Types of Photography
Photographic work can be divided into dozens of categories, many with lots of sub-categories. The following list describes some common types of photography.
Aerial
From a plane, helicopter, balloon or other airborne device.
Adventure, Action
Adventure sports, daring feats, etc.
Amateur
Any type of photography practiced by non-professionals.
Animal, Pet
Pets and their relationships with humans. Note that the human content is often as important as the animal.
Architecture, Real Estate
The art of making property appear attractive. Often involves panoramic photography.
Artistic
Photography in which creative composition is the goal.
Astro photography
Space photography, through a telescope.
Aura
A controversial type of photography which some claim can photograph a person's aura. Often confused with Kirlian photography.
Black & White
Not simply photography without colour, black and white photography explores shapes, tones and textures. Shadows and highlights become much more important.
Camera Phone
"Convenience" photography using a mobile phone's built-in camera. While not the best quality, camera phones have opened a new world of spontaneous, on-the-spot photo opportunities.
Commercial
Product shots, advertising, etc.
Digi-scoping
Photography through a telescope or binoculars.
Documentary
Journalism, Events, Historical, Political, etc.
Event
Concerts, parties, festivals, weddings, etc.
Forensic
Police and legal photography.
Infrared
Photography in which the recording medium is sensitive to infrared light rather than the normal visible light spectrum.
Large Format
For use on posters, billboards, etc.
Kirlian
A type of contact print photography in which an object touching a photographic plate is connected to a high voltage source, creating an aura-like image. Often confused with aura photography.
Macro
The art of photographing very small and/or close-up objects.
Medical
Specialized photography for clinical purposes, i.e. to help reveal and diagnose illness.
Microscopic
Any technique for photographing objects too small to be visible to humans.
Modeling
Photographing objects to be converted into 3D models.
Nature
Landscapes, animals, plants, sea, etc.
Night
Any technique used to capture images at night. Often includes infrared photography.
Panoramic
Views of wide areas, up to complete 360° panoramas.
Paranormal
Ghosts, unexplained phenomena, etc.
People
Candid, Family, Fashion, Glamour, Passports & Visas, Portrait, Pregnancy, School, Sports, Wedding
Pinhole
Uses the most basic type of camera possible — a box with a tiny hole to let light in.
Scenic
Landscape, Cityscape
Satellite
Views of Earth from orbit.
Scientific
Any specialized photography used for scientific endeavour, e.g. electron microscopy photographs, medical photography, astrophotography, etc.
Sports
The specialized art of shooting people engaged in sports, games and adventure activities.
Stereoscopic (3-D)
Involves taking two photos simultaneously to simulate 3-D vision.
Stock
Photographs taken for distribution to other people, for use in their projects. These photos tend to be quite generic, e.g. people working, landscapes, places, etc.
Time-lapse
Photographs with a very long exposure, used to illustrate something happening over time. A popular example is a street at night with car lights blurred into long lines.
Travel
Photography to showcase locations, illustrate travel literature, etc.
Ultraviolet
Photography in which the recording medium is sensitive to ultraviolet light rather than the normal visible light spectrum.
Urban, Industrial
Emphasizing urban environments.
Water, Underwater
Any type of photography taken under water with a water-tight camera housing.
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