5 Types of Photography

In the society that we currently live in we are constantly surrounded by visuals. Whether that be through the likes of social media, large billboards, advertisements ,films or magazines we are always around photography and visuals in everyday situations. Although many of us take photos on a daily basis, there are many different types and styles of photography that you may not be aware of.
some of the types of photography include:

Aerial photography

Aerial photography is the taking of images of the sky, air crafts or flying objects like birds, or hot air balloons, anything that captures the landscape. This is one of the most common uses for photography as for many of us as soon as we reach a new holiday destination often take photographs of what is around us. Wide angle shots of buildings with scenery in the background are typically the go to when it comes to taking aerial photography.  This specific type of photography was first introduced by a French photographer and balloonist known as 'Nadar' in 1858 in the centre of Paris.  He experimented for three years before he produce his photographs and captured the French village 'Petit-Becetre' from a hot air balloon 80 metres from off the ground. The photographs that Nadar produced no longer exist however the earliest surviving Aeriel photograph was titled 'Boston, as the Eagle ad the wild goose see it' and was taken by James Wallace Black and Samuel Archer King on the 13th of October in 1860 and the image was captured from a 630 meter height. Aerial photography can be taken in many ways such as Oblique, vertical, orthophotos and combination; the images or videos that are created with aerial photography are typically captured with the assisted help of a drone camera and can be controlled with a controller by the photographer on the ground. Oblique photography can be taken by a low angle on the earths surface- aircraft, obliques can also be taken at high angle, which are called steep obliques and can create a wide high angled photograph. Vertical photography can be taken straight down and are mainly used in photogrammetry and interpretation, images are taken on a large format camera and can document geometric properties. Combination photographs from an aerial perspective can be produced in a number of different ways such as panormas, stereo photography techniques and in pictometry in order to create 3D images with a variety of different angles.

Although aerial photography is a different and slightly more difficult style of photography I like the fact that you are able to capture towns, cities and different locations from the sky's perspective. Although i would  like to try and capture a few images in this style i feel like maybe it would be more difficult to get the right types of images as you need to be able to fly a drone in order to capture images from a specific height. I like the style  and the way that Aeriel images can be created however i don't think that i will be trying this style any time soon.

Candid Photography 

Candid images are on of the most common types of photography, capturing moments spontaneously as they happen, candids are normally taken then the subject is unaware of the photographer and is positioned in a relaxed manor not posed. A way of capturing candid images is to use a long zoom on your camera as they appear more natural and aren't as up close and personal to the subject. Images can also be captured when the subject is in motion, not distracting the subject during the process of taking the photograph and avoiding the prior preparation of the subject. The first available light Candid photography was produced by Dr. Erich Saloman who was the photographer for the social elite in Berlin, Germany. He later worked for the politicians and diplomats during the late 1920's and early 1930's. Then after the world war he worked in billboard advertisements for a number of years.

I particularly like candid photography as it is a way of capturing the expression of the individual or group in a relaxed and unforced way. The way that candid photography is taken is really natural and i feel can create more expressive and spectacular photographs then those who are posed and structured such as fashion photography or portraits.  Candid photography depicts raw emotion and can convey mood and atmosphere. Natural photographs, images that are captured when the subject is caught off guard can portray stories and make you question what happened in order for the photograph to be captured in that specific moment.  They draw in the audience making you question the expression of the individual, the location and the story behind the image. This style of photography is something i find myself extremely interested in, I like the fact the subject for the most part is unaware of the camera, taking images in a moment when the group or individual is distracted or lost in thought. This is when beautiful and captivating images can be created as the person whom is being photographed can be captured in the purest and innocent form, there natural expression of emotions and motions.

Fashion photography 

Fashion photography is a genre of photography that is dedicated to the display of clothing and trends. Fashion photography is particularly common in advertisements and magazines and is now becoming increasingly popular on social media. Some very popular and world wide fashion magazines include; vogue, vanity fair and Elle. Fashion shows and fashion photography is advanced with extras such as location, lighting, props  and animals, creating a more aesthetic and exotic appearance. Fashion Photography can come in many forms such as; magazines, books, adverts, billboards, fashion shoots, cat walks and on line. Fashion photography all started in 1839 and the purpose was for the images and the product to sell. Its all changed, now fashion is looked as a reflection of lifestyle, attitude and can create a story from expressing your own individuality. Makeup, location, hair, accessories and props help to create the photographers vision and also grab the attention of the audience. People such as Richard Avedon, Guy Bourdin and Irving Penn have created a path for photographers and models of today, creating and challenging fashion and pushing for the acceptation of new ideas and styles. These new styles and trends are what has helped to make sexism a thing of the past, making it acceptable to be both feminine and masculine.  Some powerful photographers in the fashion industry such as Steven Meisel and Terry Richardson have lunched the careers of many models, makeup artists and hair stylists. Helping to create media platforms for fashion photography and film.

Fashion Photography for me is my favourite style of photograph as well as portraiture. For me its a way of capturing someones individual personality and style and an image can help to create a picturesque story. I like the way that fashion photography can be shot, the way that photographers in the fashion industry create images with beautifully displayed locations and backgrounds, crazy and extravagant hair and makeup and over exaggerated and colourful fashion pieces. Fashion photography can be really capturing and for me is very visually appealing.  Not only do I love fashion photography for the Fashion aspect but I like the fact that there isn't any rules when it comes to the way the photography has to be shot, different and odd angles and zoomed in and out can create beautiful images with added elements and techniques like Fish eye lenses and wide angle lenses can create different moods and feelings. I like the way that fashion photographers can create bold and contrasting images, while also adding texture, and tone within the clothing. Overall Fashion photography is defiantly something that i would like to do myself and perhaps shoot as part of a short film.

Long exposure photography 

The most used technique in night time photography is long exposure. The product that is created through long exposure can be captured with stunning and ethereal quality. In order to create long exposure photographs you'll need a tripod to fix you camera too and a good quality DSLR camera that allows for long exposure photographs. Long exposure, time exposure and slow shutter photographer all involve long duration shutter speed. This is so that you are able to capture the blurring, smearing and obscuring of moving elements. Long exposure means that you are able to capture an image over a certain time this is whats most different about conventional images. moving objects can become clearly visible and light for example from a cars head lights can be captures as blurred lines which really makes the images that are captured stand out and create bright capturing patterns within the photograph. Only bright clear lights will leave visible trails, some darker lighting or objects can usually be absorbed in the background and can disappear in the image itself.

I like the thought of creating long exposure images, I would love to be able to create different styled photographs by adjusting and messing around with the shutter speeds. I really like the images that are created through altering the settings of the camera and that's something that I don't really tend to do often when I'm taking my own photographs.

Architectural photography
Is the photography of buildings, land marks and anything that is of similar structure. Architecture can be very aesthetically pleasing and can be a great representation of their subjects; many architectural photographers use specific and specialised techniques and equipment in order to create and produce their images. Originally the first photographs of buildings were produced by Nicephore Niepce and was called 'view from the window at Le Gras', Even earlier photographs were created by a photographer called Henry Fox Talbot and included an image of a latticed window in Lacock Abbey taken in 1835. Buildings have been one of the most highly valued subjects for photography as they are a representation for societies appreciation of architecture and cultural difference. In the late 17th century photograph of buildings and structures became a visual medium. People found that as time progressed the architecture also did, buildings were beautifully created and the appreciation for the way that they were displayed was portrayed in photography. The designs of buildings changed and traditional forms were a thing of the past, the photography aspect also evolved and more technique and equipment that was used for this area of photography were used. The photography aspect became more creative and so did the buildings, photographers used diagonal lines and bold shadowing in their compositions and experimented with a range of techniques. Architectural photography is now seen as an art form with both the interior and exterior being used as part of the image.

Personally I really enjoy architectural photography and from a young age that was something that i explored the most when experimenting with taking pictures. Even though I was unaware of the different techniques and equipment that could be used to improve my images, I really enjoyed it, and still do. Now that I am older this an area that I have found myself wanting to explore again this time with the right knowledge to create better photographed compositions. Not only do I want to try out taking different types of building locations such as; urban abandoned buildings, newly, modern and structured buildings, country and city buildings but would also like to experience taking pictures of different famous landmarks. I feel that this type of photography is something that I would like to create my own little project of for my college work.