Photography isn’t just about snapping pictures—it’s about finding the style that makes your work unforgettable. From capturing the drama of wildlife to the subtle storytelling of street shots, each style challenges you to see the world differently.
Like any art, photography has many different styles and approaches.
A painter may have Impressionism, while a photographer has conceptual photography. A painter conveys their art through brush strokes and texture while a photographer employs light and exposure settings not to bring their vision to life in the same way but rather to bring new life and meaning into what they are capturing.
However, this artistic freedom also means there are many choices for styles and forms of photography. Here we will discuss the top 10 photography styles so that any beginner photographer has an idea where to start and so that seasoned photographers can gain inspiration to expand their domains.
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10. Commercial Photography
Just like famous jingles like the “snack that smiles back” and “I’m a big kid now,” the image of a brand is just as important for grabbing consumers’ attention. Commercial photography is a crucial part of bringing a brand to life. Whether it involves taking an artistic approach like with Zara’s models or making a Big Mac look like a 5 star meal, commercial photography combines attractive lighting and eye-catching details to captivate customers.
Commercial photographers combine psychology and art to create images that capture the human eye and sell their product. Or in the case of Zara, at least get people talking about them afterwards.
9. Architectural Photography
Rather than selling a product, architectural photography aims to capture another art form from the lensman’s point of view. Architectural photography is defined by innovative angles and framing that capture the beauty of the architect’s work in a whole new light. This style of photography also often utilizes contrast between shadows and light to enhance and highlight the stark shapes and angles of its soaring subjects. Often, black and white photography is also employed to further deepen this contrast and exhibit the beauty of these towering muses.
8. Long Exposure Photography
As opposed to capturing something in plain sight from a different view, long exposure photography aims to capture more of what cannot be seen. Long exposure photography involves leaving a camera shutter open for an extended period of time so that more light can be expressed in a picture. Long exposure can be used to expose (see what I did there…) the endless bright stars and planets against the velvety black night sky, or it can be used to completely reshape the message of an image by exposing blurry lights created by bustling cars and people in Times Square. Long exposure thus is great for both a practical solution for low light settings and an artistic approach to heavy light settings.
7. Wildlife Photography
Whether you enjoy watching Steve Irwin wrestle crocs in the river or you prefer yoinking snakes and chasing swamp puppies in the swamp, there is no denying the adventure and thrill of wildlife. Wildlife photography embraces this thrill.
Snagging stunning images of beautiful black bears and majestic lions from convenient hiding places is a staple of wildlife photography. To capture these beautiful beasts, one must have a quick eye for the perfect shot and an intuitive understanding of framing because when an animal is in the perfect position, they’re not usually there twice.
6. Conceptual Photography
In contrast to the danger of capturing the perfect picture of animals as they appear, conceptual photography aims to tell a story. Conceptual photography’s purpose is to illustrate an idea. Rather than focusing on the reality of an image or the aesthetics of its makeup, the focus shifts to the message that the photo sends. This style of photography emerged as part of the conceptual art movement in the 1960s and has flourished among photographers who have a story to tell or an idea to convey.
5. Sports Photography
If you want the excitement of wildlife photography without the risk of a swamp puppy yoinking you instead, sports photography might be for you. Sports photography is characterized by fast-moving subjects and fast shutter speeds. Usually a fast shutter with lots of light is used to etch fleeting moments of greatness in stone.
Whether it is classic sports photography like basketball or it is more niche sports photography like the racing photography above, an eye for the perfect framing and timing is crucial. Though modern digital cameras have many settings and options such as a rapid fire shutter that takes multiple pictures at once, the momentary character of this style of photography still requires keen attention to detail and a good eye to capture the winning photo.
4. Wedding Photography
Though it may not be a winning touchdown, wedding photographers capture different winning moments. Whether it is encapsulating the chaos and excitement of getting ready or the beauty of that first kiss as husband and wife, wedding photographers have the rare privilege of witnessing and capturing love and once-in-a-lifetime memories every time they are behind the lens.
Since wedding photography is a type of candid photography, it requires an insightful understanding of people. The wedding photographer must be aware of everything going on around them in a busy and exciting atmosphere so that they can capture all the beautiful and quick moments like the loving smile as the couple dances or the proud look of the parents as the cake is cut.
3. Street Photography
Another style of candid photography is street photography. Though it is also candid photography like weddings, street photographers shoot images of often very different moments. Street photography consists of taking candid shots of people in public places to encapsulate specific moments or parts of life. It is a very diverse style of photography because a street photographer might capture a smile on someone’s face on a first date and the next second snap the busy chaos of people bustling to work.
Street photographers capture moments in people’s everyday lives, either romanticizing the beauty of everyday experiences or bringing attention to the needs for change.
2. Black & White Photography
While black and white photography can be used as a mode to capture any of the other styles, it deserves its own distinction because of the specific strategies and skills required to capture moments without the aid of colors. Black and white photography is all about utilizing light contrast to capture images that emphasize shadows and really bring the shapes and sharp points in images to life.
While color images showcase the details and beauty of life as we see it, black and white ones include less detail in the darker portions, which creates a certain serious and timeless effect. To get this effect, the black and white photographer knows how to spot settings with high light contrast and stark shapes that will provide emphasis to their images.
1. Film Photography
Though it may seem outdated by digital photography due to its inconvenience and the uncertainty of the images captured, film photography is a timeless art form. One can even argue that the inconveniences of film are the very things that make it an attractive photography style.
The uncertainty of how an image turns out means every shot counts and must be calculated and chosen carefully beforehand, and having to set a camera manually teaches the photographer invaluable information about how a camera works and allows the photographer freedom to play with light at the moment the photo is taken. In addition to the skills an analog form like film teaches, the colors captured by film have a unique effect and beauty that digital images cannot replicate.
