Styles of photography

Architecture:

Architectural photography is a genre of photography based on buildings or anything that has been structured, which involves the use of controlled perspective. The traditional cameras used for this type of photography are view cameras but more recently DLSR cameras have been used. The rule of thirds would be a good rule to use for this type of photography.

An example of a successful architectural photographer is Simon Kennedy, whose work has been exhibited and published widely including on the BBC. With the experience of working as a qualified architect and teaching post-graduate architectural studies it has given him a unique understanding of architecture and an amazing photographic vision.

Another photographer whose work fits into this genre is Matt Livey, he photographs a range of different architecture such as the interiors of buildings as well as the exteriors, construction and the details of different architecture.

I like both of these photographers because I enjoy the style of architectural images they take and they both have a range of different architecture in their work.

Portraiture:

Portraiture is based on photographs of a person or a group of people; it is usually focused on the face but can include any part of the rest of the body. This involves focusing in mainly the face, parts such as the eyes and mouth. The constructionist, environmental, candid and the creative approach are the four approaches that can be taken in portraiture. A good rule to use with this type of photography would be the triangles rule or the rule of thirds.

An example of a portrait photographer is Annie Leibowitz, who is mostly known for rock and roll portraits which include many taken for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair and she was also a photographer for American Express charge cards in the 1980’s.  Her photography is very bizarre and I feel she tries to express a lot about a person’s personality through her portraits.

Another photographer whose work fits into this genre is Mary Ellen Mark, she has published in many publications such as New York Times Magazine, The New Yonker, Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. She has created images that reflect a high degree of humanism by travelling the world. I feel that her work reflects a lot about the way of life and parts of it shows how other people work and live. Her project ‘20x24 Polaroid’ shows how every person can be expressed differently and a lot about the person through a photograph.

Photojournalism:

Photojournalism is used as way of expressing journalism, through photography; it uses images to tell a story. A photojournalists creates pictures that will contribute to the news, everyday things that are happening that he or she would think should be shared in the news and media. For a photojournalist to get there stories and photographs is can often be dangerous, as they have to carry photography equipment and can often be exposed to things such as crowds or physical danger.

An example of a photojournalist is Daniel Berehulak, who is an award winning photojournalist. He has covered history shaping events in over 50 countries. He was also a staff news photographer from 2005-2009. His work has covered events such as the Iraq war, child labor in India, Afghanistan elections.

Another photojournalist is Ed Kashi, is a photojournalist as well as a film maker and educator. I particularly like the ‘Sandy: 1 year later’ project, he has compared photographs from when the hurricane was happening, and how each of those places looks one year later. Which shows the public the effects of the hurricane and how it affected people and how everything has had to change since this happened. He also publishes a lot about public and political issues, which expresses to the news and media what the world is like in these times.

Documentary:

Documentary photography is used to express historical events and everyday life, it is similar but also very different to photojournalism, where photojournalism is current events published to the news, documentary photography is stories of things happening in the past or things that happen on a day to day basis. This type of photography is most often photographs of people, in which the photographer will produce a truthful story.

An example of a documentary photographer is Ed Thompson, whose documentary photo-essays have been published in magazines such as Newsweek Japan, The Guardian weekend magazine, National Geographic Magazine and The Sunday Times Magazine Spectrum Supplement (UK). He has documented events such as Syrian refugees in Lebanon, in this he spent six days interviewing refugees in camps. His ‘England till I die’ photo essay included photographs documenting the ‘E.D.L’ which he had followed since 2010 and photographed them on eight occasions.

Another documentary photographer is Erica McDonald, whose photography has been exhibited worldwide and is commissioned for magazines nationally and internationally.