard hats in sterile office environments. They're so disconnected from reality that they've become a cliché.
* That one person who brings a drone everywhere: They may mean well, but constantly having the drone hovering above is disruptive and annoying.
* "Rule of Thirds" as Dogma: Teaching the Rule of Thirds as the *only* way to compose an image. It's a useful guideline, but creativity should always be prioritized over blind adherence to rules.
* AI Photography that passes as real and is not marked as such: It creates a false reality. AI has it's uses but needs to be labelled accordingly.
These are just my personal pet peeves, of course. What would *you* add to the list?