Photography allows us to capture precious moments forever and has an enduring appeal and utility that covers all aspects of life. Given the near infinite scope of events and moments to be captured, many special forms of photography – beyond simple portrait and landscape photography – have developed over the years. Each of these types of photography has its own unique requirements and characteristics that attract amateurs as well as professionals. Here is a brief overview of some of the most popular types of photography:
Photojournalism. Photojournalism involves capturing photos of current significant events for use in the news media such as news websites, magazines and newspapers. Photojournalism is a highly specialized field of photography. It takes years to master the skill of a photojournalist. They must know how to capture the maximum essence of an event or a situation in a single photo.
Macrophotography. Macrophotography involves taking photos of objects from up-close. It requires specialized lenses and other equipment developed specifically for capturing fine details of subjects from a very close range.
Documentary. Documentary photographers capture a sequence of photos that define an event or detail a narrative. While photojournalism usually involves taking eye-catching individual photos, documentary photography also requires excellent storytelling skills.
Glamour. Glamour photography seeks to capture the beauty of the human body. Glamour photography requires knowledge of proper body poses that bring about the desired detail and effect in the photos as well as a thorough knowledge of how lights and shadows bring out the details and hide the flaws.
Action. Action photography involves capturing photos of various types of human as well as natural subjects in motion. An action photographer captures a still image that conveys a motion or action. That is why action photography requires a strong knowledge of the subjects and the ability to predict their actions. Sports photography and animal photography are the most popular types of action photography.
Portrait. This is perhaps one of the oldest as well as the most popular types of photography. It involves taking photos of people that capture the maximum details of their personality. It requires extensive knowledge of body poses and lighting.
Travel. Travel photography captures various details of a travel destination to give a reader a comprehensive glimpse of a place through the photographs. Travel photographers shoot descriptive and informative photos that cover various aspects of a travel destination in detail such as its natural scenery, cultural characteristics (including local art and dress), cultural events, daily life, architecture, landscapes, wildlife, etc.
Art. Art photography consists of taking photos of people as well as objects posed or arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner. Art photography requires a keen aesthetic sense and an ability to visualize creatively.
Wedding. Wedding photography is a specialized type of photography that combines many features of portrait, glamour and documentary photography and even action photography. A wedding photographer must be able to clearly capture the progression of the wedding ceremony as well as the emotions of the couple and the participants in an artistic and descriptive manner.
Advertising. Advertising photography consists of shooting detailed photographs of products as well as models that can capture the attention of potential consumers. Good knowledge of lighting as well as consumer tastes and preferences are essential in an advertising photographer.