It could be said that there are as many different types of photography as there are photographers. Even within a specific area of photography – portraiture for example – there are many different styles that each defines a certain photographer and their own unique way of seeing the world.
Traditional Types Of Photography
Portraits are perhaps one of the oldest types of photography in existence. We no longer have to hold a pose for half an hour or more while we wait for the film to develop, but portrait photography is still just as popular as it ever was.
It has the appeal of capturing the people of an age or moment in time – perhaps during an event or crisis – and sealing that moment for other people to view forever. Whether that photo is of a world leader or your daughter on her first day at school, the appeal of a portrait is clear for all to see.
Landscape photography has also been popular since cameras were first invented, and remains so today. As time moves on, we can compare landscape photos of a specific location taken today, to those taken some fifty years ago or more. Just as portraits capture a person in time, so landscape photography can capture a place at a certain point in history.
Newsworthy Types Of Photography
Some photos are taken to spread the word about a little known event or happening, in order to bring it to a wider audience. When a photographer specialises in covering news events, they are often known as photojournalists. This is because their photos tell the story of the event and need no words to describe what is going on.
There are many memorable photos which have captured a world event and frozen it in time for everyone to witness. A classic example is the photograph taken of the Hindenburg disaster, the massive airship that burst into flames and disintegrated within seconds in 1937.
Macro photography can also reach a wide audience because it takes us to places we cannot see with the naked eye. Powerful camera lenses are capable of taking us inside flowers and much closer to insects and bugs than we would normally like, for example.
Photography is capable of showing us things we can’t see in our everyday lives. Types of photography that can do this include aerial photography and underwater photography.
The power of photography lies in its ability to show us a different side to the world we live in. As cameras improve and advance, so will the pictures they can show us.
