Dark images trend?

[esearing]

Is it just me or is there some trend for overprinted images in very dark muted tones ? Or are these just bad scans or poor exposure/developing? I have seen them in several places on the WWW lately, and do not want to criticize someone else's "Art" but it bothers me since it appears to be not normal, and not obviously intentional.
Typical scene would be a waterfall where all the surrounding rocks are nearly black and the water is not white or bright. Or a white church printed to about zones 3- 4 with dark skies.

[jp]

Probably a mix of the above.

When I was learning about photo history the pictorialist photos were often reproduced in books poorly and online photos were from said books. They liked moody tones sometime too. Solution was to see prints in person to appreciate.

There are bad prints and exposure always and no barrier to entry. Tastes vary as well. I would withhold judgement for internet content of this nature.

[Tin Can]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51330079193_b2d658fb45_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2mcS5ep)Anne Brigman (https://flic.kr/p/2mcS5ep) by TIN CAN COLLEGE (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tincancollege/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51329134042_98f3a78a69_c.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/gp/tincancollege/06o6nZ)Obverse Anne Brigman (https://www.flickr.com/gp/tincancollege/06o6nZ) by TIN CAN COLLEGE (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tincancollege/), on Flickr

[CreationBear]

Vaughn could no doubt elaborate more fully, but I've always admired Thomas Joshua Cooper's early work from the English North Country, which tends to be as dark as a Yorkshireman's heart.;) I'd throw John Blakemore in the mix as well, though I'm not sure there was a self-aware "school" of photographers making small, dark prints. Very much an admirer of both men, though.

[Pieter]

It's a look, a style. Sometimes it works, sometimes less so.

[ic-racer]

Since you are referring to "WWW" everything you see is digital. I don't follow digital imagery so I don't now what you are referring to. Can you post an example, I'm curious.

[esearing]

Thomas Joshua Cooper's images are dark and moody but things are still the right texture and luminance except this image which kind of shows what I am seeing. https://www.skny.com/media/cache/resolve/1010x580_fit/56d5695ecfaf342a038b4568/f0b61c733c2bbba9f952793b797a99b5.jpg. Texture is there in the rocks but looks burned in to me on the sides.

Blakemore's Tulipa Mutations No1 is an example that bothers me but The Stilled Gaze does not because it is more open feeling and I can see the 3D of the flowers.

I like the dark and toned works of Eddie Ephraums because he always seems to find a path of light even in early morning or night shots. I guess it is the dark tones that originally draw me to an image, but then if the lighter tones or texture is not within my norm I tend to feel things are a bit over done.
Just been noticing more of it lately. Maybe it is just hobbyists posting everything they shoot on social media rather than selective editing. Kind of like the "got a new Leica" street shooters posting all 24 images from a roll.

[ic-racer]

Have you seen the prints in person? Reproductions rarely do justice.

[CreationBear]

Thanks for the mention of Ephraums--definitely would like to explore his work. At any rate, in the spirit of de gustibus non disputandum est I often find myself bored with the tyranny of midtones in favor of extremes. Alex Bond's high-key work, for instance, really seems to capture what I imagine the landscape of Western Australia must "feel" like.

https://www.alexbond.com.au/paperbarks-bannister-creek-perth/

[John Olsen]

I'm noticing this in photo-journalism. Maybe it's current culture trend. Or maybe the news is just dark in emotion. I think it might be overdone.

[maltfalc]

too many people watching zack snyder movies.