8 GB Vram is far from "little". Even with those things activated. There are zero issues here when settings are right.
An RTX 2080 has 8 GB vram too and i can show you many pics where i leave for example KPDX (Flightbeam) inside the orbx regional scenery, with Rex Skyforce, Activesky and Tomatoshade reflections on medium, with SSAA and 4k textures with 40-50 fps on overcast in the pmdg 748 in VC.
EDDP (Digital Design) with all dyn lighting and 748 lights on
There is absolutely no problem. I have a hard time remembering when i saw this 8 GB maxed. And even if it maxes, let it max. As long it doesnt cause loading with camera changes or other stuff. That i never saw yet, also not on my 1070. I have flown with that for the last 1.5 years too.
To get it more crisp lower your settings. (yes, lower). If you mean this happens only with displays i guess you have "mipmap VC panels (or something like that) disabled.
About photoscenery. I think not all are same here. I get this "washed out" look in a few of them, like EDDF or older ones like the Paulo Ricardo stuff but not with ORBX true earth for example. Everything is nicely colored here. At least with HDR (i dont know how ppl can fly without it anyway but thats not my problem).
Was a bit early on that pics, on noon/afternoon its a bit more colorful.