Different Photography Niches for a Successful Career

6 minute read

“There is one thing the photograph must contain, the humanity of the moment.” – Robert Frank. Photography is that powerful tool that tells stories when words feel inadequate. Over the years, photography has become a means to convey emotions, humanity, imagination, and news. It has expanded to cover a wide range of genres like – portrait, landscape, fashion, travel, wildlife, food, model, and even sub-genres like pet photography, forensic, event photography, photojournalism, and more. Let’s discuss some of the most popular types of photography and techniques that you need to know as a professional photographer!

(Credit: Antti Karppinen)

Photography is a huge industry that includes various subsets and specializations in photography that photographers can master and excel in. Based on their interests, students can opt for a wide range of genres from travel to wildlife to portrait and even fashion photography. Excelling in a specific specialization is great for building a strong portfolio, acquiring skills, and networking. Let’s look at the different types of photography and specialization you can opt for: 

Also read: Capturing the Photography Career the Right Way!

Portrait Photography

Types of photography
Credit: Digital Camera World

Portrait photography is the most popular type of photography. It is also called candid photography, this type of photography focuses on close-ups, expressions, and poses. Professional photographers click famous personalities and models at events and magazine shoots. Such photography is also a part of official events such as graduation day, family events, and so on. The photographer must know how to play with lights, shadows, timings, distance, lenses, and editing techniques to master this specialization.

Wedding Photography

Types of photography
Source: Thrive Global

Weddings are the most cherishable moments in the lives of people. A photographer plays a key role in capturing those lovable moments forever. A wedding photographer or an event photographer can click candid moments, venues, food, decorations, and others. This photography type establishes a reputation in the market and is one of the most profitable specializations in photography. 

Fashion Photography

Credit: Adorama

Fashion photography is one of the most sought after genres of photography because of its glamour, diversity and creativity. This type of photography is one of the oldest genres and they cover a wide spectrum like big events like fashion shows and Met Gala to celebrities and fashion models. Social media, advertising and marketing contributed to the growth of fashion photography. A fashion photographer has a sense of style and understands the modelling ad well. It is an artistic craft along with technical knowledge. Teamwork and coordination are the highest priority in fashion photography.

Landscape Photography

Source: PhotoBlog

Travel enthusiasts with a passion for photography can opt for landscape photography. There is a huge scope of creativity in landscape photography. Horizontal photos, vertical photos, videos, and other forms of capturing are popular in landscape photography. Such photographers await the right time of sunset and sunrise to capture the landscape below. One of the most creative types of photography. By applying technology such as flying drones and patience, the world can be your oyster! 

Also read: Photography Courses

Travel Photography

Credit: Wanderlust Travel Magazine

The pictures captured during a course of a journey refer to photography. The travelers click different sub-genres such as portraits, landscape, food, nature, wildlife, street, architecture, cityscapes, and similar others. Travel photography includes diverse new experiences and can include a wide range of photos that travelers with a professional background can explore. It is the most suited photography type for wanderlusts.

Food Photography

Source: Pixpa

The social media platform has propelled food photography. The foodies travel to restaurants to gorge on the yummiest food and post pictures before eating. This is a great form of marketing for those fun food outlets, restaurants, and small businesses. A professional camera is not a prerequisite for this type of photography. The right lighting and different angles of food shorts are enough to win the hearts of food lovers. The photographers should ensure the right balance of colors, a saturation of pictures that would enhance the appeal towards food.

Also read: Photography Jobs

Still life Photography

Credit: Unspalsh

This photography is popular for clicking photos of nonliving objects. It is widely used for product photography. Advertising agencies hire product photographers to take pictures for catalogues, magazines, and billboards. The product is the highlight of the pictures complemented by other smaller accessory items. The photographers can follow a particular colour theme to create amazing still life photos. Lighting, background, use of light box, angles, or some of the important factors to keep in mind.

Sports Photography

Credit: Pixpa

An excellent photography niche that requires you to shoot high-speed mirrorless pictures. The lenses capture the pictures at fast shutter speeds for highly exposed images. The competition in the sports domain is quite tough. The photographers must work on their angles, lenses, timing to capture the best shots during a sports festival or event. The photographers become better with time and experience in this photography niche. 

Wildlife Photography

Types of photography
Credit: Rediffmail

Animal lovers with the love of cameras can pursue a successful career in wildlife photography. Clicking clear images of wild animals in action is a tough job. The photographers along with their camera equipment and safety measures can smoothly capture those wild moments. Not everyone is a wildlife photographer. It takes patience and perseverance to master this niche.

Macro Photography

Types of photography
Source: The Photo Argus

Macro photography is an incredible photography niche to produce truly remarkable pictures of nature. The smartphone cameras can be modified by adding a macro lens accessory for higher resolution. DSLR cameras or mirrorless cameras can be enhanced with similar lenses too. Macro photography is unique and different from the other genres. It is a highly compelling domain for clicking living or nonliving objects.

Photojournalism

types of photography
Credit: BBC

Photojournalism is one of the most popular types of photography. It covers the events and political happenings around the world. This is different from street photography since it covers more of the people and their movements. The pictures are published in newspapers, news websites, and other organizations. This is an ideal niche for those who want to deliver messages and a story through candid moments.

Also read: Photography Courses in India

Architectural Photography

Types of photography
Source: Improve Photography

This domain deals with the photos of the exteriors and interiors of great architectural designs. Mostly, the photographers work in cityscapes and capture the architectural designs inside business organizations, companies, historical monuments, and so on. The additional skills required to become an architectural photographer are to understand the additional devices such as tilt-shift lens, tripod, panorama head, and many more.

Credit: PROCOLOR ACADEMY

FAQs

What basic photography gear do I need?

The most essential part of photography is a good camera, tripod, light meter, reflector kit, lens cleaners, and external flash.

What is the best camera for beginners photographers?

The best camera for beginners is the one that allows manual adjustments. Mirrorless cameras are popular due to lots of features similar to DSLR.

How much should a beginner photographer charge?

A beginner photographer can charge up to $50 (INR 3700) per hour or they can also charge for an image. The rates may vary depending on the techniques and niche adopted by the beginners.

Do I need to go to school to become a photographer?

Yes, a degree in the relevant field makes the resume stand out. A formal degree isn’t required to be a successful photographer but having the right skill sets and knowledge of techniques can end up in a lucrative career.

If you are a passionate photographer and have experimented with multiple types of photography, then you can easily identify your niche. Excelling in one photography type can make you stand out and build a strong portfolio. Want to know more about a career in Photography? Book a free consultation with our experts on 1800 572 000 and skyrocket your career with LeverageEdu and Leverage Live!

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2 comments
  1. We appreciate you delving into the significance of content creation for various photography niches to build a successful career. You enlightened me to the fact that there is potential there. I like your vitality!

    1. Thank you for the comment, Lisa! We appreciate your support, do check out more blogs.
      Watch our space because we publish new blogs and quizzes every day!

  1. We appreciate you delving into the significance of content creation for various photography niches to build a successful career. You enlightened me to the fact that there is potential there. I like your vitality!

    1. Thank you for the comment, Lisa! We appreciate your support, do check out more blogs.
      Watch our space because we publish new blogs and quizzes every day!

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