The "perfectly curated" Instagram aesthetic began to give way to raw, unedited, flash-heavy documentary styles. Audiences craved authenticity, a shift that directly influenced fashion and commercial photography throughout the year. The Enduring Legacy of 2017's Best Photography
This short has been widely praised for its intellectual depth and atmospheric tension. A review from Every Movie Has a Lesson gave the film 5 stars, applauding how it weaves an "intellectual web to test these limits inside a unique psyche better than films ten times its length". The score by Bizarre Rituals and the "dynamite camera work" of cinematographer Maeve O’Connell are noted as key elements that amplify the film's unnerving and elegant tone.
2017 saw several significant trends in photography, including:
To understand why the photography of 2017 remains so influential, we must examine the pioneers who defined the year, the technological shifts that empowered them, and the iconic images that permanently altered our collective consciousness. The Visionaries: Who Defined 2017? the photographer 2017 best
3. Sergio Tapiro Velasco – National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year
for his poignant image of a poached black rhino, a photo that became a global symbol for conservation. Martin Parr Received the Outstanding Contribution to Photography
While Vucci is famous for the 2020 Trump photo, his 2017 work was arguably better. During the Senate confirmation hearings, Vucci captured Senator John McCain (R-AZ) shaking hands with Lindsey Graham. The lighting—a shaft of god-ray window light cutting through the Capitol rotunda dust—illuminated only their clasped hands and weathered faces. It is widely taught in journalism schools as the "perfect political portrait." Vucci used a Nikon D5 and a 70-200mm lens at f/2.8. This single frame summarizes the political tension of 2017 better than any 10,000-word essay. The "perfectly curated" Instagram aesthetic began to give
The film doesn’t reduce survival to heroism. It shows Boix’s impossible choices: collaborate just enough to live, lie to protect his hidden collection, and watch friends die while waiting for the right moment to act. This tension elevates it above standard resistance tales.
2017 was a fierce battleground for camera manufacturers, with Sony and Nikon emerging as the two dominant forces, pushing the boundaries of both mirrorless and DSLR technology. The debate over the "best" camera often came down to a photographer's specific needs, but two models consistently topped the lists.
Working for Getty Images, Joyce documented the human impact of the humanitarian crisis, providing intimate, poignant images of refugees, including the widely shared image of Roshida Begum, a 22-year-old who fled Myanmar. 2017 National Award Winners (Sony World Photography Awards) A review from Every Movie Has a Lesson
The best photographers of 2017 did not just look at the world; they forced the world to look at itself. They captured a turning point in human history with clarity, bravery, and artistic rigor, leaving behind a visual archive that continues to inspire, challenge, and educate photographers today.
If you weren't behind the lens, 2017 offered incredible books and films to study the craft.