It happens all the time: you place white text over a busy photo, you can't read it, so you add a heavy black drop shadow. It fixes legibility, but it instantly makes your design look like a cheap meme.

The Elegant Solution: Overlays

Instead of modifying the text, modify the background. Add a solid black rectangle between the text and the photo, and drop its opacity to 40%. The text becomes readable, and the design stays flat and modern.

The Gradient Fade

If you don't want to darken the whole photo, use a black-to-transparent gradient starting from the bottom (where the text is) fading up to the center. It looks cinematic and natural.

Conclusion

A drop shadow on text should only be used for stylistic retro designs, never as a crutch for bad contrast.