Every genre from landscapes to fine art macro shots of insects of the southern United States has its clichés. And while there's nothing inherently wrong with them, doing something different can help you distinguish yourself. This great video will help you create your best portraits and stand out more.
Coming to you from Mango Street, this video examines common posing and shooting mistakes and how to take better and more unique portrait photos. Of the six tips, I think the most salient for me was to be wary of overly embracing trends. Trends wax and wane quite a bit in the visual world, and what's in style now could well be considered tacky in a couple years (hello, ultra-clarity HDR portraits). I think that rather than chasing trends, it's much more important to develop your own style independent of what's at large. This provides more longevity to your work and makes it a more honest expression of who you are as an artist, and that honesty tends to shine through and resonate with an audience. I think it's also more satisfying personally, as you're creating the work you want to create, rather than emulating someone else's style.
+1 on color grading.
Agree.
I think the 'Look I used some color gels!' work is getting WAY over-done/gimmicky. Putting color gels on your strobes may work for some images- but NOT every one (though it seems to have some photo editors fooled!!)