The best part about being a beginner or aspiring photographer is that you can experiment with almost any type of photography. Fashion, photojournalism, sports, and events—armed with a camera, you can try it all while honing your skills.
However, as you gain experience, you'll realise that it's difficult to master a specific style if you don't stick to it. In fact, it may be the very thing that is preventing you from becoming successful in a specific niche.
In this article, we'll explain some of the most popular photography niches, what they're like, and how you can excel in each of them.
Popular Photographic Styles
Rather than being a jack of all trades, you can specialise in one photography niche and gradually work your way up to success. Some of the most popular types of photography are listed below.
Photographing Portraits
One of the most popular types of photography is portraiture. Today, almost anyone with a smartphone can practise this type of photography. With powerful lenses becoming more affordable and social media platforms encouraging the sharing of daily activities and highlights, it's become second nature to point and shoot.
Portrait photography, also known as candid photography, is appealing because it allows you to capture a subject's personality. This can be accomplished through poses, close-ups, and genuine expressions.
Professional photographers in this field typically photograph supermodels or celebrities on red carpets or during magazine shoots. They also do graduation photos, family portraits, and headshots for aspiring models and actors in some cases.
Follow top portraiture tips from the pros and make sure to highlight your subject's best features by experimenting with lighting, shadows, and distance for a more compelling portrait.
Photography of Still Life
As the name implies, this popular photography niche focuses on photographing inanimate objects. It extends to product photography, where advertising agencies have photographed branded items for catalogues, magazines, and billboards.
Having great lighting, whether indoors or outdoors, is one of the secrets to taking amazing still life photos. Many photographers use a lightbox in product photography. By illuminating the item from all angles, this eliminates harsh shadows.
Photographing Landscapes
Those who enjoy travelling have undoubtedly taken many landscape photographs. Contrary to popular belief, this style of photography is not restricted to horizontal images. Many landscape photographers discover that shooting vertically allows them to capture tall trees, mountains, and anything else they feel compelled to photograph while exploring the great outdoors. Landscape photographers work around the clock, from sunrise to sunset, and even late at night to capture a landscape beneath the night sky.
This generation also provides us with more creative options for using drones. With such technology, it is much easier to capture a bird's eye view of landscapes, adding depth to our images. You'll need to upgrade from your smartphone or compact digital camera to get the best results. Invest in the right equipment and lenses for landscape photography.
Photographic Abstraction
one of the photography styles with deep artistic roots It is influenced by early-nineteenth-century art movements such as the Cubist, Futurist, and Surrealist currents.
goes beyond realistic world representation and rejects recognisable objects as primary subject matter It focuses on geometry, microscopic designs, concepts, and ideas instead.
Abstract photographs are more than just beautiful; they also have a narrative, atmosphere, and a powerful message. Study art history and the works of your favourite artists to better understand why their works have such an impact on you. As an abstract photographer, your goal should be to use lines, colours, and shapes to create a scene.
Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, Harry Callahan, John Baldessari, and Jackie Ranken are among the most well-known abstract photographers. Whether they focused on people, nature, or still life, their artworks are unique, easy to recognise, and elicit strong emotions.
