The hardest decision to make for someone who wants to pursue a career in photography is, “Which type of photography to consider?” There are so many subjects to think about when it comes to capturing and creating an image. Photography is a field with so much versatility and diversity that you will always something new and exciting in it.
There are so many genres in photography that it is hard to compile them all in one article, so we have gathered the best ones for people who are having a hard time deciding whether one type of photography is good for them or not. Let’s get to it.
1. Wedding Photographer
The most popular type of photography is wedding photography. It is all about capturing the beautiful moments of weddings. There is no doubt that people always pay for their wedding shoots; for some, it is the only time when they hire a professional photographer.
Being a wedding photographer is having fun and earning good money at the same time. Wedding photographers are supposed to stay alert and get the perfect shot on the first try, as sometimes there is no second chance to get that exact shot. Moreover, as a wedding photographer, one needs to be as adaptable as possible. He/she should always be ready to capture the moments in indoor and outdoor settings.
Many photographers opt for wedding photography with a mindset of “all the money is here”; however, this is not why you should choose a career as a wedding photographer. The best job is the one that makes you happy.
2. Portrait Photographer
This one is the most common type of photography. People often opt for it as their career, and of course, it is a great idea to go for it. Many kinds of photography techniques can be included in portrait photography, making it more astounding. There is a high demand for portrait photographers among retail customers. It can be a family, newborn, maternity, school, or senior photo shoot; this is all done by a portrait photographer.
Moreover, many emerging models are always looking for portrait photographers to keep their catalog updated and show it to agencies.
If you are starting up as a photographer, portrait photography can be a great place to start with. You can build a great portfolio with your portrait shots. If you improve in this genre, you can also go for product and fashion photography as they are almost the same. If you are starting up as a photographer, offering photography services can be a great place to start with. You can build a great portfolio with your portrait shots. If you improve in this genre, you can also go for product and fashion photography as they are almost the same.
3. Fine Art Photographer
There are always some rules and regulations for every type of photography, but fine art photography is the kind where you are completely free of rules. Such photographers create art, and to create art, you can do whatever you want. The work is displayed in art galleries, and generally, the prints are framed and sold to customers. You can choose any subject to capture in this genre. However, fine art is more about communicating with the audience through photography.
It is the type of photography in which the photographer is also an artist who sees everything with an eye of an artist instead of a photographer. They deliver emotions and messages through their photography. Fine art photographers do not just capture a picture; they always capture moments, feelings, and messages.
4. Fashion Photographer
This might be the most challenging career to make a name in. This type of photography includes everything from cover shoots to runway photoshoots. Famous fashion photographers usually work in the cities like Milan, New York, and Paris. They need to be versatile as this one type of photography includes different subcategories, such as runway shots and posed shots. All these categories have their own demands and requirements.
The look of all the photographs matters the most in this kind of photography. There are desired themes that need to be followed for a particular magazine or cover shoots. In short, fashion photography is all about communication and teamwork; everyone, including makeup artists, wardrobe specialists, and art directors, are all as important as the photographer. With teamwork, magic happens.
5. Travel Photographer
If you are a travel enthusiast, this might be the career you would like to pursue as a photographer. Travel photographers enjoy the beauty of places along with capturing them. They usually blend different types of photography to create perfect, beautiful shots. What can be better than a job in which you can travel worldwide because that’s what your job is?
Travel photographers capture the beauty of nature, landscapes, and people of certain areas. We can also include macro and wildlife photography in this category. Capturing a beautiful beach in Bali or the forests of Africa, everything is done by a travel photographer.
6. Photojournalist
Whether it is a natural disaster, warzone, political rally, or a community celebration, a photojournalist has to cover the breaking news with his/her photography skills. The way you capture a picture as a photojournalist will tell how good of a photojournalist you are.
From newspapers to magazines, every publication requires a photojournalist to tell their story through pictures. The majority of photography is candid in photojournalism. A photojournalist works just like a regular journalist, but the difference is that the story is told through photographs instead of words or speech.
7. Aerial Photographer
Aerial photography is the gift of evolving technology for photographers. There is no doubt that aerial photography has been a thing since the advent of cameras, but nowadays, it is a lot easier with drone camera technologies.
In the US and many other countries, you need to get a license for using a drone. Today, aerial photography is being used for almost everything, such as architectural or real estate photography and wedding or event photography.
8. Stock Photography/Photographer
If all the types of photography seemed great to you, then probably you should opt for stock photography as a career. Stock photographers capture images and sell the rights to their photos for use through catalogs. Such photographers can also work as freelancers.
The best thing about stock photography is that you can capture anything you want because there are no restrictions about what picture is needed and which one isn’t. After the photos are captured, cataloging is done, and suitable keywords are allocated to make it easier for customers to find the desired images.
Conclusion
Photography is such a vast subject to talk about that it is nearly impossible to cover all the types at once. A detailed study is required to know everything about photography. A photographer choosing a career entirely depends upon choices, adaptability, passion, and of course, what they like to do. People who do a job because they love it are mostly the most successful ones because it is better to do something you love than doing something you don’t like.
Passion brings the best out of people. Photographers are also artists; they capture the art of things, people, and nature through their cameras’ lens. If you are an aspiring photographer, it is high time to think about selecting the type of photography you would like to master and pursue as a career.